Czech Republic

ERRC: On the Eve of the EU Roma Summit, Respect for the Human Rights of Roma is an Unfulfilled Promise

Budapest, 4.4.2014 14:05, (ROMEA) Member States of the European Union and candidate countries are meeting today in Brussels, just before International Roma Day on 8 April, to assess progress in addressing the problem of Roma exclusion in Europe. Unfortunately, the commitment to combatting discrimination and human rights abuses against Roma remains largely no more than a promise, despite the creation of an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies and the Decade of Roma Inclusion. Throughout the EU and the countries aspiring to join the EU, Roma face significant rights abuses with an inadequate state response. A few examples illustrate the persistence of some of the most egregious abuses in EU Member States and candidate countries, relating to segregation, violence against Roma, and forced evictions leading to homelessness.  full story

Roma integration: EU Framework triggers first results

Brussels, 4.4.2014 13:41, (ROMEA) Concerted action by the European Commission has put Roma integration firmly on the political agenda across Europe. The first signs of improvement in the lives of Roma are slowly starting to show, says a new report unveiled today on Member States' progress achieved under the EU Framework for national Roma strategies.  full story

Czech Republic: Museum of Romani Culture exhibit shows myths about "gypsies"

Brno, 3.4.2014 21:25, (ROMEA) On 8 April, International Romani Day, the Museum of Romani Culture in the Czech Republic will open a new exhibit. The topic of this latest offering will be the difference between the actual form of Romani people's way of life and the often romantic ideas that have been created about them in the past by the majority society.  full story

Czech Republic: Eminent Romani activist says police, not Roma, must keep the peace

Prague, 3.4.2014 20:30, (ROMEA) News server Prvnizpravy.cz has reported today that "those in the Czech Republic who worship the Nazi ideology have announced that they will continue yet another series of anti-Romani marches in various places around the country this year. Experience from recent years has shown us that the responsible authorities are incapable of implementing effective prevention so that such excesses do not take place."  full story

Czech petition launched against verdict in Romani man's death

Prague, 3.4.2014 19:38, (ROMEA) An online petition has been created to express disagreement with the recent verdict of the Regional Court in the trial of Stanislav Sýkora. The 31-year-old Czech man attacked three Romani men on 24 May 2013.  full story

Czech Republic: Roma say they want English, not Romanes in schools

Prague, 3.4.2014 18:38, (ROMEA) A proposal by MPs from the TOP 09 party in the Czech Republic for primary school instruction to be partially conducted in Romanes with Romani children is considered dubious by many Romani people. Czech MP Anna Putnová put forward the idea, saying that teaching some subjects in Romanes would make it easier for children from Romani families to transition into the "Czech" schools.  full story

Czech PM to meet with the Statewide Association of Romani People

Prague, 2.4.2014 22:42, (ROMEA) The leadership of the Statewide Association of Romani People in the Czech Republic (Celostátní asociace Romů v ČR - CAR ČR) will meet on 3 April with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and with Czech Minister for Human Rights, Equal Opportunities and Legislation Jiří Dienstbier. Cyril Koky of the CAR ČR informed news server Romea.cz of the planned meeting.  full story

Czech NGOs complain to broadcast oversight board about coverage of Romani man's death

Prague, 2.4.2014 22:10, (ROMEA) The In IUSTITIA and ROMEA organizations in the Czech Republic have jointly filed a complaint with the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting (Rada pro rozhlasové a televizní vysílání - RRTV) over recent news reporting by TV NOVA. The reportage at issue concerned the verdict in the case of the death of a Romani man in Teplice.  full story

Czech senator fined for racist verbal attack, will appeal

Prague, 2.4.2014 21:47, (ROMEA) Czech Senator Vladimír Dryml (previously a member of the Czech Social Democrats and the Citizens' Rights Party for Zeman), who is the director of the Vrchlabí Hospital, was fined today by the Senate Committee on Parliamentary Immunity for committing a racist verbal attack on a Yemeni physician. The senator intends to appeal the verdict.  full story

Czech Radio: TOP 09 party proposes teaching Romani children in Romanes

Prague, 2.4.2014 21:00, (ROMEA) Czech Radio reports that the TOP 09 party is proposing that Romani children be partially educated in the language they speak with their families, which the party believes is Romanes. Proponents say the move would break down linguistic barriers and make instruction easier.  full story

