News

Czech TV defends serial's depiction of Roma

Prague, 25.2.2014 19:46, (ROMEA) News server Lidovky.cz reports that Czech Television and its inspection board have closed their discussion of the depiction of minorities in the serial "Ambulance 2" (Sanitka 2). Czech TV claims that all of the situations filmed for the serial are in order because they are based on the actual experiences of ambulance workers and contemporary reality.  full story

videoHungarian MEP Járóka discusses Roma issues on BBC's "Hard Talk"

Brussels, 25.2.2014 18:35, (ROMEA) Speaking on the BBC's "Hard Talk" interview program on 20 February, Hungarian MEP Lívia Járóka said the EU needs to do more to address poverty in Romani communities. Járóka, who represents the Fidesz Party, is the EP's only Romani member.  full story

videoValeriu Nicoalea: About “normal life” and scapegoating…

Bucharest, 25.2.2014 15:17, (ROMEA) On January 16, 2014 the European Commissioner for Justice and Fundamental Rights said in an interview for Euronews that Roma communities need “to be willing to integrate and to be willing to have a normal life”. See the video here from minute 2.00.  full story

Czech ombud wants to help social housing, win greater respect

Prague, 24.2.2014 18:05, (ROMEA) In her role as ombud, Anna Šabatová wants to contribute to the creation of a functional social housing system in the Czech Republic and to win more respect from politicians for the Final Statements issued by the Office of the Public Defender of Rights. Speaking on the Czech Television (ČT) program "Questions with Václav Moravec", she said her predecessor, Pavel Varvařovský, may sometimes have relied too much on written communications with politicians, and when that wasn't effective, he may have reconciled himself to failure "a bit early".  full story

Swiss Supreme Court: Calling someone a "dirty" or "lousy foreigner" isn't racism

Bern, Switzerland, 24.2.2014 17:20, (ROMEA) Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports that the Swiss Supreme Court ruled today that cursing people as "dirty asylum-seekers" or "lousy foreigners" cannot be considered racial discrimination. The ruling concerned the case of a police officer convicted of making such remarks who was merely fined as punishment.  full story

Czech police officers testify about 2012 death of Romani man

Sokolov, 23.2.2014 19:26, (ROMEA) Last week two police officers from the Czech town of Kynšperk nad Ohří began giving testimony before the District Court in Sokolov in the trial of a negligent homicide. The indictment charges them with having committed the offense in May 2012 while they were attempting to arrest Ludovít Kašpar, a Romani suspect who collapsed during the intervention and died in hospital two days later.  full story

Csaba Olah: As a Roma, integration means something different to me

Budapest, 22.2.2014 23:15, (ROMEA) This blogpost was written as a reaction to the recent statements of Ms. Viviane Reding, European Commissioner, on the situation of Roma and the need from their side to integrate and to have a normal way of living.  full story

Viviane Reding: The Real Problem of Free Movement Are the Roma

Brussels, 22.2.2014 22:46, (ROMEA) The Roma are the real problem for the free movement in the EU, said European Commissioner Viviane Reding.  full story

Czech trial of incident that sparked anti-Romani unrest to resume 7 March

Ústí nad Labem, 22.2.2014 19:34, (ROMEA) Markéta Morkusová, spokesperson for the Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem, has informed the Czech News Agency that the main hearing in the trial of a brutal assault committed in Duchcov (Teplice district) last year has been postponed. The indictment charges five people with perpetrating the attack, one of whom is a juvenile.  full story

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