Tag Archives: Justice

News Switzerland

Beggars

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Beggars

The Swiss Federal Court acquitted six Roma beggars fined by Geneva’s justice system for begging, stating that the fines violated the principle of proportionality as they lacked prior administrative measures. Geneva’s law prohibits begging near various establishments, but the court found that the penalties were imposed without any prior warnings or administrative actions.

The court emphasized that the definition of ‘immediate vicinity’ for prohibiting begging should only cover a few meters, and if beggars are more than 10 meters away from an entrance, they should not be penalized.

Uncategorized

Condemned

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Condemned

A nine-year-old Roma boy in Serbia was assaulted by a city employee, leading to public outrage and demands for accountability, but the case was dismissed after a small payment to a flood relief fund instead of proper justice.

The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that Serbia violated the boy’s rights by failing to protect him and adequately address the assault, awarding him compensation. However, the court did not find sufficient evidence of racial discrimination in the case, despite the family’s claims of a racially motivated attack and the broader context of discrimination against Roma in Serbia.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

ECHR on Serbia

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ECHR on Serbia

The European Court of Human Rights today delivered its judgment in Pavlović v. Serbia, ruling unanimously that Serbia violated Article 8 (right to respect for private life) of the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to protect a Romani child’s physical and psychological integrity who was the victim of a violent assault.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Sentenced

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Sentenced

The County Court in Karlovac has sentenced three members of the Amić family to a total of nine years and nine months in prison for various crimes, including incitement to murder. The family is one of the most powerful and rich Roma families in the region.

Darko Amić received a sentence of five years and six months, while his wife Nada and their son-in-law Ivan Odorović received three years and six months and nine months, respectively.

The case has attracted significant public attention due to the Amić family’s wealth and notoriety, particularly after a New Year’s celebration involving gunfire was shared on social media.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Lawsuit

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Lawsuit

The Serbian Roma Party has filed a lawsuit against Dragan J. Vučićević, editor of Informer TV, for discrimination and hate speech after he referred to Roma as “cable thieves” in a broadcast.

The lawsuit argues that associating an entire ethnic group with criminal activity is discriminatory and calls for stronger legal protections against such actions.

The Roma Party is advocating for changes in discrimination laws to ensure that media figures face appropriate consequences for spreading discriminatory messages.

Germany News Western Europe

Germany and AfD

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Germany and AfD

What do you expect from AfD: Simply, racist statements.

The Central Council of German Sinti and Roma has filed a criminal complaint against Tino Chrupalla, the leader of the AfD party, accusing him of incitement and insult during a campaign event in Grimmen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Chrupalla allegedly suggested that weapons found in a forest near Berlin were likely lost by ‘Gypsies’ while mushroom picking, which was met with applause and laughter from the audience.

The council expressed shock that, 81 years after Auschwitz, a far-right party is using cynical rhetoric against Sinti and Roma, which they claim promotes fear and hatred towards minorities.

Chrupalla defended his comments, stating he did not intend to offend the Sinti and Roma communities, despite receiving applause for his remarks linking them to a recent weapons find in Berlin.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Illegal?

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Illegal?

The European Court of Human Rights condemned Bulgaria for demolishing the homes of 56 Roma individuals in 2023, ruling it violated their right to a home and personal life.

The court highlighted systemic issues in Bulgarian law that allow for the removal of homes without proper legal checks, emphasizing the need for legislative reform.

The actions of local authorities were criticized as collective punishment and a deliberate attempt to deny individuals their legal rights, particularly affecting marginalized communities.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

ECHR on Bulgaria

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ECHR on Bulgaria

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled against Bulgaria for demolishing a Roma settlement on the outskirts of Sofia in August 2023, violating the right to private and family life of the residents.

56 individuals affected by the demolition filed a complaint, and the court found Bulgaria in violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, but not in violation of Articles 3 and 14 regarding torture and discrimination.

The ECHR awarded each complainant €10,000 in damages, totaling €560,000, along with €18,000 for legal costs to be paid by Bulgaria.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Racist Attack

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Racist Attack

The podcast SODAcast discusses a recent racist attack on two Roma, highlighting the court’s decision to sentence the attacker to two years in prison, which is not yet final as the defendant has appealed.

The hosts criticize the lack of media coverage on the case, particularly from public broadcasters, and emphasize the importance of such cases for building trust among Roma communities in state institutions.

The podcast also addresses issues of long-term segregation of Roma children in schools, the recent suspension of Roma TV due to low viewership, and the ongoing discussions about the influence of the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs.

https://youtu.be/UW63huMM30k

News Western Europe Portugal

Indicted for Racism

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Indicted for Racism

Rui Cristina, the mayor of Albufeira, faces charges of discrimination and incitement to hatred after controversial remarks about the local Roma community’s access to housing.

The Portuguese Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the charges following an investigation that included searches at the Albufeira town hall, initiated by a complaint from a local council member.

