Brno Protests

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On the one hand, indignation over Friday’s verdict of the Brno Regional Court, which acquitted Ukrainians in the case of the death of a young Roma at the Brno Reservoir, on the other hand, disappointment over the low turnout. This is what the demonstration looked like, where about five dozen Roma gathered in front of the Brno courthouse on Sunday afternoon.

Czech Segregation

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The segregation of Roma children in the Czech education continues. It is hard to imagine another area that would be so neglected and so long-term overlooked in Czech politics as this one.

Already in 2007, the European Court of Human Rights condemned the Czech Republic due to unequal access to the education of Romani men and women. But not much has changed over the next fifteen years. Segregated education continues to be a harsh reality for children from the Roma minority.

Slovak Elections

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On Saturday, March 23, 2024, the first round of presidential elections took place in Slovakia. Voters chose from nine candidates. Voter turnout was at almost 52 percent. The winner of the first round was Ivan Korčok (independent candidate), with over 42 percent of the votes, Peter Pellegrini (Voice) with 37 percent was second.  The nationalist Štefan Harabin came third (11.7 percent), and almost 3 percent went to the chairman of the Hungarian Alliance, Krisztián Forró. He won first place in two districts in the south, in Dunajská Streda and Komárno. These are districts with a significant Hungarian minority, but part of the population is also made up of Hungarian-speaking Roma.

Igor Matovič, leader of the Slovakia movement (formerly OĽaNO), won only 2.18 percent of the vote. Part of his movement is also the Roma platform Pačivale Roma, which is represented by father and son Pollák. Matovič received higher support in the districts of Bardejov, Sabinov, Levoča and Kežmarok, i.e. districts with a higher proportion of Roma, where the Pollák come from. It can therefore be assumed that he was elected by the Roma in the settlements.

The second round of the presidential election will take place on April 6, with more than 4.36 million eligible voters eligible to participate.

A Czech View on Slovakia’s Elections

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Spiš, a once rich German region between Poprad and Prešov, is increasingly the fiefdom of the Roma. They push the Slovaks out of the town halls and rule themselves here. Former prime minister Igor Matovič’s Slovakia party has the most Roma MPs in the parliament. Roma want to continue this trend in the presidential elections.

Liberec Memorial

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Another article about the newly erected monument for the Roma victims of the Genocide in Liberec, Czechia. The monument especially commemorates the children who were killed during the war.

The entire Roma population of the region was wiped out during the war.

Brno: Protests

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Several dozen Roma gathered in front of the Brno Regional Court to protest against Friday’s acquittal verdict in the case of the death of a young Roma near the Brno Dam. Protesters do not agree with the court’s statement that the Ukrainian stabbed and killed the young man in self-defence. If it were the other way around, no one would recognize it as a necessary defence, said one of the speakers from the Roma community.

Slovakia: Kitsch and Stereotypes

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An article about weddings and christenings among Olah (Vlach) Roma in Slovakia. Here, a wedding with lots of kitsch and gold.

This just perpetuates clichés.

French Chronicle …

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Not much this week in the French press about Roma. An article about the recent murder of a Romni near the Swiss border in Genève, and a large police action in Western France after thefts in a company.

Czechia: Concerts

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Singer and choirmaster Ida Kelarová, in cooperation with the Czech Philharmonic, will organize two extraordinary concerts for International Roma Day, this time under the name “Paĺikerav”, which means thank you in Romanes. Together with Ida Kelarová, the children’s choir Čhavorenge, Desiderius Dužda, the Jazz Trio, the Chamber Orchestra of the Czech and Czech Student Philharmonic Orchestra, the cymbalom band Pekovci and other guests will perform.

The first concert takes place in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum on Saturday, April 6 from 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live by Czech Radio on the Vltava station, and the second concert at the same time on Sunday, April 7. The recording on International Roma Day will be broadcast by Czech Television on the CT art program.

Brno: The Aftermath

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Brno: The Aftermath

A crisis meeting of the Roma Council of the City of Brno took place in Brno. It was a response to the acquittal verdict of the Regional Court in the case of the death of a young Rom. The verdict caused a wave of disappointment among the members of the council and confirmed, according to them, the concerns of the Roma community about distrust in the justice system, especially when the victims are Roma. Brno Mayor Markéta Vaňková and Deputy Mayor Robert Kerndl also took part in the meeting.

Brno: Verdict

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The court pardoned a Ukrainian who was originally charged with the murder of a young Rom in Brno last summer. According to the final verdict, it was a necessary self-defence. The verdict caused was met with disbelief and sadness by  the Roma minority.

Bulgaria: Attack

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Three young Roma apparently attacked a person at a bus stop. That person had told them to be quieter.

This is bad.

Poland: Ukrainian Roma Refugees Evicted

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Several hundred refugees from Ukraine – of Roma origin – were left homeless overnight. All because of the closure of the centre in Kidałowice in Podkarpacie. As we found out, the centre was closed due to sanitary problems.

We were alerted to this matter by the W Stron Dialogu Foundation. This is an organization supporting the Roma community in Poland, including refugees who came to our country in the face of a full-scale war in Ukraine. The Foundation knew that there was a centre in Kidałowice in Podkarpacie where several hundred people lived, including women, children and seniors. They told us that overnight they were “put out on the street.”

Poland and Ukrainian Roma Refugees

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Several hundred refugees from Ukraine – of Roma origin from the Transcarpathian region- were left homeless overnight. All because of the closure of the centrer in Kidałowice in Podkarpacie. As we found out, the centre was closed due to sanitary problems. Some families decided to return to Ukraine, others are already taken care of in other centres.

A discussion with Dr. Joanna Talewicz.

Jan Bendig

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Jan Honza Bendig, currently without a doubt the most successful Roma singer in the Czech Republic, was attacked a while ago while attending a gala event. It later turned out that he himself had staged the attack. He now still insists on his position – that he did not arrange it and was a victim, despite the overwhelming evidence gathered by the Czech Police.

Ukraine and Roma

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On March 7, 2024, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, in partnership with the European Union and the Council of Europe, held a conference “Outlining the challenges faced by Ukrainian Roma in wartime and overcoming obstacles through policy, advocacy and empowerment and opportunities”.

This conference was organized to engage civil society and the Ukrainian government in a constructive dialogue to solve the problems reported by the Roma during the last two years of the war. Representatives of state and regional authorities, Roma public organizations and intergovernmental organizations took part in the event.

Bulgaria, Roma and Domestic Violence

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The degree of recognition of domestic violence among Roma women and children is still low. This is according to an analysis carried out in the framework of a project funded under the Justice Program of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. The data was released at a closing conference on the various forms of violence in Yambol.

Lety and Denial

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The author of a Facebook post criticizes that the state bought and demolished a pig farm in Lety, where a Roma concentration camp stood during the Second World War. The author considers this a waste of money and as evidence he attaches a photo of a newspaper article from 2018 with the headline “Archaeologists did not find Roma graves”.

Archaeologists actually found the graves of Roma in Lety, in 2019.

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