Romany association files complaint against Czech senator

The Czech Romany civic association Romea today filed a criminal complaint against senator Liana Janackova (for Independents, SNK) over her statements about Romanies, Romea’s head Zdenek Rysavy told CTK today.

The complaint was supported by further eight organisations and seven people, including former government human rights commissioner Petr Uhl, former deputy ombudsman Anna Sabatova and Jana Horvatova, director of the Museum of Romany Culture in Brno.

Janackova was fiercely criticised after a recording had been published where she used some controversial statements about Romanies from a district of the city of Ostrava, north Moravia, where she is the mayor.

"Unfortunately, I am a racist, I disagree with the integration of gypsies so that they would live across the area," she said among others in reaction to complaints by locals about bad behaviour of their Romany neighbours.

The complaint accuses Janackova and Ostrava official Jiri Jezersky of defamation of ethnic origin, race and conviction.
Though she tried to disprove the authenticity of the recording, Janackova finally apologised for her statements. However, she refused to resign from the post of deputy chairwoman of the Senate committee for human rights.

Janackova’s strong words were also criticised by the government council for Romany issues.

Earlier this year, another Czech senator – Deputy Prime Minister and Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) leader Jiri Cunek – causes fierce disputes over his statements about Romanies.

Cunek indicated Romanies were sunburnt people who made fires and a mess at squares and who did not want to work.
Activists and Romany NGOs filed a complaint against Cunek then, too. Major political parties condemned his statements and some demanded his resignation. However, Cunek whom police also accused of corruption managed to keep his posts.