Czech Republic

2015 issues for Romea.cz: "Practical schools" and social housing

Prague, 2.1.2015 22:55, (ROMEA) The new year in the Czech Republic has begun with the ongoing design of the social housing law and a controversial amendment to welfare policy that will have hard-to-predict consequences. The amendment is intended to restrict "trafficking in poverty" by residential hotels, but it is not clear whether thought has been given to where those now living in such facilities might eventually end up as a result of the changes.  full story

Czech media analysis: News about Roma makes money, but reporting is not objective

Prague, 2.1.2015 19:48, (ROMEA) As part of a project called "Reducing discrimination and racism by altering the media depiction of Romani people", supported by a grant from Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants, the ROMEA organization has published an introductory analysis of the depiction of Romani people in the Czech media in recent years. The aim of the project is to prevent society from shifting towards extremism and a radicalization of its relationship toward Romani people by doing our best to influence and eventually also modify how the media reports about Romani people.  full story

Czech Police shelve case of death threats against Roma

Děčín, 30.12.2014 21:41, (ROMEA) Drahomír Radek Horváth, a Romani social services staffer for a human rights organization, was in a Děčín restaurant with friends at the end of November when they became the target of vulgar racist abuse and death threats. Horváth did not allow himself to be provoked and reported the entire incident to police.  full story

Czech court says assault was not racially motivated

Prague, 29.12.2014 4:20, (ROMEA) At the start of December the trial of two non-Romani men who assaulted a Romani man in July 2013 in a bar in the town of Bystřice pod Hostýnem ended with a remarkable verdict. Even though 37-year-old Miroslav Vybíral was charged with the particularly serious crime of racially motivated attempted murder, for which he faced the possibility of extraordinary sentencing and a minimum of 10 years in prison, he was ultimately convicted of grievous bodily harm and sentenced to six years.  full story

Czech Republic restricts payouts to traffickers in poverty running residential hotels

Prague, 29.12.2014 1:58, (ROMEA) The payment of housing supplements for accommodation in residential hotels will now be restricted by law. The supplements will be provided by the state to residential hotel operators based on the amount of space rented, not per the number of people living in a single unit.  full story

Czech bishop lunches with the homeless, Romani representatives and senior citizens in Brno

Brno, 29.12.2014 0:20, (ROMEA) Bishop Vojtěch Cikrle of Brno had lunch on 26 December with 170 homeless people, pensioners, and representatives of the Romani community. The Christmas event was convened by the Sant Egidio church community in the parish of the Church of St. Jakub in central Brno.  full story

Commentary: Czech counter-intelligence report on anti-Romani marches is racist

Prague, 28.12.2014 0:25, (ROMEA) Evangelical parson Mikuláš Vymětal has written an open letter to the Security and Information Service (BIS) of the Czech Republic regarding its report on the anti-Romani events of 2013. "I am calling this a public letter and I believe that if you publish it, it will increase the hope that the BIS will respond proportionately. It's not much of a Christmas topic, but I view this as a way to take care of unfinished business before the year ends," he wrote to news server Romea.cz, which is publishing the letter in full translation below.  full story

Bachtaľi Karačoňa! Merry Christmas!

Praha, 24.12.2014 0:01, (ROMEA) Amare lačhe amala, organizacija ROMEA, redakcija Romano voďi, Romea.cz e ROMEA TV Tumenge vičinas but šukar Karačoňa the bachtalo nevo berš 2015. Te el maškar o manuša lačhi kedva, te tumen dikhen bare lačhe manuša the san but saste.  full story

"We aren't racists, but..." actually we are - and pretty disgusting ones

Prague, 23.12.2014 23:53, (ROMEA) An essential exhibition mapping the racism and xenophobia that persists to this day in Czech society is being ignored by the mainstream media here. This is despite the fact that the state of affairs captured by the exhibition is glaringly obvious.  full story

Commentary: When judges go in-depth

Kynšperk, 22.12.2014 22:13, (ROMEA) There are many cases of controversial police violence resulting in death, and not only in the Czech Republic. All we have to do is recall the recent, only partly violent, powerful protests by civil society in the United States about black youth shot dead by police officers.
 full story

