Czech Republic

Czech Human Rights Minister and Romani advisers visit socially excluded locality without meeting Romani residents

9.2.2017 7:16 Czech Human Rights Minister Jan Chvojka (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) and representatives of the Monitoring Committee of the Czech Government Council on Romani Minority Affairs, which reviews the work of the Agency for Social Inclusion, visited the town of Most last month, including the Stovky housing estate and a residential hotel called "Key to the Heart" ("K srdci klíč"). The minister did not, however, hold any official discussions with local Romani residents about the situation at the housing estate.  full story

Michal Mižigár: Dža Devleha, Schapiro!

8.2.2017 7:09 Dža Devleha, or "be with God", is what is said in the Romanes language to somebody who is departing. On Friday, 20 January, the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Czech Republic, Andrew H. Schapiro, ended his term.  full story

Together We Can: Patrik Grundza

7.2.2017 7:37 Last month, Romea.cz began publishing interviews on a weekly basis with people who are doing interesting things to aid all of us in getting along here. When we were looking for a name for this column, the motto of this year's International Romani Day, "Together We Can", inspired me, so the organizers and I have decided to call this column "Together We Can" as well.  full story

Czech court rejects lawsuit filed by mother of quintuplets over fundraising drive

6.2.2017 19:47 Alexandra Kiňová, the mother of the first quintuplets ever born in the Czech Republic, filed a lawsuit in the District Court for Prague 5 against the Club of Twins and Higher Multiples (Klub dvojčat a vícerčat) in which she sought the recovery of more than CZK 616 000 (EUR 22 800) from a fundraising drive held by the club on behalf of her children. The court has rejected her lawsuit becuase the money has been transferred to an account owned by the City of Prague.
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Czech Republic: Seven Romani applicants complete ROMEA's media training, say they want to tell Roma stories

5.2.2017 7:30 A months-long media training for future journalists from the Romani community in the Czech Republic, offered by the ROMEA organization, has now ended. Seven successful trainees were invited to receive their certificates of completion in the presence of Yechiel Bar-Chaim and Robert Tobon, who represents the US foundation Bader Philanthropies, which supported the project financially.  full story

Czech court rejects student's compensation claim after school allegedly banned her from wearing her hijab

4.2.2017 9:06 On 27 January a Czech court rejected the claim of a Somali girl who sought an apology and CZK 60 000 (EUR 2 220) from the Secondary School for Nursing in Prague because the school allegedly banned her from wearing her hijab, the head scarf worn by some Muslim women. The plaintiff alleged that by banning the headgear, the institution indirectly discriminated against her access to education and her free choice of profession.  full story

Czech Government withdraws bill to strengthen Public Defender of Rights

3.2.2017 6:20 Because MPs have been unable to reach agreement, the Czech Government has withdrawn the amendment it previously submitted to the Chamber of Deputies about the Public Defender of Rights that would have beefed up the powers of that authority. Instead, Czech Human Rights and Legislation Minister Jan Chvojka (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) will prepare a separate bill that will only empower the office to monitor the situation of people living with disabilities.  full story

video VIDEO: Father of deceased Romani man says he has filed complaint against suspension of investigation

2.2.2017 21:39 In a video interview for news server Romea.cz, the father of Miroslav Demeter, the Romani man who died under mysterious circumstances in October 2016, expressed his opinion of the fact that the Czech Police have suspended the investigation.  full story

videoVIDEO: Czech Police proceeded incorrectly, attorney for family of deceased Romani man says

2.2.2017 21:03 News server Romea.cz has asked several questions of the legal representative of the bereaved in the case of the death of Mr Miroslav Demeter, the young Romani man who lost his life in a pizzeria in the town of Žatec after a conflict with other customers. JUDr. Michal Pacovský has assessed the procedure of the police to date for news server Romea.cz and described what he considers to be the basic misconduct that he believes police have committed.  full story

Czech Police find no crime was committed in death of Romani man last fall

2.2.2017 15:49 Czech Police have shelved the case of a young Romani man, Mr Miroslav Demeter, who died tragically on Tuesday, 18 October 2016 at around 19:00 in the Panamera Pizzeria in Žatec, Czech Republic. Police found no felony had been committed in relation to the incident.  full story

