Polish club must apologize for not letting in Romani man

The owner of a club in Poznań, Poland must apologize to a Romani man for refusing to permit him to enter her entertainment enterprise. An appeals court in the Western Polish town ruled today that the club owner must pay 10 000 Polish złoty to a particular Romani organization.

“It is illegal to not permit someone into a facility for the public because he is Romani. This behavior must be condemned and has no place in a modern state,” the judge said.

Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza reported on the case at the start of last year. A group of Romani people wanted to have fun at the discotheque in Poznań. A hidden camera recorded the security staff of the club telling Romani man Adam Glowacki that he cannot come in because “the owners have their hearts set on not letting Romani people inside.” The owner of the business then admitted to the newspaper that she had introduced a ban on Romani people six months prior because in her view they misbehaved at the club.

A lower court ruled that Glowacki’s rights had been violated by the members of the club’s security staff, not the owner. The Helsinki Human Rights Foundation appealed that verdict and the appeals court has now upheld their appeal.

The owner of the discotheque must apologize to Glowacki in the local press and on the discotheque’s website. In addition to the money she is to pay the Romani association, she must cover Glowacki’s court costs.

“I am happy, this verdict will encourage people to fight for their rights,” Glowacki said. Approximately 20 000 – 30 000 Romani people live in the country of 38 million.