Czech Republic

Czech Bishops, Ecumenical Council and Jewish Federation warn of rising right-wing extremism

Prague, 22.10.2013 1:56, (ROMEA) Representatives of several churches and religious societies are warning of rising right-wing extremism in the Czech Republic. The religious representatives are asking the public not to support those who offer measures based on nationalism or racism as the solution to solving problems in coexistence between the majority society and Romani people.  full story

Commentary: In the Czech Republic, the Roma's image could get them killed

Prague, 21.10.2013 16:38, (ROMEA) This past spring the third - and so far the greatest - wave of anti-Romani protests has risen up in the Czech Republic. The first such wave, from 2007-2009, resulted in what was the most serious arson attack to date on a Romani family here in the town of Vítkov, and in the arrest of the perpetrators in August 2009. The second such wave, from 2011-2012, ended with a march by 2 000 people through the town of Břeclav, where locals and out-of-towners passionately protested an alleged attack by Romani people on a 15-year-old boy. One month later, it was proven that he had invented the entire story.  full story

Romani author Emil Cina has passed away

Prague, 20.10.2013 19:45, (ROMEA) On Sunday, 20 October 2013, Emil Cina, one of the most significant Romani authors and nation-builders, passed away at the age of 65.  full story

Czech Republic: Civil trial opens over compensation for brutalized Romani family

Plzeň, 19.10.2013 19:52, (ROMEA) On 16 October the civil trial began in Plzeň in the case of compensation for a brutal attack on a Romani family in Nýrsko in 2011. Last year a criminal court in Klatovy gave defendants Václav Boublík and Jiří Miškovič suspended sentences for their roles in the incident.  full story

Czech Republic: Racists riot against Roma in Ostrava once more

Ostrava, 19.10.2013 18:32, (ROMEA) In the center of Ostrava more than 300 people gathered this afternoon for an anti-Romani demonstration. The demonstrators then marched on the Romani neighborhood of Přívoz.  full story

Commentary: DSSS "keeping order on the streets" in Duchcov

Duchcov, 19.10.2013 0:53, (ROMEA) Convicted criminals and Nazis are maintaining order on the streets of a town. That sentence sounds like it describes 1930s Germany, but it is neither the first nor the last parallel that can be drawn between today, the interwar era, and the course of daily life during both totalitarian periods in Central Europe.  full story

Former Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner says Interior Ministry wants rights agenda

Prague, 18.10.2013 22:07, (ROMEA) According to former Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Monika Šimůnková, efforts are underway in the outgoing Rusnok government to transfer the human rights agenda on minorities and other vulnerable groups from the Office of the Government to the Interior Ministry. Šimůnková views the cabinet's different perspective on human rights issues as one of the reasons she was dismissed from her post as head of the Human Rights Section, and that difference is the reason she has resigned as commissioner.  full story

Gábor (LEV 21), Romani candidate to the Czech lower house: Unemployment means aversion to Roma

Hradec Králové, 18.10.2013 17:44, (ROMEA) An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year's early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.  full story

Czech Gov't Human Rights Commissioner Monika Šimůnková resigns

Prague, 18.10.2013 0:10, (ROMEA) Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Monika Šimůnková has resigned. Her resignation is in response to the circumstances of her dismissal on Tuesday from her position as head of the Human Rights Section at the Office of the Government.  full story

Beňák (ČSSD), Romani candidate to the lower house: ČSSD is a strong platform for defending Romani interests

Prague, 17.10.2013 23:41, (ROMEA) An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year's early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.  full story

Czech Green Party: Roma should be represented in Parliament

Brno, 16.10.2013 17:53, (ROMEA) The chair of the Equal Opportunities Party (Strana rovných příležitostí - SRP), Štefan Tišer, and Jozef Miker, an SRP member running as a candidate on the Green Party ticket in the Ústí Region, traveled to Moravia to support the Greens in their campaign there. Yesterday they met with the Romani community in Brno, today they will visit the Romani community in Břeclav and Hodonín, and tomorrow they will travel to Ostrava, where they will support two other Romani SRP members running on the Green Party ticket, Bc. Antonie Burianská and Elena Gorolová.  full story

Miker (SRP), Romani candidate to the Czech lower house: Roma share a cause beyond political affiliations

Prague, 16.10.2013 17:13, (ROMEA) An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year's early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections  full story

Former Czech Human Rights Minister: Romani issues deserve a minister, not just a commissioner

Prague, 16.10.2013 2:32, (ROMEA) The Czech News Agency reports that former Czech Human Rights Minister Michael Kocáb says Romani issues should be addressed by a cabinet member and not just a government commissioner. A cabinet minister would have a stronger position and more say in promoting measures to improve the situation.  full story

Kertészová (SPOZ), Romani candidate to the Czech lower house: It's positive so many Roma are running

Karlovy Vary, 16.10.2013 1:56, (ROMEA) An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year's early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.  full story

Czech Gov't Human Rights Commissioner removed as director of human rights section

Prague, 16.10.2013 0:51, (ROMEA) News server Romea.cz has been informed that as of 15 October, Monika Šimůnková has been removed from her position as director of the Human Rights Section at the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic. She is still retaining her role as the Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner.  full story

Czech Elections: We have identified 20 Romani candidates running in the early elections to the lower house

Prague, 16.10.2013 0:28, (ROMEA) The early elections are sparking many questions and have been at the center of media attention for several weeks now. Naturally, we also have focused on them, because the historically largest number of Romani candidates since 1990 is running in these elections, whether trying to reach the voters through independent Romani parties or running on the candidate lists of “majority” parties.  full story

Huňaková (Lev 21), Roma candidate to the Czech lower house: Roma want to improve coexistence

Prague, 15.10.2013 23:17, (ROMEA) An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year's early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.  full story

ROMEA report on Czech antigypsyism, media, politics and the lives of impoverished Roma in 2012

Prague, 15.10.2013 21:19, (ROMEA) The ROMEA civic association has decided to publish its first-ever report on the state of the Romani minority in the Czech Republic due to the danger of increasingly direct antigypsyism, extremism and racism in the country. The report primarily covers the year 2012 and part of 2013.  full story

Czech Republic: Municipality in Ostrava plans to ban right-wing radical meeting

Ostrava, 15.10.2013 16:55, (ROMEA) The local council of the centrally-located municipal department of Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz in Ostrava is planning to ban an anti-Romani event organized by right-wing radicals for this coming Saturday who have announced their intentions to gather and march through the town. Jana Pondělíčková, spokesperson for the Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz local government, told the Czech News Agency that the demonstration would coincide with an open house being held at the Ostrava Town Hall in the vicinity and the municipal department is concerned the ultra-right gathering poses a risk to security and will cause transportation complications.  full story

Czech Social Democrats' main candidate in Ústí latest victim of neo-Nazi hack

Děčín, 14.10.2013 23:46, (ROMEA) The neo-Nazi hackers of the Czech internet are continuing their assaults. After hacking the Twitter account of Vladimír Špidla (Czech Social Democratic Party - ČSSD) this morning, the Facebook profile of Jaroslav Foldyna, the leader of the party's candidate list in the Ústí Region, was hacked this evening.  full story