Czech Republic: US firms offer internships to Romani students

Prague, 2.4.2014 19:54, (ROMEA) The Open Society Fund Prague, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States of America and the American Chamber of Commerce in Prague, are offering young Romani people internships of several months' duration with successful American firms doing business in the Czech Republic. The internships are intended for Romani students enrolled in either on-campus or distance studies at colleges and high schools, as well as for college and high school graduates up to age 30.  full story

Czech Republic: Romani activist Čeněk Růžička nominated for state honors

Prague, 2.4.2014 18:46, (ROMEA) The Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament has received 25 suggestions of figures to propose for state honors so far this year. In addition to eminent figures such as cardiologist Jan Pirk, clergyman Josef Toufar, who was tortured to death by the communist State Security services, and veteran Pavol Švec, one of those nominees is Mr. Čeněk Růžička, who has been fighting for redress for the Romani victims of the Holocaust.  full story

Analysis: Czech verdict means it's a crime to stop an armed brawl

Prague, 1.4.2014 20:57, (ROMEA) Last month the Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem handed down its first-instance verdict in the case of the violent death of Mr Ivan J. In May 2013, Mr J. was stabbed twice during the celebrations of the opening of the spa season in the Czech town of Teplice and succumbed to his wounds shortly thereafter.  full story

Czech Human Rights Minister: Ethnic generalizations about crime are dangerous

Prague, 1.4.2014 17:48, (ROMEA) Commenting on recent incidents in the village of Strýčkovice, Czech Minister for Equal Opportunities, Human Rights and Legislation Jiří Dienstbier said he believes the situation is one of crimes or misdemeanors that have been committed by specific individuals. "This has nothing to do with a whole entire group as one might understand from the newspaper headlines. Generalizing is always dangerous and irritates sentiments in a direction that does not lead to improvement - on the contrary, it just exacerbates the situation," the minister told the daily Domažlický deník.  full story

Czech MP ignores mayor, visits village that has become a tabloid sensation

Srbice, 31.3.2014 21:51, (ROMEA) The situation in Strýčkovice (Domažlice district) continues to be monitored by police. Markéta Kastnerová, the mayor of Srbice, which has jurisdiction over the village, informed the Czech News Agency of that fact today.  full story

Czech segregation of Romani children as a reality show

Prague, 31.3.2014 21:07, (Romano Voďi) In the first double issue this year of the monthly Romano voďi we have prepared a three-part series for you on the topic of foreigners and minorities in film and television. In articles about various countries - the Czech Republic, Germany, and the USA - the authors discuss film and television productions and touch on the depiction of Romani people in literature as well.  full story

Czech Republic: No larger conflicts at ultra-right demo this past weekend

Duchcov, 31.3.2014 18:15, (ROMEA) Yet another anti-Romani event took place in the northern Bohemian town of Duchcov this past Saturday. Once again, the event was convened by the Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS), which decided to demonstrate against what it views as low sentences handed down against a group of assailants from Duchcov by the Regional Court.  full story

Czech mayor asks media, politicians not to escalate interethnic tensions in her town

Srbice/Strýčkovice, 28.3.2014 19:32, (ROMEA) Markéta Kastnerová, the Mayor of the municipality of Srbice, which has jurisdiction over the village of Strýčkovice, issued a statement today asking the media and politicians not to escalate the inter-ethnic situation in her incorporated area. Recently the Czech national daily Právo, its online news server Novinky.cz, and the tabloid news server Blesk.cz have been publishing anti-Romani articles about the situation in Strýčkovice.  full story

Czech Republic: Ultra-right plans provocation in Duchcov tomorrow

Duchcov, 28.3.2014 18:33, (ROMEA) With the first days of warmer weather in the Czech Republic, right-wing extremists from the Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS) are once again heading to the streets of the northern Bohemian town of Duchcov. Tomorrow, 29 March, neo-Nazis will protest against the Konexe NGO and against what they view as the low sentences recently handed down in the case of those who attacked a married couple in Duchcov last year.  full story

Czech refugee NGO says MP's remarks are racist and xenophobic

Prague, 28.3.2014 17:13, (ROMEA) The Organization for Aid to Refugees (Organizace pro pomoc uprchlíkům - OPU) is outraged by recent remarks made by Czech MP Tomio Okamura, the chair of the "Dawn of Direct Democracy" (Úsvit) movement, about immigrants. The group considers the politician's statements racist and xenophobic.  full story