Local edition of Czech daily closes online discussion board due to rising insults, racism and slander

Most, 22.12.2014 20:23, (ROMEA) The editors of the online edition of Mostecký deník (The Most Daily) are taking a step of enormous impact after having been forced to it by long-lasting circumstances. The editors have decided to close down the website's online discussion boards.  full story

Czech leader of ultra-right party files criminal report against Prime Minister

Prague, 22.12.2014 18:03, (ROMEA) On 17 December, Tomáš Vandas, head of the Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS), filed a criminal report against Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who chairs the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD). Vandas believes Sobotka committed felony slander when he called the DSSS a Fascist, racist party.  full story

Czech ombud says real estate agents in Ústí Region refuse Romani clients

Brno/Ústí Region, 22.12.2014 17:32, (ROMEA) Several real estate brokers in the Ústí Region are committing direct discrimination by refusing to facilitate negotiations about apartment rentals for Romani tenants, according to Czech Ombud Anna Šabatová, who says landlords are crossing the line in these cases when it comes to choosing tenants. Her office has already informed the Real Estate Chamber of the Czech Republic, the Association of Real Estate Agents of the Czech Republic, and the Czech Chamber of Real Estate Agents of its findings.  full story

US Ambassador attends award ceremony for dozens of gifted Romani children in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic, 22.12.2014 7:53, (ROMEA) Sixty nominated children and young people gathered on Thursday 11 December at the American Center in Prague for the celebratory announcement of the winners of this year's Romani suno ("Romani Dream") competition, most of them accompanied by teachers or workers with the nonprofit organizations where the children attend classes. Other children arrived together with their parents from the towns of Brno. Plzeň, Ostrava, Ústí and Vsetín.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani men get prison without for parole for property destruction and threats

Prague, 22.12.2014 2:12, (ROMEA) Two men who intended to intimidate an eyewitness to a previous incident in which they were involved in the town of Strýčkovice (Domažlice district) in March of this year have now been sentenced. David Matuš got 18 months in a prison with close security and his uncle Radek got 30 months in maximum security prison.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani men get prison without for parole for property destruction and threats

Prague, 22.12.2014 2:12, (ROMEA) Two men who intended to intimidate an eyewitness to a previous incident in which they were involved in the town of Strýčkovice (Domažlice district) in March of this year have now been sentenced. David Matuš got 18 months in a prison with close security and his uncle Radek got 30 months in maximum security prison.  full story

Czech court sentences Romani orchestrator of attack in Děčín to 7.5 years

Děčín, 20.12.2014 3:23, (ROMEA) The Děčín District Court has sentenced the main actor in a brawl near the Calypso gaming room this past July to 7.5 years in prison. Zdeněk Jano will serve his sentence in a maximum security prison for committing grievous bodily harm, rioting, and failing to provide first aid.  full story

Czech Republic: Mass this evening commemorates President Václav Havel

Prague, 18.12.2014 23:42, (ROMEA) Former Czech President Václav Havel, who passed away three years ago today in his cottage in the town of Hrádeček (Trutnov district), is being commemorated there through the
lighting of dozens of candles and the placing of various heart-shaped objects. People have been stopping by the cottage since morning to light candles.  full story

Czech winner of US Embassy human rights prize says tolerance for racism is rising

Prague, 17.12.2014 22:26, (ROMEA) The Alice Garrigue Masaryk Prize, which is awarded annually by the American Embassy in Prague in the area of human rights, went to the director and founder of the In IUSTITIA association, Klára Kalibová, this year. She received the award from US Ambassador Andrew Schapiro on 9 December for providing legal aid to the victims of violent hate crimes.  full story

Czech Republic: Racist gang attacks Romani man in Havířov

Havířov, 17.12.2014 19:53, (ROMEA) A 30-year-old Romani man from the Czech town of Havířov was assaulted Saturday night by a group of attackers who are said to have racially abused him. The victim escaped by fleeing into the garden of a house that happened to belong to a District Court judge.  full story