Czech government council condemns senator's anti-Romany statement

The Czech government council for Romany issues considers it unacceptable for elected officials to make statements about Czech Romanies similar to those made by Senator Liana Janackova (for the Independents), Dzamila Stehlikova, council chairwoman and minister in charge of nationalities and human rights, told CTK today.

However, the committee members did not call on Janackova, who is mayor of Ostrava’s Marianske Hory and Hulvaky districts, to resign from her post.

Janackova allegedly said last August: “Unfortunately, I am a racist, I disagree with the integration of Gypsies so that they would live across the area. Unfortunately, we have chosen the Bedriska (settlement) and so they will stay there, with a high fence, with electricity.”

The words appeared on a tape recording of a local housing committee meeting.

Janackova also allegedly mentioned Romany reproduction and dynamite, and former deputy mayor Jiri Jezersky reportedly reacted in a similar way.

“Statements rejecting integration and spreading hatred made by state and local officials are absolutely unacceptable. They provoke tension in society and their consequences harm both ethnic minorities and the majority society,” the council said in a resolution.

“If an elected official makes such a statement he or she should naturally bear personal responsibility for them,” Stehlikova said.

Janackova has questioned the authenticity of the recording and said that it was a political attack on her, but later she said that another woman with the voice similar to hers pronounced the words.

Janackova conceded, however, that she did say that she had no place to move Romanies so she would rather take dynamite and blow them up.

Most regional Romany coordinators on Wednesday demanded that Janackova leave her post of deputy chairwoman of the Senate human rights committee in a letter published on the Romany www.romea.cz server.

Six Romany groups are preparing a lawsuit against Janackova.