Czech Republic

European Network against Racism: Ethnic, religious minorities face labor discrimination in Europe

Brussels/Prague, 21.3.2014 18:32, (ROMEA) For immigrants to the EU from non-EU countries, Muslims, Romani people, and women from ethnic minorities, discrimination represents a fundamental barrier to finding work. The situation does not improve for many minority group members even if they do manage to gain employment.  full story

Commentary: Czech racism reaches a new low

Prague, 21.3.2014 17:37, (ROMEA) On 19 March, the Czech media reported that a 14-year-old girl from Ostrava had not been seen since the previous afternoon and is considered missing. The Czech Police are asking the public to aid in the search for her.  full story

Czech students, German volunteers launch anti-racism campaign tomorrow

Prague, 20.3.2014 23:03, (ROMEA) In 1966, the UN General Assembly declared 21 March the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The day was chosen to protest the brutal murder of 69 people in 1960 who had been demonstrating in the South African city of Sharpeville against apartheid.  full story

Commentary: The Roma and the Vietnamese, or the "evil" and the "good" aliens

Prague, 19.3.2014 19:39, (ROMEA) Opinions on the so-called "Roma question" are encoded in the generally popular comparisons of Romani and Vietnamese people that we hear being made in the Czech Republic. In these figures of speech, where Vietnamese people play a purely rhetorical role, the "Roma question" is actually the main topic of discussion; such tropes are essentially just a more sophisticated form of "cursing the Gypsies" here.  full story

Czech Republic: Verdicts announced in case that sparked 2013 anti-Romani violence

Ústí nad Labem, 19.3.2014 15:05, (ROMEA) Today the Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem handed down sentences against the five people involved in last year's brutal assault on a married couple in the town of Duchcov (Teplice district) ranging from one year on probation to three years in prison. The one juvenile assailant involved, who was the most brutal, will spend two years in prison for committing grievous bodily harm, rioting, and attempted theft.  full story

Czech Republic: Equal Opportunities Party and Roma Democratic Party field EP candidates

Prague, 18.3.2014 22:09, (ROMEA) A total of 39 political groups have registered their candidates for this year's elections to the European Parliament with the Czech Interior Ministry. There are six more candidates this time than there were during the last EP elections five years ago.  full story

Czech PM promises Council of Europe to address root causes of Roma discrimination

Prague/Strasbourg, 18.3.2014 19:30, (ROMEA) In a letter to Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, Nils Muižnieks, recently expressed concern over anti-Romani events and rhetoric in the Czech Republic. In his reply, the Czech PM now says his government will be standing up to discrimination and violence against Romani people and will do its best to address the root causes of their marginalization in the Czech Republic.  full story

Czech Republic: urgent action needed to protect Roma from racist extremism

Strasbourg, 18.3.2014 10:42, (ROMEA) “I am deeply concerned about the emerging pattern of anti-Roma events in the Czech Republic – many led by racist extremists groups and organised simultaneously in different localities across the country. Their increased frequency and determined rhetoric against the Roma community call for a comprehensive response from the Czech authorities,” said today Nis Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, publishing a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr Bohuslav Sobotka.  full story

Commentary: The new era of the Czech tabloid martyr

Prague, 17.3.2014 19:04, (ROMEA) During the past two weeks the Czech tabloid daily Blesk has undertaken a new practice that might be increasing its readership, but is also contributing to worsening the already bad relations between the majority society and the Romani minority. The editors at Blesk have published two articles in a brief space of time featuring detailed photographs of the faces of assault victims.  full story

Czech festival gives highest prize to documentary about racist murders of Roma in Hungary

Prague, 17.3.2014 17:36, (ROMEA) "Judgment in Hungary" has won the prize for Best Film at the One World human rights documentary film festival in the Czech Republic. The main jury said director Eszter Hajdú's recording of the trial of four right-wing extremists charged with murdering Romani people provides audiences with a devastating view of contemporary society.  full story

