News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Police, and Roma

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Slovakia, Police, and Roma

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has allowed the Public Defender of Rights (VOP) Róbert Dobrovodský, as a third party, to enter the proceedings in the case of Miko and Jano v. Slovakia. This case concerns a police intervention in the village of Milhosť in 2023, in which, according to the findings of the Office of the Public Defender of Rights, serious violations of fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights of minors, occurred.

On March 28, 2025, Róbert Dobrovodský, Public Defender of Rights, submitted an extraordinary report to the National Council of the Slovak Republic. In it, he revealed facts that indicate a violation of fundamental rights and freedoms by the actions of the Police Force.

“The case of the death of a person after the intervention of the Košice police, which shook Slovakia at the end of 2024, violence during interrogation, the case of a beaten homeless person in front of a department store, an unprovoked slap on a handcuffed person, an official intervention against Roma from Milhoste, the detention of a person with broken heels in an illegal reserved area for more than three days, the violation of the rights of a person held by the Bratislava police without proper registration for more than 12 hours, or the official intervention in March 2023 in the Police Detention Unit for Foreigners in Sečovce against foreigners,” Dobrovodský warned at the time.

Germany News Western Europe

Germany, AfD, and Roma

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Germany, AfD, and Roma

In Gelsenkirchen, the SPD governed with an absolute majority for a long time. Now the shock is deep: In the local elections, the AfD fell just 0.5 percent short of victory. FOCUS-online reporter Ulf Lüdeke asked the local authorities why this was the case shortly before the mayoral runoff.

One of the statements of this article is that:

“The population has shrunk to around 270,000, 75,000 of whom do not have German passports. 11,000 are Roma and Sinti from Bulgaria and Romania. Thanks to EU labour freedom, criminal clans lure them legally to the Ruhr region, herd them into abandoned, dilapidated properties, and rip them off on social security contributions.”

Besides the fact that there are no Sinti in Bulgaria or Romania, this statement is utterly inacceptable.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Not much this week in France about Roma. Not surprising as there was many other more important news, like Sarkozy condemned to prison. In the South of France in Montpellier, a worrisome development, shots were fired at a Roma camp.

Montenegro News Eastern Europe

Montenegro and Roma

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Montenegro and Roma

Another article about the lack of Romano representation in the parliament of Montenegro. The problem is somewhat more complex than the article states: Reserved seats for minorities are pretty much useless, and traditional parties shun Roma representatives.

This requires action from the Roma community which, in many countries has a close to 10% voting block, to act.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Regional Coordinators

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Czechia: Regional Coordinators

A working meeting of regional coordinators for Roma affairs, Roma advisors, field workers, representatives of local governments and state administration took place in Pardubice on September 18 and 19. The aim of the two-day event was to deepen cooperation between institutions and methodologically support the implementation of integration measures. The main focus was on the prevention of anti-Gypsyism in public administration and intergroup relations. The event was co-organized by the Pardubice Region, the Department of Human Rights and Protection of Minorities of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková.

Czech Republic Italy News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

The Catholic Church and Roma

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The Catholic Church and Roma

A Roma delegation from the Czech Republic led by Karel Karika, Chairman of the Czechoslovak Roma Union, today attended a general audience with Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square. Representatives of the Roma community delivered an exceptional message to the Holy Father: They requested the symbolic lifting of the excommunication of Roma from the Catholic Church, which was declared in 1427 and not abrogated to this day!

Pope Leo XIV also signed a Romanes translation of the Bible during a personal meeting with a Roma delegation from the Czech Republic.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Elections

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Czech Elections

Roma conservative politician Josef Tokár is running in the South Bohemian Region for the SPOLU coalition in 21st place on the candidate list. In the pre-election special of the SODAcast podcast, he talked about his journey to the ODS, why he decided to enter politics, and also about the problems he considers key – from education to discrimination to migration and the Green Deal.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Collective Guilt

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Slovakia: Collective Guilt

Two articles on the follow up of the death of a man aggressed by Roma in Zlaté Moravce. Now, all Roma are on “rampage”, are dangerous and aggressive.

Why is it that for minorities, the guild of one is the collective guilt of the community? This is just racist.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia, Attack, and Justice

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Slovenia, Attack, and Justice

The mayor of Ribnica, Slovenia and his partner, are suing Roma for a sum of 156’000 Euros following the attack they were victims in June. Three Roma are standing trial there (one, a minor, is being judged behind closed doors).

This very mayor, prior to the attack, had been stating he’d cut water and other municipal services to the Roma settlement unless they “behaved”.

Germany News Western Europe

Germany, Politics, and TV

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Germany, Politics, and TV

Paul Ziemiak (40), member of the CDU Federal Executive Board and Secretary General of the NRW CDU, during a TV Talk Show hosted by Maybrit Illner addressed the criticism of many voters regarding the “massive” immigration of Sinti and Roma from Romania and Bulgaria in the debate on social abuse.

