International Romani organizations call on Ukrainian President to condemn attacks on Roma, call on Czech Police to quickly investigate the cases
Recent conflicts between assailants identified by the media as citizens of Ukraine and members of the Romani minority in two Czech cities have sparked a wave of concern and demands for their investigations to be thorough. The European Roma Grassroots Organizations' Network (ERGO) and the ICO Roma Women's Fund "Chiricli", a Romani organization in Ukraine, are appealing to the Czech Police and Interior Ministry to take decisive, fast action to ensure the perpetrators will be tried.
The Romani organizations are also asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to call on Ukrainian nationals living abroad to respect diversity and refrain from committing any kind of crime or violence. The organizations are asking for the introduction of measures to prevent any future incidents of this kind.
The organizations sent a statement to that effect to news server Romea.cz, published in full below. They are responding to the recent death of a young Romani man in Brno and to the conflict between Romani people and three citizens said to be from Ukraine in Pardubice, during which a young Romani man sustained facial injuries from a knife.
“A thorough, efficient, and unbiased investigation into the incidents, along with complete transparency in reporting its outcomes, will ensure justice for the victims and send a clear message to society that these types of crimes are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the organizations say in their joint statement. They have called on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to take a clear stand on the issue as well.
“As President Zelenskyy has recently visited Prague, we would like to draw his attention to the fact that individuals from the Romani minority have recently been subjected to attacks in the Czech Republic, allegedly by Ukrainian nationals. Our organisations ask President Zelenskyy to address all of the Ukrainian nationals (irrespective of ethnicity) who have sought temporary protection in the Czech Republic and other European countries, urging them to embrace a life of social harmony and tolerance in the nations that have so generously accepted them, emphasizing the importance of respecting diversity and refraining from committing any offences or acts of violence,” said the ERGO Network and ICO Roma Women’s Fund “Chiricli” in a joint declaration sent to news server Romea.cz.
One of the important calls the organizations are making is about how crime victims of Romani origin are treated. In their view it is essential that they be dealt with justly and without discrimination.
The organizations also point out that Romani Ukrainians seeking temporary protection are being discriminated against. “In the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, local NGO accounts indicate a difference in treatment in the receiving countries, including in the Czech Republic, of ethnic Ukrainian refugees versus refugees with a Roma minority background, the latter being often viewed as ‘Roma migrants’ and not as refugees, and therefore being denied equal aid and support,” stated the organizations, adding that such behavior, caused by antigypsyism and racism, can be a potential trigger for other similarly violent incidents which would lead to horrible repercussions and a state of impunity and insecurity.
JOINT DECLARATION BY THE ERGO NETWORK AND THE ICO ROMA WOMEN’S FUND “CHIRICLI”
Immediate Action Required to Hold Accountable Perpetrators of the Two Recent Attacks against Roma in the Czech Republic
The authorities in the Czech Republic must act swiftly and decisively to bring to justice the perpetrators of the two recent attacks (one of them fatal) against Roma individuals during June 2023 in Brno and July 2023 in Pardubice.
The ERGO Network and the ICO Roma Women’s Fund “Chiricli” urge the Czech Police and Ministry of Internal Affairs to launch a prompt, effective and unbiased investigation into these crimes and implement measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
The first tragedy happened in Brno-Bystrc near the Přístaviště tram stop on 10 June 2023. Several persons got into an argument that escalated into a scuffle during which an alleged foreign national from Ukraine harmed two men with a knife. A 23-year-old Roma youth succumbed to his injuries later in hospital.
The second incident occurred in Pardubice on 1st July 2023. Eyewitnesses say a conflict happened in Pardubice between a group of Roma men and three other men allegedly from Ukraine. According to news server Romea.cz, one of the Roma men sustained facial injuries from a knife and had to get medical treatment. He was released that same evening with two stitches.
A thorough, efficient, and unbiased investigation into the incidents, along with complete transparency in reporting its outcomes, will ensure justice for the victims and send a clear message to society that these types of crimes are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
Equitable and non-discriminatory treatment must be applied to Roma victims of crime or violence. In the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, local NGO accounts indicate a difference in treatment in the receiving countries, including in the Czech Republic, of ethnic Ukrainian refugees versus refugees with Roma minority background, the latter being often viewed as “Roma migrants” and not as refugees and therefore being denied equal aid and support.
Our joint organisations believe that such unequal treatment, caused by racism and antigypsyist attitudes towards the Roma registered in all the receiving countries involved – including the Czech Republic, but also in Ukraine – if tolerated or left unpunished by the authorities, can become a potential trigger to other similar violent incidents, leading to dire consequences and a state of insecurity and impunity.
To prevent an escalation of violence, we must go beyond reactive measures and implement systemic preventive changes in European countries and Ukraine. It is crucial to involve the Roma community in designing and implementing these changes.
In the Czech Republic, but also in other EU countries, both the National Roma Integration Strategy and the law packages on refugees (such as Lex Ukrajina) need to be well designed with the active participation of Roma individuals as well as consistently implemented. Both mechanisms are essential for ensuring functional improvement and tangible results on the ground. While one (NRIS) focuses on improving conditions for the Roma community, the other (Lex Ukrajina) addresses issues of justice.
In Ukraine, as part of the EU accession process, priority needs to be given also to the implementation of the Roma National Strategy and the new law on National Minorities (communities) of Ukraine, which came into force on 1 July this year. Resources for comprehensive needs assessments and targeted support programmes for Roma refugees and IDPs have to be allocated, including having Roma IDPs and refugees as a target group in the Recovery and Reconstruction programmes, while the dialogue with Roma communities in understanding their specific challenges and concerns should be strengthened.
If either of these elements is missing, it can lead to frustration among both Roma communities and Ukrainian nationals living abroad, potentially resulting in violent tensions. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of systemic changes that are well-designed and well-implemented, with meaningful Roma participation. By taking these steps, we can ensure that justice prevails and that the cycle of violence is halted.
National authorities in European states have often failed to properly investigate and punish crimes committed against Roma communities, particularly when bias motivation is involved.[1] We call on national authorities to publicly denounce any upsurge in violence committed against individuals or communities while ensuring zero tolerance for ethnic or racial characterization or the weaponizing of language.
Furthermore, we call upon the authorities to demonstrate a genuine commitment to these investigations by ensuring maximum transparency and thoroughly examining the discriminatory motives behind these crimes. It is the responsibility of state authorities to condemn such attacks publicly and unequivocally as a preventative measure against future incidents.
As President Zelenskyy has recently visited Prague, we would like to draw his attention to the fact that individuals from the Romani minority have recently been subjected to attacks in the Czech Republic, allegedly by Ukrainian nationals. Our organisations ask President Zelenskyy to address all Ukrainian nationals (irrespective of ethnicity) who have sought temporary protection in the Czech Republic and other European countries, urging them to embrace a life of social harmony and tolerance in the nations that have so generously accepted them, emphasizing the importance of respecting diversity and refraining from committing any offences or acts of violence
[1] Burlya and Others v. Ukraine: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng-press#{%22itemid%22:[%22003-6241987-8118118%22]}; Škorjanec v. Croatia: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng-press#{%22itemid%22:[%22003-5668750-7185456%22]}; Lingurar v. Romania https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng-press#{%22itemid%22:[%22003-6384710-8372253%22]}
