Czech Republic

Czech Police say attack on disabled man was not committed by a Romani person

Česká Lípa, 4.8.2014 2:25, (ROMEA) "A Rom attacks and robs a wheelchair user near the Andy department store in Česká Lípa..." - this was the title accompanying a video recording posted to YouTube last Thursday from the mobile telephone of Radek Bachtík, who according to the tabloid news server Blesk.cz is a 20-year-old high school student. The dramatic video shows a man kicking a wheelchair user in the face and has begun to spread online like an avalanche.  full story

Czech NGO wants to buy buildings from which Romani tenants were evicted

Ostrava, 2.8.2014 2:07, (ROMEA) The Life Together (Vzájemné soužití) NGO, led by Kumar Vishwanathan, wants to buy buildings on Přednádraží Street in Ostrava which are now going up for auction. News server Lidovky.cz reports that the NGO's aim is to make it possible for the Romani tenants who were evicted from the properties to return to their homes.  full story

Czech Helsinki Committee, Human Rights Minister draft law to compensate forced sterilization victims

Prague, 1.8.2014 23:32, (ROMEA) The Czech Helsinki Committee and Czech Human Rights Minister Jiří Dienstbier (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) are preparing a draft law on compensating people who have been forcibly sterilized. The victims would reportedly receive anywhere between CZK 100 000 and CZK 150 000 (EUR 3 600 and EUR 5 400).  full story

Czech Culture Minister wants to solve the problem of the pig farm at Lety

Lety u Písku, 1.8.2014 22:48, (ROMEA) Paying his respects to Romani Holocaust victims while commemorating the former "gypsy camp" at Lety by Písek, Czech Culture Minister Daniel Herman (Christian Democrats - KDU-ČSL) said there must be zero tolerance for hatred, racism and xenophobia in the Czech Republic. The minister said he believes such sentiments should not be taken lightly.  full story

Czech MP apologizes for insulting children in state care

Prague, 1.8.2014 16:43, (ROMEA) Czech MP Marek Benda (Civic Democrats - ODS), speaking on a Czech Television program, insulted children who are wards of the state by saying they are "of no use". The MP made the insulting remarks during a debate with Czech Human Rights Minister Jiří Dienstbier (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) when the conversation turned to adopting children in state care.  full story

Czech Human Rights Minister: A pig farm on a site of human suffering disrespects both survivors and victims

Prague, 1.8.2014 15:55, (ROMEA) Czech Human Rights Minister Jiří Dienstbier has indicated that he would like to attempt to remove the pig farm in Lety by Písek from the site of a former WWII-era camp for Romani people there. "Given that there was a concentration camp in Lety where many people suffered, the fact that a pig farm is on that site disrespects both the survivors and the victims," he told news server iDNES.cz.  full story

Czech Gov't Agency for Social Inclusion presents 2013 report to cabinet

Prague, 31.7.2014 18:40, (ROMEA) The following is a press release from the Czech Government Agency for Social Inclusion:  full story

Social Watch criticizes Czech Republic over anti-Romani protests, residential hotels

Prague, 30.7.2014 18:28, (ROMEA) The international NGO coalition Social Watch has criticized the Czech Republic in its annual report for last year over the rise in overpriced, substandard residential hotels housing the indigent and the ongoing anti-Romani demonstrations in the country. The report also reiterates that there are too few women in Czech politics.  full story

Czech Republic: Local officials reiterate intention to collect on bad debts

Most, 30.7.2014 17:40, (ROMEA) Distorted information is being spread through the Czech media and social networking sites about the town of Most, claiming that officials there have forgiven the debts owed the municipality by residents of the Chanov housing estate. "That is not true," Deputy Mayor Hana Jeníčková says of this misinterpretation of the facts.  full story

Czech Republic: Activists, evictees to hold open meeting on housing in Ostrava

Ostrava, 29.7.2014 15:57, (ROMEA) The following is a press release from the former residents of Přednádraží Street:  full story

