World

France: Head of ultra-right may face trial for racism

Paris, 2.6.2013 23:52, (ROMEA) Marine Le Pen, the head of the ultra-right National Front party in France, now risks the possibility of being brought to trial in short order. She could be asked to answer to charges of racism for her previous anti-Muslim statements.  full story

Germans, Turks use trial of neo-Nazi Zschäpe to get their messages across

Germany, 20.5.2013 7:04, (ROMEA) Czech Radio reports that the first two days of the trial of neo-Nazi Beate Zschäpe, which started last week, have been accompanied by displays of emotion. Various people have been using the event to get their own messages across to the public.  full story

Budapest: Three neo-Nazis who assaulted WJC delegates sentenced

Budapest, Hungary, 11.5.2013 16:40, (ROMEA) The World Jewish Congress (WJC) as warned that anti-Semitism could grow in Europe as a result of the exacerbated economic crisis. A report released at the end of the three-day general assembly in Budapest warns that politicians have a tendency to dedicate less attention to this issue during times of economic hardship.  full story

New York Times visits previously segregated school in Slovakia

New York City/Šarišské Michaľany, 10.5.2013 19:01, (ROMEA) "A microcosm of one of the biggest problems in Europe" - those are the words used on the front page of The New York Times to describe a primary school in Šarišské Michaľany, Slovakia. A reporter for the prestigious US newspaper traveled to eastern Slovakia to report on the segregation of Romani children there. Last year a court in Prešov ruled against a local segregated school.  full story

World Jewish Congress: Anti-Semitism in Europe may grow as a result of crisis

Budapest, Hungary, 9.5.2013 17:17, (ROMEA) The World Jewish Congress (WJC) has warned that anti-Semitism may grow in Europe as a result of the aggravated economic crisis. A report released at the end of the WJC’s three-day general assembly in Budapest warns that politicians have a tendency to devote less attention than is necessary to this issue during economic difficulties.  full story

Norwegian MP tars Bulgarian, French and Romani people with the same brush

Oslo, Norway, 8.5.2013 15:27, (ROMEA) Agence France-Presse reported on Friday, 3 May that an MP with the second-strongest party in the Norwegian Parliament, the populist “Progress Party”, has called for the monarchy to close its borders to “organized groups of Roma, Bulgarians and Frenchmen”, labeling them notorious criminals. MP Per Sandberg, whose party scores political points through its anti-immigrant rhetoric in particular, proposed taking “three immediate steps to stop the influx of beggars and criminals” into the country.  full story

videoSlovakia: Romani political party presents project to President Gašparovič

Bratislava, Slovakia, 7.5.2013 18:59, (ROMEA) Ivan Gašparovič, the president of the Slovak Republic, in response to a letter from the Romani Union Party of Slovakia (Strana romské unie Slovenska), has received a visit from party representatives to discuss Romani people and their life together with the non-Romani population in Slovakia. “Cooperation must consist of seeking compromises,” the president said of the visit.  full story

Germany: 500 police officers keep the peace at Munich trial of neo-Nazis

Munich, Germany, 6.5.2013 21:47, (ROMEA) Many demonstrations against racism and rallies for justice are taking place today under tight police supervision in front of the State Court in Munich where the much-publicized trial is scheduled to begin of Beate Zschäpe, a member of the National Socialist Underground (NSU), and four of her alleged assistants. Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports that many people waited in line all night to get into the courtroom today, but only the first 50 were allowed in. The streets near the courthouse are lined with news crews and their broadcasting vehicles.  full story

Hungary: Ultra-right protests World Jewish Congress in Budapest

Budapest, Hungary, 6.5.2013 21:00, (ROMEA) Experts say Jewish people in Hungary are facing a rising anti-Semitism spreading from right-wing extremist groups to the core of society. Representatives of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) gave that as the reason they decided to hold their quadrennial meeting, which began yesterday, in Budapest.  full story

Human rights protection is under strain in Europe, says Commissioner Muižnieks in his first annual report

