Tag Archives: Police

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Death after Arrest

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Death after Arrest

On July 8 in Százhalombatta, Hungary, police intervened with a driver who was behaving erratically and resisted arrest, leading to the use of force; the man later died in the hospital days after the incident.

The Budapest Regional Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the circumstances of the police action, with the police cooperating closely with the prosecution.

Roma leaders expressed that no lawful police action should result in severe injury or death, emphasizing the need for police to respect necessity, proportionality, and human dignity during interventions.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Police and Roma

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Police and Roma

Hungarian Roma advocacy leaders emphasized that no lawful police action should result in severe injury or death, following the death of a father during police intervention in Százhalombatta.

They called for a thorough and unbiased investigation into the incident, expressing concerns over the premature reassurances from authorities regarding police conduct.

The leaders stressed the importance of mutual respect for the law by both citizens and police, insisting that police must act with proportionality and respect for human dignity.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Ostrava Protest

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Ostrava Protest

Police in Ostrava-Vítkovice have initiated criminal proceedings against seven individuals aged 18 to 38 for public disorder.

The incident occurred on July 19, following a prior agreement to meet due to a provocative video posted on social media. A confrontation ensued where a group of young men challenged a Romani man to a fight, which he declined, leading to one man brandishing a gas pistol and firing it into the air. The Rom ended up in hospital after having stabbed.

Greece News Western Europe

Police Operations

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Police Operations

Targeted police operations were conducted in Messinia, Argolis, and Corinthia as part of the Greek Police’s efforts to prevent and combat crime, particularly in areas inhabited by Roma communities. In Messinia, checks focused on camps in Meligalas, Panagakia, and Agia Triada, resulting in the arrest of 10 individuals for various offenses.

A 46-year-old Roma woman was arrested in Kalamata for not possessing a police identity card, and five traffic violations were recorded during the operations.

Seems meagre if, as the Greek press reports, Roma are responsible for the majority of the criminality in the country… What about the officials who embezzled millions of EU agrar help?

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.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Fishing …

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Fishing …

A fishing competition (YES!) between police and Roma community took place on June 26 at the Paksi Atomerőmű fishing lake in Tolna County, marking its tenth anniversary.

The event was organized by the Tolna County Police Headquarters in collaboration with the local Roma self-government, with police colonel Dr. Nikoletta Hablicsek as the main patron.

The competition was won by Roma representative Györgye Mátyás, with police officer Zsiga Péter in second place and Orsós Károly in third; a special prize for the largest fish was awarded to Kovács Márton.

Greece News Western Europe

Greece, Police, and Roma

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Greece, Police, and Roma

An article in the Bulgarian press about Police raids in Roma settlements in Greece.

In Nea Zoi, Greece, police operations targeting Roma families have become a regular occurrence, with over 76 raids in six months, involving hundreds of officers, under the guise of maintaining public order.

These actions are part of a broader European trend of criminalizing marginalized communities, with Greece serving as a testing ground for policies that blur the lines between internal policing and border control.

The rhetoric surrounding these operations often frames them as necessary for public safety, perpetuating a narrative that associates Roma identity with crime, while lacking significant international oversight or condemnation.

Greece News Western Europe

Roma in Greece

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Roma in Greece

The greek Roma community of Gerakas expresses strong protest in an opebn letter against frequent police operations targeting their settlement, citing issues with illegal electricity connections due to inadequate infrastructure.

The community emphasizes that they are not using electricity illegally to avoid payment, but rather due to the state’s failure to provide proper connections.

The letter calls for immediate state intervention to address long-standing issues and criticizes the government for misusing European funds instead of promoting social integration for the Roma community.

Greece News Western Europe

Disguised Discrimination

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Disguised Discrimination

According to this article, mass police operations against Roma communities in Greece reflect a broader European trend of redefining racial discrimination under the guise of crime prevention and public order maintenance.

The operations, characterized by surveillance drones and aggressive police tactics, have targeted 152 Roma communities, with over 76 operations conducted in just six months.

The rhetoric of crime prevention is used to justify systemic racism against Roma, with the Greek model potentially serving as a template for similar actions across Europe.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Brawl in Bulgaria

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Brawl in Bulgaria

Several articles in the Bulgarian press about a fiht between Roma in Berkovitsa, resulting in injuries and the arrest of several people.

