News and Events
West Balkans and Turkey
(Last modified: 2007-01-30 09:07:57)
Summary of Pressing Concerns

This document aims to provide a briefing for the Commission on Roma rights matters in countries/regions of the West Balkans and Turkey. The document was prepared in response to Commission communication of 9 June 2006.

As a general matter of very pressing urgency, with the single and sole exception of Kosovo, none of the countries/entities at issues (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey) have incorporated the European Union anti-discrimination directives into the domestic legal order to a level of sufficiency. This is of particular concern at the moment with respect to Croatia, given (i) the relative advancement of Croatia’s candidacy for European Union membership, and (ii) the near-total silence in Croatia on the matter of adopting comprehensive anti-discrimination law in conformity with the Union acquis. The attention of the law- and policy-makers of all of the countries at issue here should be focused on the need to bring the legal order into compliance with EU law requirements, through the adoption of comprehensive anti-discrimination laws.

Above and beyond anti-discrimination law matters, country-specific issues are raised below.

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UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concerned at the Situation of Roma in Macedonia
(Last modified: 2006-12-18 10:23:04)
Macedonian Government Urged to Take Concrete Steps to Improve the Situation of Roma

Budapest, Kumanovo, 15 December 2006. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and the National Roma Centrum (NRC) today welcomed the Concluding Observations of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on Macedonia’s compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The comments follow the Committee’s review of Macedonia at its 37th session in November.
Macedonia: Roma Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Issues Examined
(Last modified: 2006-11-13 11:04:53)
Roma Rights Organisations Provide Input to UN Treaty Body Review on Concerns in Macedonia

Budapest, Kumanovo, Geneva, 13 November 2006. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today reviews Macedonia's compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Political Rights (ICESCR). In advance of today's hearing, the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and the National Roma Centrum (NRC) submitted written comments highlighting Roma rights concerns in Macedonia in areas of relevance to the Covenant.
Slovene Authorities Capitulate to Mob
(Last modified: 2006-11-06 15:31:43)
Romani Community Relocated Following Death Threats, Mass Action

Organisations Urge Action to Prevent Forced Eviction


Ljubljana, Budapest, 6 November 2006. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and the Slovene section of Amnesty International have sent a letter to Slovene Prime Minister Janez Jansa to express serious concern that Slovene authorities may be currently involved in facilitating the forced eviction of a Romani settlement near the village of Ambrus, following actions by a non-Romani mob. Police authorities have reportedly acted at certain points to protect the residents of the Romani settlement from direct and violent threats of the instigated mob. However, police did not intervene in a timely fashion, and authorities have to date failed adequately to condemn the activities of the majority community and the outbreak of durable and credible threats of racially motivated mob violence.
Action to Stop Forced Evictions in Romania
(Last modified: 2006-10-31 11:42:25)
Prime Minister Urged to Intervene to Prevent Serious Human Rights Abuses

Budapest, Bucharest, 31 October 2006.
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and the Romanian Helsinki Committee have sent a letter to Romanian Prime Minister Popescu-Tariceanu, urging him to intervene to prevent serial human rights abuses as a result of the actions of the Tulcea municipality. The case concerns the forced eviction of a large number of Romani families in Tulcea, as well as durable and credible threats to carry out further forced evictions in the next days. The letter was copied to a number of other agencies, including Romanian government officials, as well as relevant United Nations, European Union and Council of Europe desks.

The full text of the letter concerning the Tulcea evictions follows.
UN Human Rights Committee Reviews Ukraine
(Last modified: 2006-10-24 08:22:19)
Premiere Human Rights Law Oversight Body Convenes to Assess Ukraine's Compliance with International Law

Advocates Report on Extreme Roma Rights Concerns


Budapest, Kyiv, 23 October 2006. The United Nations Human Rights Committee today reviews Ukraine's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In advance of today's hearing, the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) submitted written comments on the very troubling situation of Roma in Ukraine.
Head of Czech Police Apologises for Abuse of Powers by Police in Bohumin
(Last modified: 2006-10-20 08:08:30)
Apology Follows Confirmation of Court-Ordered Fine on Bohumin Municipality for Arbitrarily Cutting Off Hot Water to Roma Families