Number of Romani college graduates rising in Czech Republic

Prague, 28.7.2014 22:18, (ROMEA) A Bachelor's in economics, a doctorate in law or a Master's in pedagogy. In the Czech Republic, thanks to special scholarships, the number of Romani college graduates is slowly increasing.  full story

Czech town stops collections on back rent worth CZK 30 million

Most, 28.7.2014 19:34, (ROMEA) Czech Television reports that the town hall of Most has stopped collections proceedings against 120 families living at the Chanov housing estate for debts worth roughly CZK 30 million. The town is also reportedly no longer seeking repayment of back rent and utility bills.  full story

Czech Republic: Water cut to yet another building because landlord didn't pay

Děčín, 28.7.2014 19:05, (ROMEA) The owner of yet another piece of real estate in the Czech Republic has not paid the water bill, so the water was shut off to the entire building on Vítězství Street in Děčín on 15 July. Six families are living there, all of them without running water.  full story

Czech ombud: Inclusive education the only way out of life in a segregated society

Brno, 25.7.2014 23:05, (ROMEA) Anna Šabatová, the recently-appointed ombud, brings a very important personal experience to the post from her pre-1989 past. As a dissident against the former regime, she has experienced what it is to be a minority in society.  full story

Czech Republic: Arson at detention facility, 50 people evacuated

Bělá pod Bezdězem (Mladá Boleslav district), 24.7.2014 18:47, (ROMEA) In the town of Bělá pod Bezdězem a residential hotel housing foreign nationals awaiting deportation caught fire this morning. Someone intentionally set fire to one of the rooms in the facility, which is run by the Czech Interior Ministry.  full story

Commentary: Pets, yes, children and foreigners, no

Prague, 24.7.2014 0:16, (ROMEA) Last week news server Romea.cz published a report about the fact that the North Bohemian Water Supply and Sewerage (Severočeské vodovody a kanalizace - SČVK) company had disconnected a residential hotel in Ústí nad Labem because the owner had not paid the bills, and several people commented online. One contributor posted that she didn't understand why anyone was still living in the facility since it had experienced those problems for such a long time and there are enough apartments for rent elsewhere.  full story

Czech Platform for Social Housing position paper calls for permanent housing

Prague, 23.7.2014 21:12, (ROMEA) The stories of people who have found themselves in need of housing were recently heard over the course of two days in Prague by experts on social issues, the ombud, and representatives of the authorities. Homeless men and women and the tenants of problematic residential hotels described their personal experiences at the meeting, which took place at the Office of the Government.  full story

Czech Government to map socially excluded localities

Prague, 23.7.2014 20:05, (ROMEA) News server Personalista.com reports that a large-scale survey of more than 200 communities throughout the Czech Republic is about to take place in order to determine the degree of their social exclusion and what the people living in such environments must deal with. The venture is part of the Analysis of Socially Excluded Localities in the Czech Republic that is being performed by the GAC company for the Czech Labor and Social Affairs Ministry (MPSV) since the start of the year.  full story

Czech Social Minister corrects Labor Office director's claims about welfare abuse

Prague, 23.7.2014 18:45, (ROMEA) A press release from the Czech Labor and Social Affairs Ministry (MPSV) issued Monday states that according to the information available from the General Directorate of the Labor Office of the Czech Republic, the degree to which welfare is abused - applied for and received by those who do not qualify - ranges from between five to 10 % of the total volume of disbursals. The situation may vary depending on the region, but the vast majority of welfare makes its way to the right people.  full story

Analysis: "Where is my home?" Not in the Czech Republic!

Prague, 22.7.2014 20:34, (ROMEA) Last Thursday and Friday in the city of Prague the National Meeting of People in Need of Housing took place. Homeless, impoverished people, whose opinions are usually ignored by most, developed interesting proposals during two days of concentrated work, proposals which, not surprisingly, could be used as a basis for addressing the problem of social housing here.  full story