News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

AI: The President’s visit to Ostrava should send a strong signal against discrimination of Roma

15 March 2013
2 minute read

The new President of the Czech Republic is visiting the city of Ostrava today.
In Ostrava and the Czech Republic at large, Roma are experiencing widespread
discrimination in access to adequate housing, education, healthcare and
protection from violence and harassment.

In his inaugural speech the new President declared that far-right groups
known for organizing anti-Roma marches are one of the three key problems of
Czech Republic.

Amnesty International appreciates the President’s recognition of the problem
of racially-motivated violence and hopes that he will become a strong voice
against systemic discrimination of Roma in Czech Republic.

In this regard, his visit to Ostrava is symbolically important.

Ostrava is the city which brought international attention to the Czech
Republic after the 2007 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights held that
Romani children were discriminated against in their access to education.

Ostrava was also harshly criticized for the forced eviction of over 40 Romani
families from the Přednádraží neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city. All
but 35 people who resisted the eviction were moved to unaffordable and
unsuitable accommodation.

The President should use this opportunity to highlight the importance of
civil society working against discrimination of Roma. This visit coincides with
the relocation of Vzájemné soužití (Life Together), the largest NGO working with
Roma in Ostrava, to its new offices. The NGO had to leave its premises in
January 2013 after the municipality decided to terminate their lease. Its
director, Kumar Vishwanathan believes that the decision was a form of punishment
for the campaign of the NGO against the forced eviction of Romani residents from
Přednádraží.

Life Together had been working out of this location in the centre of Ostrava,
providing social services and advice with regard to housing, education, human
rights, health and other issues to 850 clients annually, for over 14 years
before their relocation. Many of its clients were Roma who were at risk of
eviction from their homes or who had been evicted and rendered homeless.

Help us share the news about Romas
Trending now icon