Eviction of Roma and Others from Hostel for the Poor Remains in Effect


19 October 2006, Bohumin, Prague, Budapest. Czech Police President Vladislav Husak has apologised on behalf of the Czech Police for its misuse of its powers in the town of Bohumin from 4-6 October 2005. Private security guards hired by the municipality to guard the “Hotelovy Dum”, a hostel for poor people, were preventing entry to a number of concerned parties trying to visit the facility. Hostel residents were part of a targeted campaign by Bohumin municipality to expel several hundred persons, a large number of them Romani, from the housing. Czech Police officers summoned to the scene declined to intervene on behalf of the residents and their visitors, despite the fact that a court injunction permitting normal use of the facility by the residents, including the right to receive visitors, was in effect at the time. After more than five hours of delay, the visitors were ultimately permitted entry, but on 6 October 2005, police forcibly expelled local activist and visitor Kumar Vishwanathan from the Hotelovy Dum, claiming a “new agreement” between the town and the police had been reached, that the police would not prevent the private security from barring any guests, and that, if necessary, they would aid in the removal of visitors.
ERRC Files Complaint with Ombudsperson of Turkish Daily Newspaper
(Last modified: 2006-10-20 07:53:27)
Article in Hurriyet’s property supplement misstated ERRC’s position on plans to evict Roma from Sulukule neighbourhood in Istanbul

On October 19, 2006, the European Roma Rights Centre sent a complaint to the Ombudsperson of the Turkish Hurriyet daily requesting the Ombudsperson to interfere in the case of mis-statement of ERRC’s position on the pending eviction of Roma from Sulukule neighbourhood in Istanbul, in the article “Modern Sulukule Starts in the End of This Year”, published on September 28, 2006 in Hurriyet’s property supplement.
Anti-Romani Hatred Promoted by Hungarian Media
(Last modified: 2006-10-19 11:19:37)
ERRC Concerned at Inflammatory Responses to Mob Crime

Budapest, 17 October 2006. The European Roma Rights Centre was dismayed to learn from the Hungarian media of beating death of Lajos Szögi, aged 44, by an angry mob. The assault took place in the afternoon hours of October 15 in the village Olaszliszka in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Hungary, as a reaction to a road incident in which Mr Szögi hit a 11-year-old young girl with his car. The ERRC condemns mob violence as a very grave crime, and urges the Hungarian authorities to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into all the circumstances of the events and bring all perpetrators to justice.
ERRC Statement at OSCE HDIM: Romani Women’s Rights
(Last modified: 2006-10-16 10:16:25)
Statement on Romani Women’s Rights

On the Occasion of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
October 3, 2006, Warsaw


In recent years, attention by some grassroots activists, civil society groups, national governments and international organisations to violations of the fundamental rights of Romani women has increased. As a result, some positive steps have been taken. For example, the European Parliament recently adopted a report on the situation of Roma women in Europe and there has been an increase in research and programmes specifically focussing on Romani women. However, despite these positive steps, the worrying situation of many Romani women has hardly changed, if it has changed at all. Romani women continue to face pressure by families and communities to comply with certain customs and traditions degrading to women. At the same time, they also suffer widespread discrimination in the realisation of a number of fundamental human rights. In some cases, Romani women have suffered extreme harms at the hands of public officials, including via practices such as coercive sterilisation. Despite pressure to do otherwise, some Romani women are increasingly raising their voices and speaking out to challenge abuse. These actions have however frequently been met with either contempt or further attacks and repression on the parts of their families and communities, public media, government officials and even some civil society groups. Summaries of some ERRC concerns in the field of Romani women’s rights follow below.
Roma Rights in Russia
(Last modified: 2006-10-16 10:03:20)
The European Roma Rights Centre Remains Concerned about the Human Rights Situation of Roma in the Russian Federation

Statement on the occasion of Russian chairmanship of Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, October 3, 2006, Strasbourg


The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) is an international public interest law organisation engaging in a range of activities aimed at combating anti-Romani racism and human rights abuse of Roma.