Czech Senate appearance by Romani celebrity to commemorate Holocaust backed by war veteran

2.2.2017 8:22 On 27 January 2017 the Czech Senate hosted its traditional commemorative gathering on the occasion of International Day of Holocaust Remembrance and Prevention of Crimes against Humanity. Senate chair Milan Štěch (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) said the Holocaust was the worst example of how far intolerance can go.  full story

Czech Police investigation of death threats against Romani celebrity continues, his brother targeted also

1.2.2017 7:05 Czech Police have confirmed to news server Romea.cz that they are continuing to investigate death threats against the Romani singer Radek Banga. The threats of physical annihilation and calls to "gas" Banga began to appear on his Facebook profile after he publicly criticized the success of the xenophobic band Ortel in the "Czech Nightingale" music competition.  full story

Czech performance of "Gypsy Boxer" in Brno postponed due to illness

30.1.2017 7:03 Brno's Buranteatr was scheduled to give a repeat performance of the play "Gypsy Boxer" (Cikánský boxer) by the German playwright Rike Reiniger, directed by Gabriela Krečmerová, today, but has canceled because of illness and will announce a new date for the performance soon. The commemorative one-man show recalls the fate of the Romani (Sinto) boxer Johann Trollman, who became the boxing champion of Germany in 1933.  full story

Romani celebrity addresses Czech Senate on International Day of Holocaust Remembrance

29.1.2017 9:32 On Friday 27 January 2017 the Czech Senate held its traditional commemorative gathering to mark the International Day of Holocaust Remembrance and Prevention of Crimes against Humanity. The composer and singer Radek Banga gave a speech there in which he stated that he is unable to ignore any of the displays of hatred and xenophobia in today's world.  full story

Civil society members of Czech Gov't Council on Roma Affairs visit Brno to discuss policy with Romani community

29.1.2017 8:36 Members of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs and government staffers visited nonprofit organizations in Brno working with Romani people last Tuesday and so-called socially excluded localities on Brněnská, Cejl and Francouzská Streets. The visit was one of the first that the members and staffers of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic will be gradually undertaking during 2017.  full story

Civil society members of Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs recap past three years of work

28.1.2017 10:15 The civil society members of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs (also referred to as the Inter-ministerial Commission for Roma Community Affairs) have recapitulated the Council's activities during the past three years for news server Romea.cz. Those members see as essential the fact that they enforced the concept of Romani people as a national minority - not as a social group - in the Government's Roma Integration Strategy to 2020.  full story

Czech court sends local politician to prison for 7.5 years for drug offense

27.1.2017 14:27 On 24 January the Ústecký Regional Court sentenced Marcel Cichý, an independent city assembly member in Trmice, Ústecký Region, Czech Republic, to 7.5 years in prison for organizing the sale of marijuana in Slovakia. This is the court's second decision in the case, and both the defendant and the state prosecutor are considering whether to appeal.  full story

Czech investigation into death of Romani man in a pizzeria will announce findings at press conference

27.1.2017 14:03 News server Lidovky.cz reports that the investigation into the death of Miroslav Demeter, Jr., who died on 18 October 2016 in a pizzeria in Žatec, is coming to an end and the findings will be announced at a joint press conference of the District State Prosecutor and the Czech Police as soon as possible. The family of the deceased has filed a complaint about the procedure undertaken by the District State Prosecutor in Louny, which is supervising the investigation, and the complaint is being reviewed by that same state prosecutor's office, as it also concerned the police procedure being supervised.  full story

videoCzech TV program features Romani university students

24.1.2017 7:08 On 22 January the Czech Television program "168 Hours" (168 hodin) broadcast a reportage about Romani college students. Prior to 1989 only about 20 Romani people had ever made it to study in institutions of higher learning in the Czech Republic, but today, according to reporter Martin Mikule, there are hundreds.  full story

Czech court reviews alleged racial discrimination during first-grade enrollments

23.1.2017 19:26 On Friday the Ostrava edition of Czech Television's "News in the Regions" program focused on a case of alleged racial discrimination against Romani pupils at Pěší Primary School in Ostrava-Muglinov which is now being reviewed by the courts. Two incoming Romani first-graders were allegedly rejected by the school because the management allegedly intended to reduce the number of Romani children in the incoming first-grade cohort.  full story