Bad.

Austria News Western Europe

Austria and Roma

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Austria and Roma

Following the statement from the police regarding travelling Roma in Austria’s Burgenland, which contained a wealth of sterotypes, there was an outcry in the press and among the Roma from the country.

This article is a reportage within this group of mostly french pentacostal Roma and comments by Roma activists. Worth reading!

Italy News Western Europe

Italy, Crime, and Roma

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Italy, Crime, and Roma

A very large number of articles in the Italian boulevard press about a police operation against “Sinti” gangs suspected in several criminal activities.

How about making as many comments on the ‘Ndrangheta or on the Mafia?

Austria News Western Europe

Austria, the Police, and Roma

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Austria, the Police, and Roma

The Austrian Equal Treatment Commission has intervened following a letter from employees of the Neusiedl am See district police command warning the public about Roma and Sinti. Intended as crime prevention information to combat fraud, the now-deleted text of a Facebook post used “a term perceived as discriminatory regarding the Roma ethnic group,” the ministry stated.

Now the interior Ministry is also investigating.

Austria News Western Europe

Austria, the Police, and Roma

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Austria, the Police, and Roma

Representatives of the Roma community have sharply criticized a letter from the Neusiedl am See district police command. The letter warns of criminal activities by the traveller community. The state police command condemns the wording of the letter and intends to conduct an internal investigation.

Austria Germany News Western Europe

Zentralrat on Austria

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Zentralrat on Austria

The Chairman of the German Central Council of Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose, pointed out that the National Socialists called on the population in 1933 not to buy from Jews and had police and SS troops march in front of Jewish businesses. He was criticising a letter by the Austrian police of the Burgenland warning the population about Sinti and Roma.

Rose appealed to Interior Minister Karner of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) to initiate disciplinary proceedings against those responsible within the police force. He emphasized that the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities entered into force in Austria in 1998. This obligates the state to counteract all forms of anti-Gypsyism. The Central Council stated that the Europe-wide rise of nationalist forces, which often base their political program on racism and incitement and have now become the strongest political force in Austria, is alarming.

Austria News Western Europe

Austria, the Police, and Roma

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Austria, the Police, and Roma

The Austrian Equal Treatment Commission criticized a letter issued by the Burgenland police authority in Neusiedl on Friday, in which the police warned the population about Roma and Sinti. The letter, the Commissioner argued, perpetuates historical anti-Roma stereotypes. The letter’s instruction not to accept services from members of this ethnic group could constitute an incitement to discrimination, emphasized Sandra Konstatzky, head of the Equal Treatment Commission.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Police, and Roma

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Slovakia, Police, and Roma

A deaf Rom was locked up in a police detention cell in Slovakia for 48 hours without water and without knowing why, says Tomáš Dunko from the organization Svet ticha, who was then called to the police department to interpret into sign language.

Tomáš Dunko is a deaf Rom who strives to help marginalized communities, especially people with hearing impairments there. He says that not only in the area of ​​criminal or administrative law, there is enormous injustice for hearing-impaired Roma, bordering on human rights violations.

Germany News Western Europe

German Police

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German Police

A police operation involving a 25-member Roma family at the University Hospital of Cologne has had repercussions: Police in Bonn are now investigating six Cologne officers on suspicion of incitement to hatred. Bodycam footage is to be reviewed.

In December 2025, a Roma family celebrated the birth of a child in the foyer of the University Hospital of Cologne, triggering a police operation. The result: A complaint against the university hospital from the Rom Association, which advocates for the rights of Sinti and Roma, as well as a criminal complaint and a formal complaint filed with the Cologne Police Headquarters. Now it is clear: The operation could have far-reaching consequences for six police officers

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

ECHR Verdict

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ECHR Verdict

The police respects the decisions of international judicial authorities. In response to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), according to which the fundamental rights of two complainants were violated during the police intervention in the village of Milhosť in the Košice-okolie district in July 2019. In July 2019, the police detained two sisters in front of a family house in the village after the intervention and subsequently transported them to the police station. According to the complaint, they were subjected to physical violence, verbal insults and inappropriate treatment during their detention and stay at the police station.

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