Tag Archives: War

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Battle of Kumanovo

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Battle of Kumanovo

The anniversary of the 1912 Battle of Kumanovo was commemorated in Leskovac, but there is still no concrete plan to include Amet Ametović in the school curriculum despite calls for recognition of his contributions.

Amet Ametović, a participant in the 1912 battle and a recipient of the Karađorđe Star with Swords, is celebrated by local institutions and the Roma community, yet his legacy remains largely unrecognized in education.

There are ongoing discussions about erecting a statue of Amet Ametović, but no specific timeline or funding has been established for this initiative.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Odesa Recruitment Office

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Odesa Recruitment Office

A group of Roma attempted to storm a military recruitment center in Odesa after a man, referred to as a ‘Roma baron’ by local media, was detained during mobilization efforts. The crowd threw stones at the military office, demanding the release of the detained man, who is said to have significant influence in the local Roma community.

There are no official reports on injuries or arrests from the incident, and authorities have not confirmed whether the protesters succeeded in entering the building or the fate of the detained individual.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague: Exhibition

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Prague: Exhibition

A new exhibition in Prague highlights the resistance of over 1,400 Roma fighters against Nazi occupation during World War II, a largely overlooked aspect of Czech and Slovak history.

The exhibition aims to change the narrative around Roma, showcasing them not only as victims of the Holocaust but also as heroes who fought against the Nazis.

Despite the significance of this history, it remains under-researched, and many Roma still hesitate to publicly identify as such due to historical trauma and ongoing discrimination.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

Ethnic Cleansing

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Ethnic Cleansing

Zijo Ribić is a Roma survivor of ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War. He shares his experiences in the book “I Do Not Hate: The Story of Zijo” by Andrea Rizza Goldstein. Zijo recounts the traumatic events of his childhood, including the murder of his family and his struggle to overcome hatred, ultimately advocating for peace and reconciliation.

Despite the trauma he endured, Zijo emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and has become a symbol of resilience, participating in legal proceedings against his family’s murderers.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Recruitment Office

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Recruitment Office

An incident occurred in Khust, Transcarpathia, Ukraine, where a man opened fire near a military recruitment center and attempted to enter the building, prompting a swift police response.

The man fired several shots into the air with a starter pistol before trying to breach the facility, but was apprehended by law enforcement on the scene.

No injuries were reported, and the individual was charged with minor hooliganism after the event.

It was apparently a Rom.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Roma in Ukraine

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Roma in Ukraine

The Roma community in Sumy, Ukraine, close to the Russian border, faces severe challenges due to ongoing conflict, with many families affected by violence and displacement.

Local organizations are providing humanitarian aid, educational support, and vocational training to help Roma families cope during the war.

A new educational center has been established to ensure Roma children continue their education, while also offering legal and psychological support to adults in need.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Mobilisation in Zakarpattia

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Mobilisation in Zakarpattia

According to local reports, on July 23, a violent mobilisation action took place in Nagylucska, near Mukachevo, in Zakarpattia (Transcarpathian Ukraine) targeting the Hungarian-speaking Roma community,  Eyewitnesses claim that masked soldiers and police indiscriminately assaulted locals, with two men reportedly shot and forcibly taken onto buses.

The presence of special units is suspected, and local Roma representatives have rushed to the scene to assist the frightened community, although official confirmation from authorities is still pending.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

Massacre Survivor

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Massacre Survivor

Ribic survived a brutal attack by Serbian paramilitaries, who believed him dead and buried him with his family, but he escaped and was later saved by Serbian soldiers who refused to return him to his attackers.

The Ribic family had previously fled to Serbia to escape ethnic cleansing but returned to Bosnia, where they were ultimately killed in the Skocic massacre, a significant crime against the Roma during the Bosnian war.

The suffering of the Roma community during the war has been largely overlooked, with a recent study highlighting their persecution, and calls for justice remain unfulfilled, reflecting a historical pattern of neglect.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

War and Roma

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War and Roma

The article discusses the impact of war on the Roma community in Munkács, Ukraine, highlighting how traditional gender roles have shifted, with women becoming breadwinners while men face conscription.

