Czech senator may face accusation for racist utterances

Liana Janackova, a Czech independent senator, might face accusations over the racist utterances she made in her capacity of Ostrava-Marianske Hory district mayor in 2006, the Internet server iHNed says today, citing the Hospodarske noviny daily issue to appear on Monday.

At a meeting discussing problems of her district’s Bedriska settlement, inhabited by Romanies, Janackova spoke of "excessively multiplying Gypsies" and of blowing them up using dynamite.

The police have now turned to the Senate requesting that it strip Janackova of her immunity of an MP.

"The police views the statements the senator made on Romanies as the crime defamation of a nation, ethnic group, race and faith," Ostrava state attorney’s office spokesman David Bartos has told iHNed.

"This is new information for me, I wouldn’t comment on it," said Janackova.

On a recording, allegedly taped at a 2006 meeting of the housing department of her district authority, Janackova is heard as saying: "Unfortunately, I’m a racist, I disagree with the integration of Gypsies and their living across the district. Unfortunately, we’ve chosen Bedriska, therefore they will be there, with a tall fence, with electricity."

She also spoke about multiplying Gypsies and about dynamite.

In reaction to this, nine organisations, including Romany, and seven individuals have lodged a criminal complaint against Janackova.