Cristina’s statements, made during a municipal assembly meeting, allegedly portrayed the Roma community as tax evaders, potentially inciting hatred and discrimination against them.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Condemned

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Condemned

A man was convicted by the District Court for Prague 2 for racially motivated assaults against Romani individuals, receiving a two-year prison sentence and being ordered to undergo treatment for alcoholism.

The assaults included physical violence and threats, with the defendant using racist slurs during the incidents, which occurred in December 2025 and July 2025.

The victims expressed relief at the verdict, emphasizing the importance of standing against such violence and protecting others from similar treatment.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia and Roma

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Czechia and Roma

According to lawyer Maroš Matiaško, the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of the death of Stanislav Tomáš could be a key verdict for the protection of the rights of Roma in the Czech Republic. According to him, the court named errors in the police intervention, shortcomings in the subsequent investigation and the state’s failure to investigate a possible racial motive. Matiaško represents the deceased’s sister in cooperation with the European Roma Rights Center and the Human Rights Forum.

Uncategorized

Greece and Settlements

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Greece and Settlements

Two articles in the Greek press on Roma settlements. The first one, descriubes the living conditions of the Roma community in Heraklion which are dire, with as rodents, harmful insects, and inadequate sanitation being reported by residents.

The president of the Roma Association “Elpida” will address these concerns at the upcoming municipal council meeting, advocating for a clean and safe environment for families.

The second one states that the European Court of Human Rights is reviewing a case involving the threatened eviction of Roma community members in Thessaloniki, Greece, without alternative housing provisions.

The case highlights broader issues of housing, forced evictions, and discrimination against Roma communities, emphasizing the need for adequate housing solutions.

The Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, argues that the eviction threat violates the right to respect for private and family life, and the case could set a precedent for protecting vulnerable communities from forced evictions.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)

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European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)

A Rom died during a police intervention in June 2021 after exhibiting aggressive behavior while under the influence of methamphetamine.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Czech authorities failed to adequately investigate the incident and recognized the presence of unconscious racism in the police’s actions.

The Czech state is ordered to pay compensation to the man’s sister, highlighting ongoing issues of discrimination against the Romani community in the Czech Republic.

Greece News Western Europe

Greece and Evictions

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Greece and Evictions

The Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner has raised concerns about the eviction risk faced by a Roma community in Greece, highlighting potential human rights violations.

Michael O’Flaherty emphasized that informal Roma settlements can be considered homes under the European Convention on Human Rights, and evictions without alternative housing could infringe on their rights.

The case involves five Roma citizens alleging violations of their rights due to an administrative protocol aimed at evicting them from their long-term settlement, risking their access to essential services and security.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Legal Aid

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Legal Aid

The Hungarian National Roma Self-Government (MROÖ) has launched a legal aid and information network to support Roma communities, with initial offices in Budapest, Miskolc, and Pécs. MROÖ President Dancs Mihály emphasized the importance of providing legal assistance to Roma individuals facing discrimination and legal issues, marking the initiative as a significant milestone.

The initiative aims to address historical injustices and ensure that Roma communities are not left without support in legal matters, with funding coming from Dancs’s own salary and expenses.

One has to note that this is in parallel to the European Roma Right Centre, located in Budapest, which has been active for decades.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria and Roma

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Bulgaria and Roma

Bulgarian Justice Minister Nikolai Naydenov presented the government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable groups’ rights to Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, during his visit to Sofia.

Key topics discussed included the rights of elderly individuals in institutions and the rights of Roma people regarding the removal of illegal structures that serve as their homes, in line with European Court of Human Rights practices.

The Bulgarian government has implemented measures such as criminal liability for unlicensed social care homes and has made progress in legal protections against poor conditions in social institutions, as noted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Verdict

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Slovenia: Verdict

A while back, following a brawl, Aleš Šutar from Novo Mesto died after being punched once by a Rom Samire Šiljić who pleaded guilty to the attack. He was sentenced to six years and three months in prison, which led to outcries that this was totally inapropriate. The judge justified the sentence with the guilty plea and with th efact that a single blow in the face is not murder.

In response to today’s conviction, the President of the Roma Association of Slovenia, Jožek Horvat Muc, assessed that it is right that all such cases, such as the attack on Aleš Šutar from Novo Mesto, also receive a court epilogue.

Italy News Western Europe

Ferraris

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Ferraris

Two Ferraris worth over €200,000 ended up at the center of a complex scam involving changes of ownership and companies linked to the same family, apparently Sinti from the region. This is the case on which the Supreme Court ruled, upholding the seizure of one of the supercars and rejecting the appeal filed by a woman living in the Venice area.

Bulgaria Europe News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria Anti-Roma Rhetoric

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Bulgaria Anti-Roma Rhetoric

The European Court of Human Rights sided with Roma activists and journalists who argued national courts treated racist political rhetoric too narrowly while ignoring its wider impact on an entire minority community.

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