ZAGREB, Dec 1, 2020 – The green-left caucus in parliament warned on Tuesday that the proposed penalties for violation of epidemiological restrictions were draconian and infringed on human rights, adding that it would request that they be tested for compliance with the Constitution.
Inspecting private gatherings and disturbing the inviolability of the home is unconstitutional and if the parliament approves it, we will request that it be tested for compliance with the Constitution, MP Sandra Bencic told a press conference referring to a bill of amendments to the Law on the Protection of the Population Against Infectious Diseases.
“The penalties are draconic and should be adopted by a two-thirds majority in the Sabor and not by simple majority as planned,” she underlined.
She added that she hopes the opposition will find a common language in that regard because everyone agrees that it is necessary to implement epidemiological restrictions but that they oppose the way the government is managing the COVID-19 crisis.
“Everything is being passed onto citizens who will have to pay HRK 500 for not wearing a mask properly and HRK 10,000 if there are more than 10 people in their home,” Bencic warned, advocating that the penalties be reduced and be proportional to citizens’ earnings.
Supervision of the implementation of epidemiological measures will be conducted by the police as well as various inspectors, which is a serious violation of human rights, she added.
MP Rada Boric warned that contacts of infected people had not been traced for more than six weeks. The government has abandoned that practice, shifting all responsibility onto citizens, she said.
