Monthly Archives: March 2024

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.

Interview with Mehmet Daimagüler

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The word “antigypsyism” describes a special form of racism, namely that against Sinti and Roma. Members of this minority continue to be particularly affected by hostility and exclusion. And they become victims of violence, sometimes fatal violence: members of the Sinti and Roma were also among the victims of the racially motivated attacks at the Munich OEZ and in Hanau. Two years ago, the federal government appointed a representative against antigypsyism for the first time – the lawyer Mehmet Daimagüler.

Conference in Heidelberg

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Journalist Ingrid Müller-Münch will speak about “Deadly police violence against Sinti and Roma” between 1945 and 1980 on Thursday, March 21st, at 6 p.m. as part of the International Weeks Against Racism in the Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma in Heidelberg.

Travellers in Zurich

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The city of Zurich has allocated a large credit for the move and maintenance of a camping site for travellers in the Altstetten Neighbourhood of the city.

Serbia: Theatre Play

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The premiere of the play “Poor Mileva from Bosnia in our civilization in 1878” was held in Subotica, Serbia. This is the oldest known Serbian text written by a woman. The play features the National Theatre, children from the drama section of the Children’s Theatre, and members of the Roma community.

Montenegro: The Aftermath

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A fire ripped through a Roma settlement in Bar, Montenegro. The Roma Council has now allocated 12’000 euros for the repairs.

Slovakia: Stereotypes

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The story of the Roma “King” Róbert I. Botoš and his numerous designer shirts and gold.

This perpetuates the clichés and the untruth that there is such a thing as a Roma king.

Roma Vakeren

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Roma program about the forgotten story of Antonia Single, an extraordinary Roma flamenco dancer,

Photographer Antoine Le Roux on nomads and on the RomanoNet organization has been coordinating the cooperation of non-profit organizations engaged in work with the Roma minority.

Belgium, Politics, and Racism

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The former president of the Flemish socialist party (Vooruit), Conner Rousseau, seemed to be able to escape a trial despite his racist remarks against Roma, provided he would respect certain conditions. But one of the three Roma community associations involved in the agreement has decided to withdraw from the mediation procedure and is considering other actions.

French Chronicle …

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The usual unfortunate news: A camp near Paris that existed since 2017 has been closed this week, leaving roughly 200 people of which 90 children without a roof; there was a large police action in another camp on the outskirts of Paris; a festival of Roma culture in the South West; and finally, the extreme rightist Breizh info reports on the cancellation of an insertion village near Nantes in Western France.

Slovakia Elections

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A reportage Cakov, a village in Eastern Slovakia. The current Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová won almost 98 percent of the votes in Cakov last time. Who the residents will support this year will depend on how the candidates approach the problems of the Roma and Hungarian minorities.

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