News

Czech Republic: Yet another person commits self-harm, tells police a "dark-skinned male" did it

České Budějovice, 14.8.2013 17:21, (ROMEA) Detectives in České Budějovice have quickly solved yet another case of an alleged hold-up in which the assailant was said to have been a "dark-skinned male". The story was invented by a 30-year-old man trying to resolve his personal problems through the fabricated incident.  full story

videoGypsies, Roma, Travellers: An Animated History

14.8.2013 11:07, (ROMEA) Europe is home to 10–12 million Roma and Travellers, yet many Europeans are unable to answer the basic question, “Who are the Roma?” Even fewer can answer questions about their history.  full story

Exhibition of Czech-Roma flags on embankment in Prague targeted with graffiti

Prague, 13.8.2013 21:27, (ROMEA) Some time during the late night hours of 11 August and the early morning hours of 12 August, the exhibition entitled "Selection Procedure for Czech-Roma Flag" in the outdoor space of the Artwall gallery was damaged. The project, by Slovak artist Tomáš Rafa, presents seven designs for a Czech-Roma flag. It is his critical response to the fact that Romani people are not considered Czech by the majority society and therefore find themselves in forced isolation in the Czech Republic  full story

Analysis: Two towns in one - where is Duchcov heading?

Duchcov, 13.8.2013 0:19, (ROMEA) The town of Duchcov in the Czech Republic today is running as if it were two separate municipalities with different administrations. The northern, wealthier section is well-financed from public resources, with well-maintained buildings, services and shops, a new sports field, and publicly subsidized activities for adults, children, and youth. Most of the practical resolutions adopted by the municipal council focus on that part of town.  full story

Czech Police Inspector-General doesn't know who released video of assault in Duchcov, but DSSS seems to

Prague, 10.8.2013 2:09, (ROMEA) According to a report published by news server iDNES.cz, the Inspector-General of the Security Forces has shelved its investigation into the release of a video capturing an assault committed by several Romani people against a non-Romani married couple in the town of Duchcov earlier this year. Police say they did not succeed in determining who was behind the release of the footage to the media.  full story

Czech Republic: Neo-Nazis repeatedly assault Romani social worker in Duchcov

Duchcov, 10.8.2013 1:22, (ROMEA) Jan Dufek and Jindřich "Pinďa" Svoboda, two antigypsyists known for having said they want Romani people to be murdered off, have been targeting Štefan Horvát of Duchcov, who works for the Květina (Flower) civic association as a field social worker. Horvát says these men have been the protagonists in two incidents of both physical and verbal assault against him.  full story

ODIHR Director saddened by death of Nicolae Gheorghe, architect of OSCE work on Roma issues

Warsaw, 9.8.2013 22:47, (ROMEA) The Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, expressed sadness today at the death of Nicolae Gheorghe, a prominent Roma human rights activist and former ODIHR’s Adviser on Roma and Sinti issues.  full story

Roma activist and intellectual Nicolae Gheorghe has passed away

Prague, 9.8.2013 17:32, (ROMEA) Today, at the age of 67, the Roma activist, humanist and intellectual Nicolae Gheorghe of Romania passed away.  full story

Czech Republic: Projectiles fired at Romani people at the Máj housing estate

České Budějovice, 7.8.2013 22:52, (ROMEA) Last Saturday evening at the Máj housing estate in České Budějovice, someone used either a popgun or a slingshot to fire projectiles at a small group of Romani people. Fortunately, no one was physically injured.  full story

Commentary: Are Czech academics and politicians giving cover to neo-Nazis?

