News

Czech Republic: Director of the Lidice Memorial stands by his remarks about "inadaptable" Roma

Prague, 21.8.2013 2:07, (ROMEA) Several human rights associations and Romani organizations have recently complained to the Czech Culture Ministry about the head of the Lidice Memorial, the body also in charge of the monument to the victims of the Roma Holocaust at Lety by Písek. The civil society groups say director Milouš Červencl has made light of recent manifestations of racism and has incited hatred against Roma.  full story

Czech Republic: Locals will stand up to the neo-Nazis in Plzeň this coming Saturday

Plzeň, 20.8.2013 15:46, (ROMEA) A neo-Nazi march is scheduled to pass through the center of the Czech town of Plzeň on Saturday, 24 August 2013. Ultra-right extremists have announced anti-Romani marches in a total of five regions of the Czech Republic on that same day.  full story

Czech Republic: NGOs call for dismissal after director of Lidice Memorial collectively blames Roma as "inadaptables"

Kladno, 20.8.2013 0:26, (ROMEA) Individuals and NGOs defending human rights, the integration of the Romani community, and the memory of the Romani victims of the Holocaust have turned to Deputy Culture Minister Anna Matoušková with a complaint regarding the director of the Lidice Memorial, Milouš Červencl, who is also responsible for the memorial to the Roma Holocaust at Lety by Písek. Their complaint is that Červencl has collectively blamed all Romani people as "inadaptables" and has made other inappropriate remarks as well.  full story

Leading Roma representative Ján Cibuľa passes away

Bern, Switzerland, 19.8.2013 17:37, (ROMEA) Leading Roma representative MUDr. Ján Cibuľa passed away on Sunday, 18 August after a difficult illness in the Swiss town of Bern. A niece of the deceased informed the TASR press agency of his death.  full story

Florin Cioabă, "King of the Roma" and president of the International Romani Union, has passed away

Antalya, Turkey, 19.8.2013 4:03, (ROMEA) Florin Cioabă, the self-proclaimed "King of the Roma" worldwide, passed away on 18 August in a hospital in the Turkish city of Antalya. The 58-year-old had been admitted to the hospital there last Tuesday in very serious condition.  full story

videoCzech Republic: Neo-Nazi anti-Roma event in Duchcov a debacle

Duchcov, 17.8.2013 21:51, (ROMEA) Approximately 40 neo-Nazis gathered today in the Czech town of Duchcov for an anti-Roma assembly there. Shortly after 15:00, those participating set out from the train station down Husova Street in the direction of Republika Square.  full story

British folk singer Sam Lee: "Gypsies are our Indians"

Náměšť nad Oslavou, Czech Republic, 17.8.2013 0:21, (ROMEA) In this interview, British singer and folk song collector Sam Lee describes how he has discovered forgotten singers among British Roma and Travellers, how he learned to sing from them, and why it is important to keep their songs from being forgotten. He also explains why we have two ears and only one mouth.  full story

Czech Republic: Ostrava town hall bans one neo-Nazi march, another will go forward

Ostrava, 16.8.2013 21:50, (ROMEA) The Municipal Department of Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz has banned an assembly and march planned for Saturday, 24 August by neo-Nazis because an assembly of Romani people was previously announced for the same places at the same time. Municipal department spokesperson Jana Pondělíčková informed the Czech News Agency of the decision today.Another assembly by right-wing radicals will evidently go forward in Ostrava on that same day, as it was announced for different locations than the Romani march.  full story

Czech Republic: Residential hotels in Příbram fail inspection, are a "time bomb"

Příbram, 14.8.2013 17:49, (ROMEA) The residential hotels in the Czech town of Příbram have become a topic for public discussion there. They are run by the Stavus firm, which is providing shelter to roughly 500 people in the facilities.  full story

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