News

Romani fashion designer successful at International Fashion Showcase

London, 21.2.2014 19:51, (ROMEA) Six designers from the Czech Republic are being presented at the prestigious International Fashion Showcase (IFS), which is happening concurrently with London Fashion Week from 13 - 23 February at 180 The Strand. Czech fashion is being successfully represented there by Pavel Berky, a Romani designer from Slovakia who lives in Prague.  full story

Romani athletes at the Olympics

Brno, 21.2.2014 19:18, (ROMEA) Boxing and gymnastics are the main disciplines in which Romani athletes excel. Some have even represented the Czech Republic at the Olympic games.  full story

Czech NGO: If you don't open the schools to Roma, how can they get jobs?

Brno, 21.2.2014 18:54, (ROMEA) IQ Roma servis, an NGO based in Brno, Czech Republic, sees its main task as convincing Romani people that it is important to attend better schools and convincing Czech parents that the presence of Romani pupils is no reason to enroll their own children elsewhere. The 45 staff and 50 volunteers with the organization help Romani people find jobs, get educations, and reduce their indebtedness.  full story

Hungarian Government postpones construction of controversial memorial

Budapest, Hungary, 21.2.2014 18:22, (ROMEA) The Hungarian Government has decided to wait two months before building a controversial memorial commemorating the 70th anniversary of the German occupation of Hungary. Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán made the announcement in an open letter to the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (Mazsihisz).  full story

Hindus want withdrawal of Roma-stereotyping Czech police coloring book

Nevada/Prague, 21.2.2014 10:45, (ROMEA) Hindus want immediate withdrawal of Czech Police coloring book POLDOVY OMALOVANKY, reportedly meant for distribution in kindergartens and primary schools.  full story

UK: Gang who raped female minors get long sentences

London, 20.2.2014 21:38, (ROMEA) Today a London court sentenced four men to up to 20 years in prison for committing a series of rapes and other serious sex crimes against female minors. The brutal cases of child abuse occurred in the English town of Peterborough during the course of five months in 2012.  full story

Czech Republic: Number of victims of hate violence rose in 2013

Prague, 20.2.2014 19:07, (ROMEA) Last year in the Czech Republic the number of victims of hate violence motivated by nationality, religion, sexual orientation or skin color rose year-on-year from 38 to 211 cases. Those numbers are based on police statistics acquired by the In IUSITITIA organization, which helps the victims of violence motivated by prejudice.  full story

Czech Human Rights Minister drafting law to compensate illegally sterilized women

Prague, 19.2.2014 18:55, (ROMEA) News server iDNES.cz reports that illegally sterilized women in the Czech Republic have not yet been compensated. Two years ago the Czech Government Human Rights Council recommended the cabinet compensate them, but it has not yet happened.  full story

Czech Police coloring book shows a Romani man as a dangerous pedophile

Prague, 18.2.2014 22:00, (ROMEA) When trying to prevent crime, it is definitely good to think of all possible variations of dangerous situations, especially where children are concerned. However, when a coloring book intended for children in nursery school and the lower grades of primary school features a figure whose face is prominently reminiscent of a representative of the Romani minority, and when such a figure plays only one role - evidently that of a dangerous pedophile - that really does call for some reflection.  full story

Czech Republic: Trial begins of Roma man's death at the hands of police

Kynšperk nad Ohří / Sokolov, 18.2.2014 20:58, (ROMEA) Unlike other trials attended by this reporter, this time all the journalists stayed in the courtroom until the performance was over. They were enthusiastic about the plot of this new "thriller" and the mysterious grimacing of District Court Milan Tomeš, who was somewhat reminiscent of Robert De Niro in his dark glasses.  full story

New Czech ombud wants expanded powers

Brno, 18.2.2014 17:44, (ROMEA) Anna Šabatová, the newly-appointed ombud in the Czech Republic, wants to achieve greater respect for the Office of the Public Defender of Rights and to improve its cooperation with the authorities. Šabatová gave her remarks to the press during her travel to Brno, where she was scheduled to meet with staff this afternoon.  full story

videoFrance: Outrage over the death of an eight-year-old Roma girl in a slum fire

Paris, France, 18.2.2014 17:08, (ROMEA) Hundreds of Roma people and their supporters marched through Paris to commemorate an eight-year-old Roma girl who recently burned to death during a fire in a slum on the outskirts of the city. News server PressTV.ir reports that Roma people have been forced to live in dilapidated buildings there without basic hygienic facilities, electricity, heat, or running water because their access to municipally-owned apartments is currently denied.  full story

Czech Republic: Victims' attorney believes attack was racially motivated, opposes collective blame

Ústí nad Labem, 18.2.2014 16:33, (ROMEA) Today the Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem began to hear the case of a brutal assault committed last year against a married couple in the town of Duchcov (Teplice district). The indictment charges five people, including one juvenile, with perpetrating the attack.  full story

Czech Republic: Lukrecius Chang, Mc Eisi and Josef Červenák issue single together

Prague, 17.2.2014 20:37, (ROMEA) Three Romani singers in the Czech Republic have joined forces on a new single, "Jak se máš má lásko bývalá" ("How are you, my old love?"). The development of the song has an interesting back story.  full story

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

Germany: Thousands of Bulgarians and Romanians exploited by landlords in Berlin

Berlin, Germany, 17.2.2014 19:26, (ROMEA) Czech Radio reports that authorities in the Neukölln quarter of Berlin have 5 500 people predominantly from Bulgaria and Romania registered there, but unofficial estimates claim actual numbers are twice that. The immigrants are drawn to Germany by its comparatively higher wages as well as its welfare system, and some landlords are doing their best to make money on the trend.  full story

World Jewish Congress advises Hungary not to erect controversial memorial

Budapest, Hungary, 17.2.2014 18:40, (ROMEA) On 14 February the World Jewish Congress (WJC) called on the Hungarian government to reconsider its unveiling of a memorial on the anniversary of the occupation of Hungary by Germany in March 1944. The plan has sparked a tiff between the cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Hungarian Jewish communities.  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

Yaron Matras: A Roma reality check

London, 16.2.2014 0:30, (ROMEA) Fears of Gypsies flocking to these shores have proved unfounded. Now let's put prejudice aside and examine the real potential of a Roma contribution to the UK  full story