Strasbourg, 1.5.2013 12:56, (ROMEA) “The picture of the human rights situation which I have observed during country visits, meetings with authorities and discussions with NGO representatives in 2012 is worrying” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while presenting his first annual report. “Of particular concern are the persisting patterns of discrimination, racism and homophobia; the treatment of migrants; constraints to freedom of expression; as well as the inefficiency of national judicial systems.”  full story

USA tells Slovakia to clean up its courts, prevent attacks against Romani people

Bratislava, Slovakia, 30.4.2013 0:34, (ROMEA) News server Aktuality.sk reports that the US State Department’s human rights report for 2012 has described the Slovak Republic as a country where judges abuse their power, the judicial system is imbalanced, and discrimination and violent attacks against Romani people are ongoing. According to the report, discrimination against ethnic minorities, the Roma in particular, is common.  full story

Slovak apartheid ends at one school

Prague, 29.4.2013 20:27, (ROMEA) The Slovak daily Sme reports that until recently, a school in the town of Šarišské Michaľany was educating dark-skinned children on its first floor and white-skinned children on the ground floor. The playground was divided into separate sections as well, while the cafeteria offered cooked food for the whites and “dry food” for the others.  full story

videoPro boxer Tyson Fury is proud of his origins

New York City, USA, 29.4.2013 5:26, (ROMEA) Last weekend Tyson Fury achieved an enormous triumph when he became the first professional boxer ever to knock out American boxer Steve Cunningham. "I am proud of what I am, and that's a Traveller,” the heavyweight Fury told The Independent. Last weekend in the USA was his 21st victory in a professional ring.  full story

OECD warns Czech Republic of rise in number of socially excluded schools

Prague, 25.4.2013 18:50, (ROMEA) News server iDNES.cz reports that the Czech education system is more selective than has previously been suspected. Non-Romani parents are not enrolling their offspring into schools with high numbers of Romani children and are choosing to send them to schools for the wealthy. The OECD is warning the Czech Republic of a rise in the number of “socially excluded” schools.  full story

German President Joachim Gauck: Never economise on human rights

Strasbourg, 24.4.2013 13:00, (ROMEA) The Council of Europe is "needed more than ever before", the German President said, in his address to the Parliamentary Assembly. In spite of pressure to make savings in a time of austerity across Europe, "we should never seek to economise on human rights.”  full story

Czech EdMin awarded booby prize for data leak about Romani students

Prague, 18.4.2013 13:21, (ROMEA) On Wednesday 17 April 2013 the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport received a Data Leak Award for the online leak of almost 900 Romani students’ personal information. The award ceremony was held at the Karlín Theater in Prague. An expert jury selected the winners on the basis of criteria evaluating the extent of damage caused by the leak, the nature of the information leaked, and the way it was leaked.  full story

Roma Education Fund announces scholarships for Romani college students

Prague, 16.4.2013 14:23, (ROMEA) Are you a college student, or a high school senior planning to continue your studies? Are you Romani? Are you interested in a scholarship for the 2013/2014 academic year?  full story

USA: We cannot ignore the discrimination of Romani people

USA, 13.4.2013 21:34, (www.state.gov ) On the occasion of International Romani Day, 8 April 2013, US Secretary of State John Kerry sent greetings from President Obama and the people of the United States of America to Romani people everywhere. International Romani Day celebrates the diversity of Romani culture.  full story

Elena Gorolová: Illegal sterilization

Ostrava, 11.4.2013 23:26, (ROMEA) Who will be chosen as the greatest hero fighting injustice, unfair treatment and wrongs in the Czech Republic? Cast your vote in the survey “Anyone Can Be a Hero” (Hrdinou může být každý) at hrdinou.cz.  full story

Slovakia: Romani man from Czech Republic and others beaten by 20 skinheads

Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia, 11.4.2013 16:18, (ROMEA) The Slovak media are reporting that allegedly as many as 20 skinhead attackers brutally beat up a Romani man from the Czech Republic at a party in the Central Slovakian town of Banská Štiavnica. The man lost consciousness as a result of the brawl. Two Georgians and the man’s girlfriend, who is a local resident, were also targeted for attack. It is not yet clear whether the conflict was racially motivated.  full story