The office of the prime minister has scolded Human Rights Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek, who notified the Council of Europe (CoE) about the relocation of a Roma family from their village of Ambrus in central Slovenia to Postojna, labeling his move as "irrational and irresponsible".
Hanzek notified the CoE on Monday. He had earlier said that the relocation meant the end of the rule of law, and lambasted the government for "giving in to the pressure of an angry mob", expressing fear that such actions might become an example for future actions.

The PM's office said on Wednesday that "this has been a problem for many years and Mr. Hanzek has done nothing to contribute to a solution."

Meanwhile, the appropriate ministries have been trying to find an appropriate location for the Roma from Ambrus in consensus with the representatives of the Roma community, the press release reads.

The PM's office also said that Slovenia has spend a lot of money on Roma housing and integration, while the government will shortly adopt a bill on special rights for the Roma community.

"We regret the move of the Ombudsman, for he unjustifiably denigrates Slovenia at international institutions," the press release reads.

The Roma from Ambrus were relocated to Postojna on Sunday after an angry mob of locals threatened to expel them from their settlement near Ambrus. Some 200 special police forces intervened to protect the Roma.

Tensions between the Roma and the locals escalated last week after a local suffered serious injuries in a scuffle with a man who is believed to live with the Roma but is not a Roma himself.

The stand-off in Ambrus prompted heated debates about Slovenia's policy towards the Roma and the failure of integration.

On Saturday evening around 50 people gathered in front of the parliament building in Ljubljana to express their support for the Roma from Ambrus.

One of the protesters said the main reason for the protest is the fact that by moving the Roma to Postojna the government violated the Constitution and gave legitimacy to explicit racism instead of punishing it.