ERRC has been monitoring Roma rights in Russia since 2000, revealing an alarming pattern of human rights abuse of Roma and other people perceived as "Gypsies". In May 2005, the ERRC issued a comprehensive report on the human rights situation of members of these groups, entitled "In Search of Happy Gypsies: Persecution of Pariah Minorities in Russia". In this report, ERRC charged that violence by law enforcement officials, paramilitary and nationalist-extremist groups, and discriminatory treatment of Roma in the exercise of civil, social and economic rights are aggravated by the complete absence of governmental action to address these problems. ERRC stated that the magnitude of the abuse is only comparable to that of the perpetrators' impunity. The report contained a number of concrete recommendations addressed to the competent authorities of the Russian Federation.
Roma Housing Rights: Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Viewpoint
(Last modified: 2006-09-08 15:22:45)
The ERRC welcomes the statement by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Mr Thomas Hammarberg on the issue of forced evictions against Roma in Europe. ERRC's monitoring of Roma housing rights reveals that in a number of countries such as Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Russia, and Turkey, forced evicitons of Roma have been dramatically escalating. The impact of these actions -- often accompanied by police violence and executed in disregard of due process -- is exposure of large numbers of Roma to extreme human rights violations. Forced evictions of Roma seriously question government commitments on integrating Roma and remedying the disastrous effects of racial discrimination. The Commissioner’s viewpoint is available at: http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Viewpoints/Default_en.asp.
UN Presses Czech Republic on Coercive Sterilisation of Romani Women
(Last modified: 2006-09-04 07:58:00)
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Recommends Urgent Government Action to End Coercive Sterilisation, Including Changes to Law and Remedy to Victims

Budapest, Prague, 1 September 2006. The organisations European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), League of Human Rights, and Life Together today welcomed the Concluding Comments of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on the Czech Republic’s compliance with international law in the area of banning discrimination against women, issued on 25 August 2006. The comments followed the Committee's review of the Czech Republic at its 36th session, held in August.
United Nations: Hungary Coercively Sterilised Romani Woman
(Last modified: 2006-08-31 10:02:33)
UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Condemns Hungary for Violations of International Law

Budapest, 31 August 2006. In a decision communicated this week, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) condemned Hungary for violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in connection with the sterilisation of a Romani woman without her consent in January 2001.
Germany Forcibly Expels Suicidal Woman to Belgrade
(Last modified: 2006-08-16 14:24:37)
Husband Committed Suicide in 2002

Deportation Implemented Despite ERRC Appeal


16 August 2006, Budapest, Berlin: Ignoring a direct appeal to stay expulsion as well as compelling evidence concerning her extreme psychological state, Berlin authorities today forcibly expelled a Muslim Romani woman and her four children to Serbia.
Roma Rights at UN Minorities Group
(Last modified: 2006-08-15 15:32:52)
NGOs Testify at the United Nations Working Group on Minorities

14 August 2006, Budapest.
The Bulgarian Centre for Interethnic Dialog and Tolerance Amalipe (CIDTA), the Budapest-based European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), the Macedonian HCAR Mesecina and Roma Democratic Development Association (RDDA) have testified before the United Nations Working Group on Minorities (WGM), which held its Twelfth Session between 8-11 August 2006, in Geneva. The groups presented material on human rights violations of Roma and formulated recommendations for the respective governments.
Actions to Challenge Women’s Rights Abuses in the Czech Republic
(Last modified: 2006-08-15 12:27:05)
US government, United Nations to Hear Testimony

Budapest, Brno, New York, Ostrava, Washington DC – August 15, 2006. Three important human rights events will take place this week on the issue of coercive sterilization of Romani women:

  • Today, expert testimony on problem of coercive sterilization of Romani women in the Czech Republic will be heard by the US Helsinki Commission, the US government’s premiere human rights watchdog agency.

  • During review of the Czech Republic’s compliance with international human rights law, human rights experts and victims of extreme abuses, will testify before the United Nations women’s rights committee (CEDAW) on 17 August.

  • Also 17 August a public event will be held in Ostrava, Czech Republic, to protest the continuing failure by Czech authorities to provide due legal remedy to victims of coercive sterilization.


  • These events aim to draw attention to the continuing failure by Czech policy- and lawmakers to ensure that women in the Czech Republic are protected from extreme harms such as violence at the hands of family members and coercive sterilization.
    Anti-Romani Hate Speech in Russia
    (Last modified: 2006-08-15 09:34:27)
    ERRC Urges Russian Newspaper to Refrain from Inflammatory Anti-Romani Language

    Anti-Romani hate speech contributes to the growing intolerance toward Roma.