Prague, 7.8.2013 15:44, (ROMEA) Prior to this past weekend's neo-Nazi demonstration in Vítkov, sociologist Jan Keller participated in a press briefing convened by the Moravian-Silesian Regional Police on the issue. His controversial comments there have prompted a great deal of response (video of the briefing, in Czech only, is available at http://www.romea.cz/cz/zpravodajstvi/martin-fafejta-dava-jan-keller-kryti-ceskym-nackum-a-kryji-je-cesti-politici).  full story

Hungary: Court in Budapest punishes racist murders with three life sentences, fourth perpetrator gets 13 years

Budapest, Hungary, 6.8.2013 23:48, (ROMEA) Today a Hungarian court handed down three life sentences for anti-Romani attacks during which six Romani people were murdered in 2008 and 2009. Five more people were seriously injured during the incidents and dozens suffered less serious injuries.  full story

Czech Republic: Director of Lidice Memorial rejects criticism from relatives of Lety victims

Prague, 6.8.2013 22:30, (ROMEA) The relatives of the victims of the Romani Holocaust and several other Romani organizations believe the Lidice Memorial is not administering the remembrance site at Lety by Písek in an appropriate, sensitive way. They are bothered by the online presentation of the memorial and the information placards at the site of the former Nazi concentration camp for Romani people, none of which mentions the ongoing presence of a pig farm at the site.  full story

Statement on management of the Lety memorial from Committee for the Redress of the Roma Holocaust

Prague, 6.8.2013 20:39, (ROMEA) The relatives of the Romani victims of the Holocaust and several Romani organizations have issued a statement expressing their opinion that the Lidice Memorial (Památník Lidice) is not administering the remembrance site at Lety by Písek in an appropriate, sensitive manner. News server Romea.cz publishes the statement here in full translation.  full story

videoYoung people commemorated victims of Roma Holocaust in Auschwitz

Auschwitz, 5.8.2013 22:50, (ROMEA) The world’s largest Roma Genocide Remembrance Event “Dik I na Bistar/look and don’t forget” took place today in Memorial – Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, with more than 400 young people from 20 countries. The big number of participants at the youth commemoration at the Memorial of the formal so called “Gypsy camp”, underlines the growing Roma movement fight´s against prejudices and stereotypes and for the recognition of the 2nd August as a Roma Remembrance day.  full story

Verdict in Roma killing spree expected in Hungary

Budapest, 5.8.2013 0:39, (ROMEA) A verdict in the trial of four Hungarians accused of killing six Roma in a wave of cold-blooded attacks is expected Tuesday, as the country continues to struggle with discrimination.  full story

Analysis: Vítkov a day of absurdity, dialogue, paradoxes and reciprocity

Vítkov, 4.8.2013 19:50, (ROMEA) A park on Husova Street, a residential hotel on Opavská Street, and Jan Zajíc Square, where those attending an anti-Romani march assembled: These are three places in Vítkov where people gathered yesterday because they did not like the fact that several locals, together with neo-Nazis, were demonstrating in the town where the worst-ever arson attack against Romani people in this country took place four years ago. Recently it has become a common phenomenon that people from civil society, Romani people included, are starting to wake up, to raise up their heads, and to notice what people other than themselves need.  full story

videoCzech Republic: Police detain three people, confiscate 22 weapons during neo-Nazi event in Vítkov

Vítkov, 3.8.2013 22:42, (ROMEA) Speaking to journalists after today's anti-Romani march was over, Tomáš Kužel, director of the Moravian-Silesian Regional Police, told journalists that during today's demonstration in Vítkov (Opava district) police officers detained three people and confiscated 22 weapons, but there were no clashes of a more serious nature. About 200 people attended the right-wing extremist assembly, but not all of them participated in the march. Around 200 police officers supervised public order during the event.  full story

Open letter from expatriate Roma in England and international organizations to the Government of the Czech Republic

London, 3.8.2013 21:35, (ROMEA) On the occasion of the International Day of the Roma Holocaust, Romani associations and initiatives based in England and elsewhere have sent the following letter to the Government of the Czech Republic in response to growing anti-Romani sentiment there. News server Romea.cz publishes the letter in full translation below:  full story

videoCzech Republic: 200 people at neo-Nazi assembly in Vítkov, minimal police intervention needed

Vítkov, 3.8.2013 20:25, (ROMEA) The 6 000-strong town of Vítkov (Opava district) has experienced only two of the three assemblies that had been announced as taking place there today. Neo-Nazis came to the town and marched through its streets, including past the site of one of the worst racist attacks in the Czech Republic ever.  full story

Czech Republic: Blokujeme! platform says it is blocking racist ideas, not people

Vítkov, 3.8.2013 18:44, (ROMEA) The Blokujeme! platform has issued the following press release:  full story