Slovak Ombudsman Closes Office Amid Threats, Seeks Police Protection

The office of the Slovak Ombudsman has temporarily closed its doors to the public until Friday, citing threats received in connection with its work. Ombudsman Róbert Dobrovodský has requested police protection following a wave of hateful reactions, insults, and threats directed at him and his office.

These reactions stem from Dobrovodský's initiative to have the Constitutional Court review the current main condition for registering a new church or religious society. The law stipulates that a new religious community must have at least 50,000 adult members who are citizens and have permanent residency in Slovakia, a country of approximately five million people. This threshold was raised from 20,000 in 2017.

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The office of the ombudsman is closed to the public this week due to the mentioned threats.

Dobrovodský argues that this registration requirement hinders the realization of fundamental rights and freedoms. He has rejected criticism that his move aims to "Islamize" Slovakia, stating that he initiated the review at the request of the Old Catholic Church in Slovakia, which had only 1,778 registered members according to the last census.

Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok had previously stated that Slovakia is historically and culturally founded on Christian tradition and that the goal is to build churches, not mosques, in the future. No Muslim entity is currently registered among the nearly two dozen religious communities in Slovakia. Police are monitoring the situation and taking appropriate measures in response to the threats.

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In connection with 'the increasing reactions to the submission of the public defender of rights to the constitutional court,' police officers are continuously monitoring the situation and taking appropriate measures.