Psychiatrics abused by Slovak politics?

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'In this case psychiatrics is abused for political purpose' - this opinion was quoted in a hearing in the European Parliament by Branislav Jurga, lawyer of 30 year old Hedviga Zakova Malinova, who is a Slovakian citizen, a member of the Hungarian national community living in Slovakia.

Almost seven years ago she was heavily beaten and robbed by skinheads simply because of speaking Hungarian in public. However, the police investigation was closed and the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico himself and Interior Minister Robert Kalinak announced that she lied, there had been no attack of any kind, she had beaten up herself and just fabricated the whole story. She was no longer treated as a victim of  an assault, instead, she was accused of  bearing false witness, deceiving the authorities, and instigating ethnic intolerance. The investigation is still ongoing.

Hedviga Zakova Malinova

Even today I am not exactly aware ... what are the lies I am accused of.... I have been asking the authorities for six years now... through different files and requests to the authorities ...to let me know when and where I lied exactly... but noone is answering.

Two years ago, in 2011, it seemed that the case would close. At the Strasbourg European Court of Human Rights the Slovak authorities offered an out of court agreement, saying, that certain circumstances raised concerns that the human rights of  Hedviga Zakova Malinova were not respected during the criminal investigation as guaranteed by the European Convention of Human Rights and the Slovak government offered her an official apology. This is why she had withdrawn the case from Strasbourg.

However, later the new Slovak government, elected in 2012, initiated further proceedings in the case. Not the investigation of the attack, whose perpetrators are unpunished ever since, but in the case against the young woman, of bearing false witness. In brackets: the Slovak minister of interior is again the same Robert Kalinak, who supervised the Slovakian Police Force seven years ago.

Hedviga Zakova Malinova still has not been informed of which part of her testimony is regarded as a lie. The investigation now tries to prove that at the time of her testimony, seven years ago, she was "non compos mentis". Though after six-seven years this is simply impossible, according to international experts, who studied the case in a psychiatry conference.

MEPs present at the hearing were astonished to hear the details of the case.

György Schöpflin, MEP, Fidesz, Hungary

- I find it horrendous that in the European Union something of this kind happen. It is  appalling. That is not why we joined the European Union.

Hungarian MEP, Kinga Gál, who is vice-chairperson of the EP commission on civil liberties and human rights was of the opinion that the role of MEPs is to persuade the European institutions to act in this case and prevent any further encroachment of Hedvig's rights.

Kinga Gál, MEP, Fidesz, Hungary

- Work on it, until your story comes to a peaceful end, a satisfying end, and you will be left to live in peace as a normal citizen of Slovakia, a member of the European Union.

Edit Bauer, a Hungarian member of the European Parliament from Slovakia, who organized the hearing, said, the regulations in Slovakia are not clear about how an investigation of this kind has to be carried out by the alienists.

Edit Bauer, MEP, Party of Hungarian Coalition

- Forcing somebody to undergo psychiatric scrutiny in a psychiatric department without any reason as far as she is not a threat to public order just inconvenient to some politicians has nothing to do with human rights, guaranteed in the European Convention of Human Rights.

She said the crisis prompted her to organize this hearing in the European Parliament. Hedviga Zakova Malinova must appear before the alienists soon, and there are fears that she would not be cooperative in a closed mental hospital for two or even three months. Or, if she didn't go for the examination she would face a fine of 1600 euros.

Hedviga Zakova Malinova told the hearing she would be pleased to accept any help as she was confident: hers is a just case.

Hedviga Zakova Malinova

I came here today in front of you... to prove ...that my powerlessness is just the surface... because who's right ...that one has the strength and the right ... to stand up for her justice.