News

Bothered by how the media report on Romani people? ROMEA wants to hear from you

Prague, 29.12.2014 5:41, (ROMEA) "One of the main roles in society's shift toward extremism and radicalization in relation to Romani people is played by the media," says Zdeněk Ryšavý, director of ROMEA, o.p.s. "Ever more frequently, in media of all kinds, we are encountering journalists who report about Romani people superficially, without any knowledge, or without sufficient reflection on the context of a story."  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

videoRomani singer sues Beyoncé, claiming she used her music without permission

Budapest/New York, 29.12.2014 2:34, (ROMEA) Agence France-Presse reports that Mónika Juhász Miczura, a Romani singer from Hungary, is suing Beyoncé because she is convinced the American superstar stole a musical motif of hers and used it in her song "Drunk in Love". According to the Romani singer, the music was used without permission.
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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

Slovak town says: Fascism? Not here!

Bánská Bystrica, Slovakia, 23.12.2014 20:50, (ROMEA) The town of Banská Bystrica had reason to celebrate this month even before Christmas or New Year's. The town marked Human Rights Day on 10 December in grand style as part of a festival of humanity, solidarity and tolerance with the telling name "Not in Our Town".  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.
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Pope Francis wishes hope and peace for Romani families in Italy

Rome, 22.12.2014 21:38, (ROMEA) Speaking on Sunday 14 December during a pastoral visit to the parish of Saint Joseph in the Aurelia quarter of Rome, Pope Francis met with children, with the families of children baptized this year, with the ill, with Romani people and with youth. The Pope received the faithful in the confessional, where he administered the sacrament of reconciliation.  full story

Italian Police arrest 14 neo-Fascists planning terrorist attacks

Rome, 22.12.2014 21:16, (ROMEA) The ANSA wire service reports that Italian Police, in an extensive raid, have arrested 14 members of a neo-Fascist organization espousing the legacy of the ultra-right movement Ordine Nuovo (New Order). According to detectives, the neo-Fascists were planning terrorist attacks on municipal authorities, police, and tax administrators.  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

Council of Europe: Discrimination of Jews, LGBT, Roma and other minorities rising in Hungary

Budapest, 22.12.2014 19:47, (ROMEA) Discrimination against Jews, LGBT people, the Roma and other minorities is increasing in Hungary. That is the finding of the latest report from the Council of Europe, the organization that supervises human rights protections in Europe.  full story

German Chancellor condemns the Pegida movement

Berlin, 22.12.2014 18:42, (ROMEA) German Chancellor Angela Merkel has sharply criticized an event convened by the "Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West" (Pegida) movement. Merkel said there is no room for inciting violence or for offending foreigners in Germany.  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