Czech Republic

Czech Republic: Interview with homeless Romani mother who grew up in children's homes

23.11.2015 22:45 Nikol is a young Romani woman who lives on the street and is expecting her second child (the state took away her first one). Her boyfriend is a drug user, but seems to be reducing his intake.  full story

Czech Republic: New campaign combats hate online

23.11.2015 20:30 The Czech Government's Hate Free Culture campaign has issued the following press release:  full story

Commentary: Martin Konvička, the crime of preparing apartheid and the segregation of Romani children

22.11.2015 13:23 It occurred to one journalist to ask a police spokesperson whether the Police of the Czech Republic are undertaking an investigation or proceedings concerning incitement to hatred of religion in connection with the group called "We Don't Want Islam in the Czech Republic". Its representative, Martin Konvička, was seconded on Tuesday, 17 November, by the President of the Republic, Miloš Zeman - alongside representatives of the ultra-right "Dawn" (Úsvit) and the Citizens' Rights Party (SPO) - at a demonstration at Albertov in Prague.  full story

Czech Republic: Analysis shows number of persons in need of affordable housing is rising in Frýdlant district

21.11.2015 17:56 A new situational analysis of the Frýdlant district has pointed out there is a growing number of persons in need of housing, not enough municipally-owned social apartments, and "trafficking in poverty" is blossoming. One area focused on by the authors of the analysis was housing in socially excluded localities.  full story

Czech Constitutional Court rejects complaint from convener of banned anti-Romani assembly

21.11.2015 17:06 Local authorities did not make an error when they banned an assembly and march in the town of České Budějovice in 2013 out of concerns over extremism. The Czech News Agency has ascertained from the database of the findings and rulings of the Constitutional Court (Ústavní soud - ÚS) that it has rejected a complaint filed against that decision by the convener of the assembly, Pavel Matějný.  full story

Czech Radio creates online broadcasts about children's homes

21.11.2015 16:14 Lukáš Kotlár, the Editor-in-Chief of the children's magazine Zámeček ("Mansion"), and his colleague Albín Augustin Balát have created an online radio station called DD Rádio - Rádio dětských domovů (DD Radio - Children's Homes Radio). "Annually around 1 000 young people leave children's homes and a similar number enter them. We will broadcast for the children and employees of these homes, but we also want to bring news from their world to the public," Kotlár said; news server Romea.cz conducted the following interview with him.  full story

Commentary: You have the floor, so babble and manipulate people

21.11.2015 14:02 News server Romea.cz is republishing in full translation the following commentary by Bob Kartous from the EDUin NGO, written after he participated in the episode broadcast on 9 November of the Czech Television talk show "You Have the Floor" (Máte slovo) as a guest. The topic of the program was inclusion in the schools.  full story

Czech PM: The President should not attend events organized by xenophobes

20.11.2015 17:23 Speaking in an interview for the Czech daily Hospodářské noviny (HN), Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) said the Czech President should not make appearances at events organized by xenophobic sects disseminating hatred. The PM said he believes that by giving a speech on the state holiday of 17 November at Albertov in Prague side-by-side with representatives of the extremist Bloc against Islam group, President Zeman has now joined the populists who are feeding like parasites on people's fears of the so-called Islamic State and the migration crisis.  full story

EU diplomacy head cancels visit to Prague, probably because of President's remarks

20.11.2015 16:48 The head of EU diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, cancelled a visit to Prague yesterday, probably because some Czech politicians are automatically connecting Islam and refugees with terrorism without differentiation. Czech Radio reported the decision with reference to a highly-placed EU source.  full story

Czech Human Rights Minister: President Zeman is helping the fascisization of Czech society

20.11.2015 16:17 Czech Minister for Human Rights and Legislation Jiří Dienstbier (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) is convinced that Czech President Zeman is aiding in the creation of an atmosphere for the fascisization of Czch society. In an interview for the Czech News Agency on 18 November, he said that some remarks made by the head of state are Islamophobic, xenophobic, and are creating fear in society.  full story

Commentary: Czech PM's hypocrisy and activists' unnecessary helpfulness

19.11.2015 0:37 Is Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka a courageous, sharp politician unafraid of going against the "voice of the people"? Well-known activist Jan Piňos thinks so.  full story

Czech Police found knives, truncheons and other weapons on 30 attendees of yesterday's anti-Islam event

18.11.2015 23:48 Tomáš Hulan, spokesperson for the Prague Police, announced on the official website that police arrested 20 people during demonstrations in Prague on the 17 November holiday on suspicion of assaulting officers and rioting. Police found knives, truncheons and other weapons on 30 people who participated in the Bloc against Islam event at Albertov.  full story

Four anti-Nazi fighters received the Memory of Nations award in Prague

18.11.2015 21:18 Four fighters against Nazism were awarded the Memory of Nations (Paměti národa) award in Prague yesterday, including two resistance fighters, a soldier who defended Tobruk, and a woman who escaped a death march. Jana Háková of the organizing association Post Bellum told the Czech News Agency that on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, this year was dedicated to figures from the Czech Republic and Slovakia who stood up to Nazism.  full story

Czech university administrators, students issue statements about police banning access for students and teachers to 17 November memorial

18.11.2015 19:18 Statement from Bohumil Gaš, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Charles University  full story

Czech Police intervene against 1 000 extremists protesting refugee reception on state holiday marking November 1939 and 1989

18.11.2015 5:02 The main theme of today's events in the Czech Republic ostensibly commemorating the student victims of Nazism in 1939 and the student demonstrations in 1989 was in fact the current refugee crisis. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) called on people to moderate the anger they feel about refugees.  full story

Czech Police refuse students access to 1989 memorial in advance of President joining anti-Islam activists for their event

17.11.2015 16:42 Czech President Miloš Zeman addressed an event organized by the Bloc against Islam (Blok proti islámu - BPI) on the occasion of the state holiday today and said those who disagree with the receiving of migrants should not be "labelled" Fascists, Islamophobes or racists. BPI is against refugee reception.  full story

Analysis: Will Czech President Zeman make it into the 2015 extremism report?

17.11.2015 15:13 For almost 14 days the group called "We Don't Want Islam in the Czech Republic" (Islám v ČR nechceme - IVČRN) and its political wing, the Bloc against Islam (Bloc proti Islámu - BPI) have been constantly calling for people to attend an assembly in support of Czech President Miloš Zeman "in his opinions about immigration and Islam". The event is to take place at Albertov in Prague today on the anniversary of 17 November 1989 and 1939.  full story

Czech President's spokesperson calls proponents of refugee reception "the real extremists"

17.11.2015 2:16 Tuesday's state holiday in the Czech Republic will see reverent commemorations of the events of 17 November from the years of 1989 and 1939, as well as demonstrations against migration, against the rejection of refugees, and against Government policy. Police are warning against extremist provocation and will be deploying several hundred officers in Prague alone.  full story

Czech ministers warn that extremists may attempt provocations on state holiday 17 November

17.11.2015 0:54 During the public events in the Czech Republic on the 17 November state holiday there is the risk that extremists will attempt provocations, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Interior
Minister Milan Chovanec (both Czech Social Democrats - ČSSD) said today after meeting to discuss the current security threats facing the country. Sobotka said concerns over the course of the celebrations are connected to tensions in society sparked by the terrorist attacks in Paris.  full story

Czech Republic: Detainees condemn attacks in Paris and end hunger strike

16.11.2015 20:14 Refugees in the detention facility in Drahonice (Louny district) have condemned the terrorist attacks in Paris. They have reportedly ended their hunger strike to show respect for the suffering of Europeans.  full story