The Romodrom integration center provides support for Roma children, offering education and meals, as many families struggle with poverty and lack of access to basic services like water. The article also addresses the stigma faced by the Roma community, including discrimination and stereotypes, while emphasizing the resilience and efforts of individuals to improve their circumstances.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Yugoslav Wars

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Yugoslav Wars

An interesting  article about Roma victims of the Bosnian war. Among the victims in Srebrenica were also Roma, but this is not recorded, because, like in other parts of the world, Roma also took on local names.

Human rights lawyer Lejla Hadžimesić talks about what went wrong, so that the process of reconciliation and dealing with the past in Bosnia and Herzegovina stopped years ago and started the journey back. She cites Milorad Dodik’s speech about secession fifteen years ago as a turning point. She sees this situation as the reason why it was (only) three decades after the war that the space for researching Roma victims opened up, which she herself is also involved in.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

Roma in Bosnia

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Roma in Bosnia

Three decades after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Roma still remain outside the institutional memory, justice and reparations system, although, according to new findings, they were exposed to all forms of war crimes, from murders to expulsions and displacement, it was emphasized at the conference on the suffering of Roma in the period 1992-1995.

The conference was held in the building of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the title “Through Truth to Justice: Thirty Years of Silence on the Suffering of Roma in the Period 1992-1995”, within the project “Improving Roma Participation in Transitional Justice in BiH”, funded by the Government of the United Kingdom.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Zakarpattia: Mobilisation

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Zakarpattia: Mobilisation

On March 10th, near the village of Patskanovo in the Uzhhorod district, a group of Roma blocked the road of a service vehicle and attacked military personnel with wooden sticks.

According to the police of the Zakarpattia region, the incident occurred during the notification of residents of the district about mobilization and verification of military registration documents. People deliberately blocked the movement of a military vehicle, after which they provoked a conflict.

News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Ukraine

Switzerland and Ukrainian Refugees

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Switzerland and Ukrainian Refugees

The Swiss government has decided that a large part of Western Ukraine, including Lviv, are safe and that Ukrainian refugees from those regions can safely return home… It was announced right after Lviv was bombed.

This will affect quite a few refugees, and many Roma from Transcarpathian Ukraine.

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Transcarpathian Ukraine: Help?

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Transcarpathian Ukraine: Help?

On August 15, 2025, a humanitarian action was held in the Roma settlement of the village of Domboky of the Velykyluchkivska community, aimed at supporting vulnerable families. The event was organized by the head of the charitable organization “SOS Children’s Villages Uzhgorod” Natalia Kryvoruchko with the participation of the Regional Coordinator for National Minorities from the OSCE Projects in Ukraine at the Representation of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights in the Transcarpathian region Mykola Chyzhmar.

It looks like a nice alibi exercise. Much more needs to be done.

Europe Kosovo News Eastern Europe

Thaci in the Hague

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Thaci in the Hague

Former KLA leader Hashim Thaci will begin his defense against charges of war crimes committed in Kosovo and Albania between 1995 and 1998 before the Special Tribunal in The Hague on September 9, the tribunal announced.

Alongside Thaci, Kadri Veselji, Redžep Seljimi, and Jakup Krasnići were charged with crimes against Albanians, declared “collaborators,” Serbs, and Roma, in more than 40 cases held by the KLA. All the defendants were leading members of the KLA Main Staff and the self-proclaimed Provisional Government of Kosovo.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Transcarpathian Ukraine: Shootout

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Transcarpathian Ukraine: Shootout

In a Roma settlement in Velykyi Berezne, in Transcarpathian Ukraine, right on the Slovak border, a confrontation between Ukrainian border guards and local Roma escalated. Background is not clear, but Roma threw stones at the border guards, and they fired live rounds. There are wounded, apparently on bth sides, although between stones and rifles, this can’t really be equitable.

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