Commentary: The mythical "decent gypsies" of the Czech Republic

Prague, 14.3.2014 17:39, (ROMEA) Everyone who isn't a racist knows a few decent gypsies - at least, that's what I read in internet discussions and that's what I hear from friends and strangers alike: "I'm not a racist, I even know a couple of decent gypsies..." I hear and read this so often that it has led me to reflect on who this mythical "couple of gypsies" really are, these people who are mentioned by anyone and everyone who is just about to pronounce some more racist nonsense.  full story

Commentary: Czech media exaggerate significance of crimes involving Roma

Prague, 14.3.2014 2:58, (ROMEA) Hundreds of serious violent crimes, including murders, are committed annually in the Czech Republic, but during the past few months no other case has received as much media coverage as that of a nighttime conflict between several drunken citizens in the small northern town of Duchcov. Everyone involved in the incident, including the state prosecutor, agrees that the conflict resulted not just in grave physical harm but, as both the state prosecutor and the attorney for the victims agree, it resulted in grave psychological harm to one of the victims, who has been prevented from returning to normal life for some time now.  full story

Analysis: If the Czech state buys residential hotels, only the traffickers in poverty will win

Prague, 13.3.2014 22:10, (ROMEA) Deputy Ombud Stanislav Křeček believes that the Czech state should start running residential hotels because they represent an immoral business that no one else can fix. That sounds logical, overall - we do have this problem here, and the state should see to its solution  full story

European Court pressuring Czech Govt to compensate Romani women sterilized without their consent

Prague, 13.3.2014 21:10, (ROMEA) The Czech daily Právo reports that five years ago, the Fischer cabinet expressed regret on behalf of the Czech Government for what has happened to women who have been sterilized without their consent, but the women do not consider that sort of moral satisfaction sufficient and are asking for financial compensation as well. Those who have not succeeded in the Czech courts have turned to the European Court for Human Rights.  full story

Commentary: Czech tabloids spark antigypsyism online and off

Česká Lípa, 12.3.2014 19:48, (ROMEA) "A good gypsy = No gypsy. Or ZYKLON B" writes Facebook user Jiří Buldok Hrubý.  full story

Czech Human Rights Minister to push for right to nursery school, social housing

Prague, 11.3.2014 18:18, (ROMEA) Czech Minister for Human Rights and Legislation Jiří Dienstbier (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) wants to push for the right to social housing, equal access to education, increased powers for the ombud, and every child's right to a place in daycare or preschool. He also wants to concentrate on the fight against poverty and changing the rules governing collections procedures.  full story

Czech petition protests Romani people near mall in Hradec Králové

Hradec Králové, 11.3.2014 17:26, (ROMEA) Some citizens of the Czech town of Hradec Králové are reportedly bothered by the presence of Romani people near the Atrium mall. The manager of the shopping center was the first to send a letter to the town hall asking them to do something about it.  full story

European Centre for Roma Music producing "Gypsy Rhapsody"

Prague, 10.3.2014 21:45, (ROMEA) On 24 March, the European Centre for Roma Music (ECRM) and the New Stage (Nová scéna) of the National Theater in Prague will premiere a dance and music performance entitled "Gypsy Rhapsody" (Cikánská rapsodie) inspired by Czech author Bohumil Hrabal. The piece was created in honor of what would have been the late author's 100th birthday.  full story

Czech Deputy Ombud says state should run residential hotels for the needy

Prague, 10.3.2014 20:48, (ROMEA) Deputy Ombud Stanislav Křeček believes the residential hotels in which the needy are now ending up throughout the Czech Republic should be run by the state. The facilities should be taken away from private individual owners and should be run as nonprofits offering acceptable housing.  full story

Czech court postpones announcing verdict in case that sparked 2013 anti-Roma unrest

Ústí nad Labem, 10.3.2014 18:10, (ROMEA) Today the Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem postponed until 19 March its proclamation of the verdict in the case of last year's brutal assault on a married couple in Duchcov (Teplice district). Presiding Judge Jana Kurešová informed the press that the court wants to review additional evidence.  full story