Anti-corruption raids have been conducted by the police, and dozens of state officials have been charged with corruption and related crimes between 2020 and 2021.
Laws regarding inhuman or degrading punishment are generally respected, though occasional reports of police abuse exist.
Defendants are guaranteed the right to a fair trial, an independent judiciary, the presumption of innocence, and legal counsel.
Libel laws are treated as criminal offenses and have been used to restrict reporting by the media and suppress criticism of politicians and other notable figures.
[2] The 2018 murder of Ján Kuciak in response to his investigations into corruption represented a major attack on the freedom of the press in Slovakia.
[3] Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal, but this law is not consistently enforced.
Anti-discrimination laws are enforced inconsistently, and the Romani people in particular experience discrimination, harassment, and police brutality.
Government recognition of religious groups grants special privileges such as ministering in prisons, performing wedding ceremonies, and receiving subsidies.
Women are granted full political freedoms in Slovakia, and in 2019 the country elected its first woman president.