Czech Republic

Czech Constitutional Court upholds verdict in 2009 arson case

Brno, 24.10.2014 22:18, (ROMEA) The Czech Constitutional Court (ÚS) has rejected a complaint filed by two of the perpetrators of an arson attack on a Romani home in the town of Vítkov (Opava district) in 2009. The court ruled that no violations of the Constitution had occurred during their trial and that the justice system had both proceeded correctly and made the correct decision.  full story

Former Czech President Klaus to chair committee on National Education Council

Prague, 24.10.2014 20:56, (ROMEA) Former Czech President Václav Klaus is chairing the preparatory committee that will meet to discuss the form of a future National Education Council (NEC). Czech Education Minister Marcel Chládek (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) confirmed his appointment in an interview with the Czech News Agency.  full story

Czech Gov't Roma Commission discusses amendments that could adversely affect Roma

Prague, 24.10.2014 19:28, (ROMEA) On Thursday 23 October the Czech Government Inter-ministerial Commission on Roma Community Affairs met in the main building of the Government of the Czech Republic; its agenda included approving the Commission's statutes, inclusive education, Romani integration strategy in relation to EU funds, and the issue of financing the Regional Coordinators for Romani affairs. The meeting closed with civil society member Martina Horváthová presenting research undertaken by the Slovo 21 organization into the position of Romani women in the Czech Republic.  full story

Commentary: Guide to the discussion of the Czech children's groups law

Prague, 23.10.2014 22:52, (ROMEA) Discussion of the law on children's groups that has been vetoed by Czech President Miloš Zeman is continuing. According to some professionals and those who work with such groups, the various conditions of that law posed a threat to some clubs, nature preschools and organizations.  full story

Czech bands boycott club in Prague that supports neo-Nazi group

Plzeň, 22.10.2014 23:12, (ROMEA) The website Plzeňské kapely.cz reports that three bands from the Czech town of Plzeň - Donnie Darko, Emmett Brown and Positive Mind - have decided to cancel their 1 November concert at the Kain club in Prague. The venue is planning to support the neo-Nazi band Ortel by letting it perform there.  full story

Commentary: European fanaticism redux

Prague, 22.10.2014 20:31, (ROMEA) My most recent commentary here was about European and Islamist fanaticism. I forgot to discuss one important thing in that context, and that is the wars in the former Yugoslavia.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani university student was first sent to "special school" as a "gypsy"

Prague, 22.10.2014 19:06, (ROMEA) Czech daily iDNES.cz reports that even when a six-year-old Romani pupil in the Czech Republic has the good luck not to be automatically assigned into the "practical" schools, a thorny path to a college degree still lies ahead. Romani pupils must overcome more snags in the Czech education system than their non-Romani peers.  full story

Czech authorities alarmingly unwilling to prosecute online hate crimes

Prague, 22.10.2014 0:10, (ROMEA) Ill-will, incompetence or indifference. In which category does the inactivity of the Czech Police with respect to racist threats and verbal attacks belong?  full story

Romani family maligned by Czech press repeatedly attacked while asleep

Sedlčany, 21.10.2014 18:50, (ROMEA) For the past six months, a Romani family in the Central Bohemian town of Sedlčany has been living with the fear that they will once again be attacked by unidentified hoodlums breaking the glass in yet another of their windows or shouting racist threats outside their front door. The local council has helpfully approved the acquisition and installation of a new camera as part of the municipal CCTV system on their street, which could aid in deterring the incidents.  full story

Karel Holomek: Czech MP in charge of education amendment is unqualified

Brno, 20.10.2014 18:37, (ROMEA) Recently I have tried not to comment on Romani affairs, as I have the feeling it could be perceived as an obsession. However, I must respond to a recent article by Martin Shab (Varování: romské děti nejsou zvláštní - "Warning: Romani children aren't special").  full story

Czech daily tests real estate agents' discrimination of Roma - 4 out of 5 fail

Plzeň, 18.10.2014 21:52, (ROMEA) If you're looking for housing from real estate agents in the Czech town of Plzeň, you are unlikely to encounter any problems whatsoever. One thing, however, basically must be kept secret - you mustn't be Romani.  full story

Czech amateur theater group rejects Romani boy in institutional care

Prague, 17.10.2014 19:21, (ROMEA) News server iDNES.cz reports that Michal, a 16-year-old resident of a Children's Home in the Czech town of Chrudim, has had a bad experience with a local amateur theater group. Instead of being well-received there, he heard those in charge say that they have no time for babysitting and raising troubled children from the reformatory.  full story

Czech court reduces punishment for arson attempt on Roma building

České Budějovice, 16.10.2014 17:17, (ROMEA) Today the Regional Court in České Budějovice reduced a first-instance court verdict sentencing a man to 2.5 years in prison without possibility of parole for attempting to set a building occupied by Romani people on fire. The Regional Court chanced the sentencing to 2.5 years' probation.  full story

Czech Republic: Winners of Chomutov local elections go to court over vote-buying

Chomutov, 14.10.2014 17:38, (ROMEA) The Czech town of Chomutov will be governed until the next elections by a coalition of the ANO 2011 movement, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) and the FOR Chomutov (PRO Chomutov) movement; representatives of those parties reached the agreement late last night. Together the three parties won 22 seats on the 35-member council.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani-profiled parties fail in local elections, ultra-right wins in Duchcov

Prague, 13.10.2014 20:49, (ROMEA) The results of this weekend's local elections in some socially excluded localities significantly exceeded the average results for certain candidates in the municipalities of which those localities are a part. The greatest success by Romani candidates was scored in Trmice, while other Romani candidates for non-Romani parties are taking council seats elsewhere in the country as well.  full story

Czech NGOs have evidence of massive vote-buying in local elections

Prague, 13.10.2014 19:10, (ROMEA) The NGOs Anticorruption Endowment (Nadační fond proti korupci - NFPK), "Our Politicians" (Naši politici), "Renewal" (Oživení) and Transparency International reported today that massive vote-buying occurred during the local elections in the Czech Republic this past weekend. "The basic building block of democracy - free elections - has been impaired and vote-buying has become an advantageous business. The manipulation took place primarily in North Bohemia and North Moravia. We had representatives throughout the area and we intensively monitored these events. We are also proposing specific legislative measures that would prevent this illegal behavior," the NGOs said today.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani woman films vote-buying in Bílina

Prague, 13.10.2014 16:33, (ROMEA) Police are investigating a case of alleged vote-buying in the town of Bílina (Teplice district). Alena Bartošová, spokesperson for the Regional Police, told the Czech News Agency the incident was reported to police on Saturday.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani candidates win three council seats in Trmice

Trmice, 11.10.2014 22:58, (ROMEA) A group of Romani candidates who decided to run in the local elections in Trmice has enjoyed success. The "Together for Trmice" (Independent Choice) movement, led by Martin Bajger, ended up winning 19.22 % of the vote, coming in second place and seating three people on the Trmice council.  full story

System of negative and positive votes in the Czech Republic could increase participation

Prague, 11.10.2014 21:23, (ROMEA) Karel Janeček, the founder of the Foundation against Corruption (Nadačního fondu proti korupci - NFPK), told the press on Thursday that the NGO is performing a survey to test a new voting system called Democracy 2.1 during the ongoing local and Senate elections. The system would consist of people directly casting ballots for two candidates for mayor or senator instead of one.  full story

Gyulla Banga: Roma Pride or a cheap circus?

Prague, 11.10.2014 1:03, (ROMEA) This year, just like last year, I did not attend Roma Pride. Just like hundreds of other Romani people in Prague, who should completely logically outnumber other Roma from around the country, I wasn't there.  full story