Czech Republic: Stronger efforts needed to end segregation of Roma
“Segregation of Roma children in education remains a serious human rights
concern in the Czech Republic. Many of them are still taught as children with
mild disabilities, in contravention of the 2007
D.H. judgment of the European Court of Human Rights which condemned the
Czech Republic for this practice. Urgent action is needed to remedy this
shortcoming”, said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for
Human Rights, releasing a report
based on the findings of his visit to this country carried out on 12-15 November
2012, which focused on the human rights of Roma and persons with
disabilities.
In spite of encouraging steps undertaken by the authorities, such as
integration strategies, measures to counter hate speech and efforts to increase
national minorities’ representation in police forces, there is still much to be
achieved in combating anti-Gypsyism. “The overall situation of Roma is marked by
conditions of exclusion and marginalisation. Measures to redress this situation
need to be enhanced, in particular as concerns access to quality education,
decent housing and freedom from discrimination”.
DOCUMENT
The Commissioner calls for a more human-rights compliant approach of local
authorities in dealing with Roma, in particular in supporting the work of
mediators, in providing social housing and services and refraining from
evictions which lead to territorial segregation. He also notes with concern that
Roma continue to be the main victims of racially motivated violence. “Measures
taken so far to counter this phenomenon must continue, but have to be combined
with a systematic prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes and an
unequivocal political message condemning such acts.”
Commissioner Muižnieks deeply regrets that the pig farm built in the 1970s on
the former concentration camp of Lety, where many Roma were killed during World
War II, has not yet been removed by the authorities. “Budgetary considerations
cannot prevail over the respect of human dignity. The pig farm should be removed
and measures to honour those who died there should be considered.”
As regards persons with disabilities, another focus of the visit, the
Commissioner is concerned about the fact that around 60 000 of them live
secluded in institutions, and that more than 30 000 are totally or partially
deprived of legal capacity and placed under guardianship. “In January 2014 a new
Civil Code will repeal the full deprivation of legal capacity and each
individual situation will be reviewed. However, I am worried about the apparent
lack of concrete preparation on the ground for this important task. The
authorities should ensure that the implementation of the new legislation will
not be delayed and should stop full deprivation of capacity even before the
entry into force of the new Civil Code.”
Lastly, the Commissioner urges the authorities to end the school segregation
of children with disabilities and to ensure that these children benefit from
adequate individual support, in an inclusive education system.
The comments of the authorities of the Czech Republic
are available here.