    On 10 August 2006, the ERRC sent a letter of concern to Mr Nikolay Zaikov, Editor-in Chief of the Russian daily newspaper Vechernij Novosibirsk, expressing concern with the rise of anti-Romani hate speech published in the newspaper and with continuous identification of Roma with illegal drug dealing and crime. The letter referred to numerous articles published in the newspaper the ERRC has collected during the past year, which explicitly link Roma with drug dealing and criminality and which often quote officials making unsubstantiated comments about the same with no contextual or editorial remarks. The ERRC urged Mr Zaikov to take a firm stand against hate speech and to refrain from publishing inflammatory anti-Romani language.
    Eviction threats of Roma in Bulgaria continues unabated
    (Last modified: 2006-08-15 09:34:27)
    On July 19, 2006, international human rights organisations, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), appeal to stop the planned eviction of Roma in Dobri Jelyazkov Sofia, in a letter addressed to the President and Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
    New Slovak Government Includes Extreme Right Party
    (Last modified: 2006-07-06 12:47:51)
    Members of All Parties of the New Government Have Made Explicitly Anti-Romani Statements

    ERRC Appeals to Heads of European Union, Council of Europe, and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to Monitor Situation



    6 July 2006. The European Roma Rights Centre today sent a letter to the respective high office holders of the three major pan-European institutions, urging them to monitor the situation in Slovakia, following the formation of a government with explicitly racist elements.

    The current governing coalition in Slovakia, sworn into office this week, is comprised of three parties: Direction-Social Democracy (Smer), People’s Party-Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and the Slovak National Party (SNS). Members of all three of these parties have in the past made anti-Romani statements.
    Rights Organizations Condemn Roma Evictions in Russia
    (Last modified: 2006-07-06 08:40:25)
    Call for Protection of Hundreds of Roma Rendered Homeless in Kaliningrad Region

    Budapest, July 5, 2006. The Open Society Justice Initiative and the European Roma Rights Centre today condemned the forced eviction and destruction of homes belonging to more than 200 Roma, including over 100 children, in the village of Dorozhnoe, in Russia's Kaliningrad region.
    Bulgarian Authorities Urged to Halt Forced Evictions of Roma
    (Last modified: 2006-06-29 14:23:43)
    International organisations call for halt to planned eviction wave in Bulgaria

    29 June, 2006, Budapest, Geneva, Sofia: The Sofia Municipality in the Vazrazhdane district has announced that on 30 June 2006 it will forcibly evict Roma families from the Batalova vodenitza neighbourhood, also known as NPZ Sredetz. Many of the families have lived in this neighbourhood for almost a century and are now threatened with homelessness, as the Municipality has not offered compensation or resettlement.
    NGOs Urge Macedonian Authorities to Investigate Death of Trajan Bekirov
    (Last modified: 2006-06-16 14:18:44)
    Romani Youth Last Seen Alive While Being Chased by Police

    16 June 2006, Budapest, Skopje. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and the National Roma Centrum (NRC) sent a letter to Dr. Vlado Buckovski, Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia expressing grave concern about the recent death of a Romani youth named Trajan Bekirov, and urging that Macedonian authorities to carry out a prompt, thorough and effective investigation. Copies of the letter were also sent to Ms. Meri Mladenovska Gjorgjievska, Minister of Justice, Mr. Ljubomir Mihajlovski, Minister of Interior, and Mr. Aleksandar Prcevski, Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Macedonia.
    UN Women’s Rights Committee Highlights Romani Women’s Issues in Romania
    (Last modified: 2006-06-16 08:53:17)
    Romanian Government Urged to Eliminate Multiple Discrimination

    15 June 2006, Budapest, Bucharest. The Open Society Institute Roma (OSI), Romani CRISS and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) welcome the Concluding Comments of the UN Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women on Romania’s compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) released this week. The Committee convened in June to review Romania’s sixth periodic report on measures to implement the Convention.
    Justice for Romani Victims of Racial Discrimination in Bulgaria
    (Last modified: 2006-06-09 12:50:54)
    Bulgarian Courts Continue to Find in Favour of Romani Victims of Discrimination

    Budapest, Sofia, 8 June 2006. Bulgarian courts have continued to implement Bulgaria’s comprehensive anti-discrimination law, issuing in the first six months of 2006 new positive decisions. These decisions have both developed Bulgarian anti-discrimination jurisprudence in a number of areas, as well as provided just satisfaction to Romani victims of racial discrimination.
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