NGOs rally against Slovak government’s decision to cancel human rights grant

After Justice Minister Boris Susko cancelled the call for applications for a €769,500 grant under the Human Rights 2024 programme without explanation, NGOs have signed a petition urging him to reconsider his decision.

The Justice Ministry announced the appeal cancellation by email just one day before the applicants were due to be interviewed.

The ministry traditionally awards such grants to dozens of NGOs each year, enabling them to fund their projects, including PRIDE Bratislava, People in Need Slovakia, IPčko, an internet psychological helpline for young people, and Post Bellum, which documents eyewitness testimony from survivors of totalitarian regimes.

“By cancelling this appeal, the government scandalously – at the last minute and without adequate explanation – stopped the only state programme to support projects in this extremely important area,” said Sandra Polovková, director of Post Bellum.

According to her, “the government, therefore, clearly signals that it is not interested in human rights”.

Civic organisations launched an online petition against the revocation of the appeal, writing that there is now a risk that Slovakia will not support any projects at preventing discrimination, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism this year.

They also pointed out that with the new government, they perceive “a departure from the fundamental themes of the protection of human rights, freedom and democracy”.

The ministry has cancelled the call for applications for NGOs and all entities including schools and academic and local government organisations.

The Justice Ministry still has yet to explain this sudden move, however, it stated that the funds will be redirected to “assist the most vulnerable victims of violence and protect their human rights.”

Department spokeswoman Lucia Hurajtová promised that the ministry would inform about the next steps. At the same time, she objected to critical statements that “undermine the ministry’s cooperation with the third sector”.

She added that this year, the Justice Ministry has awarded over €2 million to applicants to provide specialist support for victims of crime and domestic violence.

Members of a Parliament Committee on Gender Equality say such a move to justify the ministry’s decision “does not stand up”.

The solution to eliminating violence is not to prioritise one group of vulnerable people at the expense of others, they added.

“Such statements only contribute to polarising society and deepen the misunderstanding of the importance of complex human rights’ protection and the need for an active civil society,” they said.

(Natália Silenská | Euractiv.sk)