The United Nations rights chief on Thursday slammed the Czech Republic for illegal systematic rights violation of refugees who have arrived in the Czech Republic since August 2015.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein accused Czech authorities of illegally detaining refugees under its repressive refugee policies. He also said that the refugees have been strip-searched and their money confiscated to pay their stay charges, according to DPA.
Reprehensible: #Czech authorities are strip-searching migrants for money to pay for staying in detention centers https://t.co/qwHfqbaDmi
— UN Human Rights (@UNrightswire) October 22, 2015
UN human rights chief blasts Czech authorities over detention of migrants & refugees https://t.co/EzluzXCv6b pic.twitter.com/rValGelP7Z — Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) October 22, 2015
"According to credible reports from various sources, the violations of the human rights of migrants are neither isolated nor coincidental, but systematic: they appear to be an integral part of a policy by the Czech government designed to deter migrants and refugees from entering the country or staying there," Zeid said in a statement.
The U.N. official claimed that the European country is holding migrants in degrading conditions for 40 days, and sometimes even longer - up to 90 days.
"Many of these people are refugees who have suffered horrendously in their countries of origin as well as during their journey to the Czech Republic," the high commissioner said.
Czech President Miloš Zeman, however, rejected the accusations made by the U.N. rights chief.
"The president has long warned of the threat of Islamic fundamentalism. He stands by his opinion and he will not change it under pressure from abroad," a presidential spokesman said, according to Guardian.
