World

Ukrainian Parliament abolishes language law, neighboring states protest

Kiev, 26.2.2014 18:46, (ROMEA) Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania expressed their dissatisfaction today with a decision taken by the Ukrainian Parliament on Sunday to abolish a law on languages that was adopted in 2012. All three countries have large national minority populations living in several places throughout Ukraine and are therefore calling on the new leadership of the country to respect their rights.  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

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

Russian MP makes excuses for racist photo montage of the Obamas

Russia, 11.2.2014 18:43, (ROMEA) Irina Rodnina, once a famous figure skater, is now an MP for a pro-Putin party in Russia. Recently she was given the honor of lighting the Olympic flame in Sochi together with former hockey player Vladislav Tretiak.  full story

Russian MP who racially insulted US President lights the Olympic flame

Sochi, Russia, 8.2.2014 23:07, (ROMEA) Irina Rodnina, a Russian MP and former Olympic figure skating champion who lit the Olympic flame yesterday together with legendary former hockey goalie Vladislav Tretiak, is also known for having published a racist photograph of US President Barack Obama last September. Rodnina used Twitter to send out a photo montage of Obama and his wife Michelle looking at a banana.  full story

videoStudent life: Roma Students in Central Eastern Europe

Budapešť, 6.2.2014 12:27, (ROMEA) This year Central European University (Budapest, Hungary) is hosting more than 5o Roma students both MA students and Roma Access Programs students. CEU is well known in Central Eastern Europe for its higher education programs for Roma students. Currently there are two ongoing programs: Roma Graduate Preparation Program and Roma English Language Program.  full story

FXB Center, Harvard University: Violence and Attacks Against Roma Should Sound Alarms in the International Community

Boston/Cambridge, 5.2.2014 12:06, (ROMEA) Harvard University’s FXB Center for Health and Human Rights released a report documenting “Accelerating Patterns of Anti-Roma Violence in Hungary”. The report is intended to alert the United Nations and the international community to the persistent patterns of violent attacks and actions against the Roma (pejoratively called Gypsies).  full story

Roma are EU citizens too, Romanian President says

Bucharest, 1.2.2014 13:49, (ROMEA) Romanian President Traian Basescu on Friday (31 January) strongly defended freedom of movement within the EU, saying Roma have the same rights as other EU citizens and should not be misused for populist campaigns.  full story

Mudslide engulfs houses in suburb not far from Vatican City

Rome, 1.2.2014 13:22, (ROMEA) A landslide Friday sent mud into the streets of a Rome suburb, engulfing houses inhabited by poor people and immigrants not far from the Vatican, police said.  full story

Commentary: The lessons of Ukraine, or, how to avoid fascism and violence

Kiev/Prague, 27.1.2014 19:55, (ROMEA) Reflections on the recent developments in Ukraine and their connection to current affairs in the Czech Republic.  full story

Hungary makes historic apology for its role in the Holocaust

Hungary, 27.1.2014 14:41, (ROMEA) Speaking at the United Nations in New York, Hungary has apologized for the first time ever for the role the country played in the Holocaust. News agency MTI reported today that the apology was made on Thursday by the Hungarian Ambassador to the UN, Csaba Körösi.  full story

French MP avoids jail after saying Adolf Hitler "maybe didn't kill enough" Roma gypsies

Paris, 26.1.2014 14:04, (ROMEA) A French MP has avoided jail after he was caught on camera saying “Hitler maybe didn't kill enough of them” during an altercation with a Roma community close to the town he is mayor of.  full story

Hungarian far-right leader Gabor Vona vows to address rally in London

London, 26.1.2014 13:45, (ROMEA) The leader of an extreme Hungarian nationalist party has declared that the furore over his controversial visit to London on Sunday has made him even more determined to speak in Britain.  full story

Russia criticizes Czech Republic over Roma, EU over human rights

16.1.2014 22:10, (ROMEA) The Russian Foreign Ministry says it is disturbed by the state of human rights in the European Union, with Russian diplomats saying there are "serious flaws" in that area. The ministry published a report on the issue on Tuesday which has been reviewed by the international and the Russian media.  full story

Roma Activist Musician Assaulted in Serbia

Belgrade, 13.1.2014 23:43, (ROMEA) Olah Vince, a Roma activist and musician, said that he was attacked and beaten up by six unknown men as he was walking with his wife at Christmas outside their house in the Telep quarter in the northern city of Novi Sad.  full story

Russia: 20 people murdered last year in ideologically-motivated attacks

Moscow, Russia, 8.1.2014 0:31, (ROMEA) Last year a total of 20 people were murdered in Russia during ideologically-motivated attacks rooted in racism and xenophobia. That information has now been released by the non-governmental center for analysis, Sova, which has long monitored attacks on foreigners and immigrants there.  full story

Gyulla Banga: FIFA punishes Croatian footballer for promoting Nazism

Prague, 30.12.2013 17:25, (ROMEA) Josep Šimunič, a player with the Croatian football team, has been harshly punished by the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) for making an inappropriate display of joy after successfully winning a close match with Iceland. Šimunič was "awarded" the privilege of watching the next 10 matches from the warmth of his home on TV (the punishment includes a clause banning him from the stadium and being with the other players) and, as if that weren't enough to regret, he also received a "Christmas present" in the amount of a fine for 30 000 Swiss francs for his "exemplary" behavior.  full story

Racism, discrimination, intolerance and extremism: Learning from experiences in Greece and Hungary

Vienna, 21.12.2013 0:13, (ROMEA) Racism, discrimination, extremism and intolerance currently pose a great challenge for the European Union. In a new report, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights examines the responses of two Member States, taking these countries as case studies to demonstrate the need for more targeted and effective measures to combat these phenomena throughout the EU. The report ends by proposing a number of steps to improve the situation.  full story

Roma discrimination: end illegal expulsions and ethnic profiling, MEPs say

Brussels, 14.12.2013 21:56, (ROMEA) EU countries must stop illegal expulsion of Roma people and end ethnic profiling, police abuse and human rights violations perpetrated against them, says Parliament in a non-binding resolution adopted on Thursday. It assesses member states' strategies to boost Roma integration and calls for more funds to prevent discrimination and reach small community projects.  full story