Apart from the fact that there are no Sinti in either Bulgaria and Romania, highlighting the ignorance of both the politician and the journalist, this immigration is not massive, and is not the main problem faced by social care in most western countries: Single mothers, elederly are often poor and consume a very large part of the money. But this doesn’t win votes …

Greece News Western Europe

Greece and Roma

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Greece and Roma

The Greek Police is planning to recruit 100 Roma, as revealed by “TA NEA”, the Ministry of Citizen Protection a few days after Michalis Chrysochoidis announced the installation of a force of 70-100 police officers in camps to control delinquency. This process, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, has as its main objective the better operational planning and the creation of information networks of the security authorities to deal with gangs in the western suburbs of Attica, but also where there is a density of Roma, as this particular community is considered to have a large share (over 50%-60%) in thefts, burglaries and frauds.

This is very closely reminiscent of what the nazis did … https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jüdischer_Ordnungsdienst

News Eastern Europe Poland

Integration Picnic

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Integration Picnic

The “Breaking Stereotypes” Integration Picnic will take place this Friday (September 26) in Suwałki, Poland.

The event aims to build bridges between cultures and generations and to break down stereotypes. During the picnic, participants will have the opportunity to sample traditional Roma dishes prepared during culinary workshops, participate in educational activities exploring the history, culture, and language of the Roma, and have fun together during activities and integration competitions.

Unfortunately, all pictures here are stereotypical …

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and the Genocide

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Slovenia and the Genocide

More than forty years ago, Dr. Spomenka Hribar warned the public about the post-war massacres of people and secret graves in Slovenia and about the urgent burials of these deceased.

The article whitewashes this issue saying that in other countries, much worse massacres were committed, and anyhow, Roma were killed by Partisans as they collaborated with Germans…

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia and Elections

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Czechia and Elections

Roma must learn to understand their vote as an option, not as a lost hope – even a bad decision is better than none. This was emphasized in the pre-election special of the SODA podcast by Jan Dužda, a Roma activist and Roma regional coordinator for Prague. In a debate with SODAcast authors Patrik Banga and Zdeněk Ryšavý, he spoke about the barriers to Roma entering politics, low turnout, and the need for voter education.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

More on the Slovak Attack

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More on the Slovak Attack

The victim of an attack Martin, died in hospital after a few days. It took place on the evening of September 13, the Regional Directorate of the Police Force (KR PZ) in Nitra reported. The man’s girlfriend spoke to the television, shedding more light on the case.

“There was a group of Roma, one of them said something to me and Martin just stood up for me, saying what a problem they had with me,” she described. Shortly after they left the supermarket, Martin was attacked by one of the group of teenagers. “He punched him in the head five times. Martin fell and was unconscious for three minutes,” she recalls of the terrifying moments. She added that he broke his leg during the fall.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Attack

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Slovakia: Attack

The Police Force has charged a specific person in the case of the attack on a 39-year-old man in Zlaté Moravce. The attacked man died after several days in the hospital. The attack took place on September 13 in the evening.

This case of violence was also addressed by deputies at a meeting of the Zlaté Moravce City Council on Thursday, September 18. According to them, a group of Roma youths attacked a man in front of a shopping centre. They caused him a head injury and a fractured lower leg.

Mayor Dušan Husár and Chief of the Zlaté Moravce City Police, Marián Takáč, confirmed that the aggressiveness of Roma youth in the city is increasing and Zlaté Moravce is starting to have a serious problem with it. The mayor stated that shortly before the tragedy, he had warned the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities about the growing aggressiveness of Roma youth, both in writing and in person.

This is bad…

Greece News Western Europe

Greece, Roma, and the Police

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Greece, Roma, and the Police

Greek Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis announced the installation of specialized police officers inside the Roma camps. This will start happening in 1.5 months, while the police officers in question will be subordinate to the Greek FBI.

“This tolerance that existed for years -decades- and which for me is incomprehensible, must come to an end”, he stressed.

Basically, he is saying Roma are criminals that need to be monitored…

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: A Mayor’s view

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Slovenia: A Mayor’s view

Ivan Molan has been the mayor of the municipality of Brežice since 2005, when he first ran for mayor in the by-election and was successful.

On the Roma “Issue” he says: “The laws that we mayors proposed are described as discriminatory, even racist. But we only want things to finally be sorted out. Because what is happening now in this area, that is, the criminal acts committed by certain groups against the local population are practically legalized, is unacceptable, and the greatest damage has been done to the majority Roma population. It has come to the point that people are afraid of the Roma and no longer distinguish between those who respect the law and those who commit crimes on a daily basis. However, the ruling politicians, by defending criminal activity in the sense of violating human rights, are only worsening the situation.”

No comments …

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland: Exhibition

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Poland: Exhibition

“The Great Wagon. A Wanderer’s Belonging. A Roma Caravan at a Rest Stop near Łomża” is the latest cultural offering from the North Mazovian Museum in Łomża. The opening took place on September 12th in the Cultural Hall. Currently, photographs by Zygmunt Dudo are on display in the Old Market Square; the exhibition will later move to a new location.

Unfortunately, quite stereotypical.

Germany

RomnoPower

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RomnoPower

As part of the RomnoPower Culture Week 2025, Cinema Quadrat and the Baden-Württemberg Association of German Sinti and Roma will present

director Adrian Oeser’s two documentaries in person. In addition, protagonist Wesley Höllenreiner will provide insights into his family history. Both films address the long periods of disenfranchisement of Sinti and Roma.

rroma.org
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