Czech Republic

Czech Republic: Trial begins of incident that sparked anti-Romani unrest last year

Ústí nad Labem, 17.2.2014 19:56, (ROMEA) The Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem will begin reviewing the case of a brutal assault in the town of Duchcov (Teplice district) tomorrow. The indictment charges five people with attacking a married couple and two of the five with also beating up an elderly man.  full story

Roma in the Czech Republic losing their language, parents not speaking it with children

Prague, 16.2.2014 19:38, (ROMEA) News server iDNES.cz reports that Romani people in the Czech Republic are gradually losing their knowledge of the language of their forebears. Children in particular are not mastering Romanes.  full story

videoCzech town councilor: Yesterday was a disgrace to Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary, 16.2.2014 18:27, (ROMEA) Nazis wearing Fascist symbols and carrying torches marched through the Czech town of Karlovy Vary up to the colonnade yesterday. Accompanied by the Hitlerite rhythm of several drums, they closed off the destination for an hour as their speeches, 80 % of which were in German, resounded through the space.  full story

Czech Republic: Victims of assault say "Don't blame all Roma"

Duchcov, 15.2.2014 20:53, (ROMEA) The married couple who became the target of a brutal attack last year in the town of Duchcov have called on the Czech media to take a sensitive approach to their case, which will go to trial at the end of February. In a letter to the media, the couple emphasize that they do not want the attack against them to be interpreted as an attack by "the Roma against whites or to serve as a pretext for hatred and the incitement of racial intolerance".  full story

videoCzech and German neo-Nazis march with flaming torches through Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary, 15.2.2014 20:07, (ROMEA) According to information from the Czech Police, about 100 neo-Nazis from the Czech Republic and Germany came to Karlovy Vary on Saturday for an assembly which organizers claimed was intended to honor the victims of bombardment during WWII. About 50 anti-Fascists protested against their march through the town.  full story

Czech Republic: Only 30 neo-Nazis protested ROMEA in Příbram

Příbram, 15.2.2014 19:33, (ROMEA) A mere 30 neo-Nazis ultimately made it to the assembly today in Příbram to protest against the ROMEA organization. Dozens of police officers, an anti-conflict team and a helicopter were deployed for the event.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis take to the streets in three towns after winter break

Karlovy Vary/Ostrava/Příbram, 15.2.2014 1:16, (ROMEA) Police in Příbram are preparing for an assembly on Saturday, 15 February by neo-Nazis who say they want to "draw attention to the upholding of rights" and express their disagreement with financing for the ROMEA organization. The event will be monitored by a police anti-conflict team, canine units, and riot control units.  full story

Czech Police charge Romani brothers with racially motivated assault

Jičín district, Czech Republic, 14.2.2014 20:56, (ROMEA) Two brothers from the Czech town of Obora u Chomutic (Jičín district) could face up to 12 years in prison for a brutal attack committed against a witness to a traffic accident last September. The victim, a non-Romani man, was trying to aid a Romani child who had been knocked off his bike.  full story

Czech Republic: Juvenile perpetrator of "machete attack" gets 4.5 years

Liberec, 14.2.2014 19:42, (ROMEA) Today the Regional Court in Liberec increased both the charges and the punishment for a juvenile perpetrator who participated in the so-called "machete attack" in the Czech town of Nový Bor in 2011. Five assailants injured three men in a bar during the incident.  full story

Czech festival against totalitarianism focuses on student protest

Prague, 14.2.2014 18:51, (ROMEA) "Students against totalitarianism" is the theme of this year's annual Mene Tekel festival, which aims to draw attention to the crimes of communism and Nazism. The high point of the festival will be a commemoration on 25 February of the march on Prague Castle in 1948 when students called for democracy and freedom.  full story

New Czech ombud is Anna Šabatová

Prague, 14.2.2014 17:49, (ROMEA) Anna Šabatová, who has just been elected Public Defender of Rights (ombud), will be wanting politicians to increase the ombud's powers. "I would be glad if the ombud would be able to file motions for the abolition of laws with the Constitutional Court. I would also be glad if the ombud could file its own lawsuits in matters of discrimination," Šabatová said.  full story

Czech ombud candidate Křeček: Minority rights are getting too much attention

Prague, 13.2.2014 23:06, (ROMEA) News server Romea.cz presents the translation in full of the speech given by Stanislav Křeček, candidate for the post of the Public Defender of Rights, to the Czech lower house today:  full story

Czech ombud candidate Šabatová: I will improve work with the public administration

Prague, 13.2.2014 22:28, (ROMEA) News server Romea.cz presents the translation in full of the speech given by Anna Šabatová, candidate for the post of the Public Defender of Rights, to the Czech lower house today:  full story

Czech MPs fail to choose new ombud in first round, second vote tomorrow

Prague, 13.2.2014 21:38, (ROMEA) Czech MPs failed to elect a new Public Defender of Rights (ombud) today. Neither the current Deputy Public Defender of Rights, Stanislav Křeček, nor the former Deputy Public Defender of Rights, Anna Šabatová, has received enough votes during today's first round of secret voting.  full story

Czech Deputy Ombud advises new govt of problems

Prague, 13.2.2014 21:14, (ROMEA) The current Czech Deputy Ombud has congratulated the ministers in the new cabinet on their appointments to office and has warned each of them about several problems which he considers in need of urgent resolution. Most of his remarks were addressed to the Labor and Social Affairs Minister, as traditionally most of the people who contact the Ombud do so about labor and social problems and the office has conducted the most investigations in areas under that ministry's purview.  full story

Czech NGO files complaint against paper over racist article

Prague, 13.2.2014 17:51, (ROMEA) The Prostějovský Večerník ("Prostějov Evening News") daily paper has once again had a complaint filed against it over a racist article. As with the previous case, the complaint was filed by the NESEHNUTÍ nongovernmental organization, which believes that an article headlined "GYPSY HYENAS rob woman of crutches!" violates the law.  full story

Czech and German neo-Nazis to commemorate bombing of Dresden in Karlovy Vary this year

Karlovy Vary, 12.2.2014 21:40, (ROMEA) Nationalists from both the Czech Republic and Germany are using the Internet to convene an assembly in the Czech town of Karlovy Vary on the anniversary of the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945. The event, allegedly a memorial march called "Light for Dresden", will take place this Saturday.  full story

Czech Republic: Homeless man's tent set on fire

Prague, 12.2.2014 21:00, (ROMEA) A homeless man living in a tent near the Černý Most shopping center in Prague has become the victim of an arson attack by two perpetrators who remain at large. All of the evidence so far indicates that the perpetrators poured a flammable liquid on the man's tent, made of fabric, at 2 PM Sunday and then struck a match.  full story

Czech arson trial: Drunken stupidity or racially-motivated attempted murder?

České Budějovice, 12.2.2014 20:38, (ROMEA) On Monday the trial of a case of attempted arson committed last summer in the town of České Budějovice continued, with few representatives of the media in attendance. News server Romea.cz reported on the start of the trial in December last year.  full story

Czech Govt to fight antigypsyism and anti-Semitism, beef up ombud and social housing

Prague, 11.2.2014 17:47, (ROMEA) Addressing social housing, fighting marginalization and a robust performance against antigypsyism and intolerance are all promised in the Czech Government's draft program declaration. The cabinet also wants to get a handle on the "trafficking in poverty at overpriced residential hotels."  full story