Council of Europe seeks independent, thorough investigation of the death of Romani community member Stanislav Tomáš in Teplice, Czech Republic

The Council of Europe (CoE) is calling for an independent, thorough investigation of the recent death of a Romani man in Teplice, Czech Republic because, according to them, video footage of the intervention by police officers on Saturday is alarming and raises many questions. News server Romea.cz has received a copy of the CoE statement.
"The Council of Europe is calling for an urgent, thorough, and independent investigation into the recent death of a Romani man in the Czech Republic after he had been apprehended by the police. Footage taken on 19 June from Teplice, Czech Republic, showing police intervention against a Romani man who later died in an ambulance is alarming and raises numerous questions about the circumstances of this tragic incident," the statement by the Spokesperson of the Secretary General reads.
The incident, after which 46-year-old Stanislav Tomáš died, happened on Saturday, 19 June, and amateur video of the intervention was posted to social media from which it is apparent that he was physically resisting and shouting, and the intervening officers used force to restrain him, including kneeling on his neck. As news server Romea.cz reported previously, the intervening officer knelt on the neck of the detained Romani man for several minutes.
According to the police, Mr Tomáš then collapsed and died in the ambulance called to the scene. The video footage shows that he stopped moving while still prone on the sidewalk.
Don't miss:
- Czech Deputy Public Defender of Rights will investigate controversial police intervention after which Romani community member Stanislav Tomáš died
- Romani Lives Matter. Czech town sees candles and flowers placed at the site of the tragic death of a Romani man after police intervention involving kneeling on his neck
- Czech Police release new video footage of what preceded police intervention against Romani man who died thereafter
- Civil society members of the Czech Govt Roma Council ask Interior Minister to prioritize the thorough investigation of the death of a Romani man after a police intervention
- Czech Police: According to court-ordered autopsy, death of young Romani man unconnected to police intervention
- Czech Police statement on their kneeling intervention: Internal Affairs is investigating, autopsy will determine cause of death, the man collapsed in the ambulance
- Romani man dies after Czech Police kneel on his neck, they say drugs caused his death. Romani activists see parallels to George Floyd
- Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights calls on Czech lower house to adopt law to compensate illegally sterilized people, first reading scheduled for today
- Council of Europe says Czech Republic not doing enough to teach the Romani language
- Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Secretary General issue statements honoring 2 August
- Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe calls for Romani living conditions to be improved during the COVID-19 pandemic
Related articles:
- Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović on the occasion of Roma Holocaust Memorial Day: We must ensure the protection of the human rights of Romani people
- Czech foundation established by Olga Havlová recalls what she honored while she lived: Freedom, justice, and respect for others
- Petr Torák, MBE, refused restaurant service in Czech capital because he is Romani - interview will broadcast in Czech at 20:00 CET
- Open Society Foundations pledges to invest in new European Roma Foundation for 2023
- Civil society members of the Czech Govt Roma Council after meeting with PM: We submitted our proposals for solutions to the Romani refugee crisis already in March
- New Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner will be Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková
- Czech Deputy Public Defender of Rights: Police ignored whether the man they restrained was even alive, ambulance called too late
- Czech and international organizations support bereaved family with Constitutional Court complaint over death of Stanislav Tomáš in police custody
- Czech General Inspection of Security Forces claims officers' procedure in case of Romani man who died in custody was correct
- Candidates for next Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner are being floated
- Outgoing Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner calls on new administration to establish Commissioner for Romani Affairs
- Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner stepping down by the end of January