Czech Republic

Czech Social Democratic shadow minister: D.H. judgment key to desegregating schools

Prague, 25.11.2013 15:42, (ROMEA) This month marks six years since the groundbreaking judgment from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of D.H. and Others vs. the Czech Republic. That judgment confirmed that the Czech Republic discriminates against Romani children by disproportionately sending them to what were once called the "special schools" and today are called "practical schools."  full story

Czech Police apprehend perpetrators of hate crime in Bystřice pod Hostýnem

Bystřice pod Hostýnem, 20.11.2013 17:23, (ROMEA) Police have apprehended and charged two violent offenders who brutally assaulted fellow customers in a bar in the town of Bystřice pod Hostýnem this summer. News server Romea.cz has previously reported on the case in great detail (see http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-republic-brutal-assault-began-with-words-why-are-you-talking-to-a-gypsy).  full story

Czech Republic: Pig farm on Holocaust site allegorized in parade

Prague, 20.11.2013 0:49, (ROMEA) On 17 November, the Czech state holiday celebrating democracy and freedom, the Slave of Race (Otrokem Rasy) initiative participated in an event in Prague called the Velvet Fair (Sametové posvícení). Our particular topic was the Romani Holocaust at Lety by Písek and our contribution was appropriately called "SOMETHING STINKS HERE".  full story

Czech Green Party chair: Roma school segregation deeply engrained

Prague, 19.11.2013 21:23, (ROMEA) Last week marked six years since the groundbreaking judgment from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of D.H. and Others vs. the Czech Republic. That judgment confirmed that the Czech Republic discriminates against Romani children by disproportionately sending them to what were once called the "special schools" and today are called "practical schools."  full story

Czech Republic: Non-Romani and Romani students discuss democracy

Prague, 18.11.2013 16:24, (ROMEA) On the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, the ROMEA civic association held a discussion between non-Romani and Romani students about democracy and freedom in Prague on Friday, 15 November. Bára Procházková, editor-in-chief of the society monthly Bel Mondo, which works with the RESPEKT weekly, was the moderator.  full story

Czech Republic: Ultra-right was alone at the Janov housing estate this year

Litvínov, 18.11.2013 15:32, (ROMEA) Czech neo-Nazi activist Jiří Šlégr announced to authorities earlier this year that on Sunday, 17 November 2013, in honor of the state holiday officially called the Day of the Fight for Freedom and Democracy, an assembly that he called a "March against Crime and Police Brutality" would be held in the town of Litvínov to commemorate the events of 2008 there, when ultra-right demonstrators and police engaged in bloody clashes at the Janov housing estate. This year's march was planned to begin at the train station and to head toward Janov, stopping at a particular traffic circle to light candles at the places where some of those clashes occurred and then ending in front of a local elementary school after some speeches.  full story

Czech Republic: Opponents of Fascism demonstrate, less than 100 attend ultra-right event

Ostrava/Prague, 17.11.2013 21:33, (ROMEA) Not quite 100 right-wing extremists, including hardcore neo-Nazis from the Workers' Youth, gathered in Prague today at the bottom of Wenceslas Square. Their plan was to march down National Avenue, but police had to reroute their procession, as their way was blocked by around 500 opponents of the neo-Nazis' plan to abuse International Students' Day to promote their ideology.  full story

Karel Holomek: What democracy and freedom mean to me

Brno, 17.11.2013 15:29, (ROMEA) For me, democracy and freedom mean the opportunity to express my opinions on public affairs and to participate in them. When I express my opinions to the public, I don't feel restricted by anything other than the accuracy of my statements, which can be critical of abuses in society and eventually of those who personify those abuses, such as people in politics, including at the highest levels, and in public offices.  full story

Canadian ambassador to "abusers" of asylum from Czech Republic: "Don't do it"

Prague, 16.11.2013 21:26, (ROMEA) Citizens of the Czech Republic can travel to Canada without visas as of 14 November. Ambassador Otto Jelinek has confirmed that the visa obligation imposed in July 2009 has been lifted.  full story

videoCzech Republic: 41 Romani college students win scholarships

Prague, 15.11.2013 1:18, (ROMEA) On 8 November, 41 Romani college students were awarded scholarships from the Roma Education Fund (REF). The students received EUR 800 for the academic year, although students attending private colleges are allowed to request even more money to cover tuition.  full story

Time to renew the meaning of 17 November

Prague, 14.11.2013 2:08, (ROMEA) The anniversary of 17 November is over-saturated with historical content in the Czech Republic. Two milestones in the grand story of the history of the Czech nation happened on that day.  full story

Czech tabloid must withdraw article full of lies and racial hatred about Romani children

Nové město pod Smrkem, 13.11.2013 23:25, (ROMEA) The tabloid news server Zprávyextra.cz has published a mendacious, racist article about bullying at a primary school in the town of Nové město pod Smrkem alleging that insolent Romani reprobates bully children there with impunity and that the school is doing nothing about it. After a protest was lodged by the school management, the article was taken offline and is available only through the Google archive.  full story

Czech Republic: Education of Romani children has not changed much since Strasbourg judgment

Prague/Strasbourg, 13.11.2013 17:47, (ROMEA) Six years have passed since the groundbreaking judgment by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of D.H. and Others vs. the Czech Republic. That judgment confirmed that the Czech Republic discriminates against Romani children by disproportionately sending them to what are today called "practical schools" (previously "special schools").  full story

NEWTON Media publishes analysis of the image of Roma in the Czech media 2013

Prague, 12.11.2013 1:37, (ROMEA) The NEWTON Media company has produced an analysis of "Stereotypes in the media portrayal of Romani people in 2013" (Stereotypy mediálního obrazu Romů v roce 2013) which was presented on 24 and 25 September at the "Media Reflections" conference convened by the Czech Council of Radio and Television Broadcasters in collaboration with Czech Radio and Czech Television in Telč. The same analysis was recently presented at a round table with journalists convened by the ROMEA association in Prague.  full story

Czech military intelligence: Extremism could grow into terrorism because of the economic crisis

Prague, 10.11.2013 22:27, (ROMEA) A report released on Thursday by the Military Intelligence services of the Czech Republic (Vojenské zpravodajství - VZ) for 2012 claims that because of the protracted economic crisis, either left or right-wing extremism could grow into the threat of terrorism, especially if the economic and societal situation in Europe does not improve. The Czech Republic and its allies are also at risk of terrorist attack by fundamentalist groups.  full story

Commentary: No surprise Czech MP Schwarz is being called a racist

Lom, 8.11.2013 21:50, (ROMEA) Who is newly-elected Czech MP Bronislav Schwarz? He is the director of the municipal police force in Most, a regional representative, and a councilor in the town of Lom who has loaned his name to the ANO 2011 political party which, as he has said, paid for his recent election campaign in exchange for his devotion and loyalty.  full story

Commentary: Romani actors play only primitive criminals in Czech tv serial

Prague, 8.11.2013 20:31, (ROMEA) A few days ago, Lukáš Senft, a documentary filmmaker and student at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, published an open letter to screenwriter Ivan Hubač and director Filip Renč, the creators of the tv serial "Sanitka 2", which is known to everyone from the time of the previous regime. In his letter, the author criticizes primarily the eighth episode of this serial and its depiction of the Romani minority as a dangerous, foreign, and incomprehensible group.  full story

Czech Christian Democrats: Ethnic origin must never be a parameter for judging anyone

Prague, 8.11.2013 1:02, (ROMEA) In a recent interview for the anti-Romani tabloid periodical Parlamentní listy, Czech Senator Jiří Čunek has once again expressed his peculiar approach toward Romani people. Čunek told the tabloid that he would like to be appointed by the party to a cabinet post so he could address the issue of Romani people.  full story

Czech Republic: Gypsy Spirit 2013 jury announces finalists

Prague, 8.11.2013 0:13, (ROMEA) On 1 November 2013, out of 87 nominations for the Gypsy Spirit award in the Czech Republic, finalists were selected by the nominating jury, comprised of members Jozef Baláž, Darina Batyiová, Jiřina Bradová, Jana Horváthová, Gabriela Hrabaňová, Magdaléna Karvayová, Renata Köttnerová, Petr Polák, Jelena Silajdžić, Andrea Šenkyříková and David Tišer. The nominating jury evaluated the proposals according to the following criteria:  full story

Czech intelligence service warns political parties may adopt extremist opinions

Prague, 7.11.2013 17:50, (ROMEA) In its annual report released today on its website, the Czech Security Information Service (Bezpečnostní informační služba - BIS) warns that standard political parties in the country may start taking up extremist opinions, especially at municipal level. BIS says that while the extremists themselves are becoming attenuated, political parties might exploit their opinions in order to earn the votes of people who are dissatisfied and frustrated, for example, because of the economic crisis.  full story