Brussels, Sofia, 30 September 2024: A district court in Bulgaria has ruled in favour of a Romani family whose four children had been removed by the state and placed in a state care institution. The legal victory was won with legal representation and support from the Equal Opportunities Initiative and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). The judgment takes immediate effect and orders the reunification of the children with their parents. The case highlights ongoing human rights issues within the country's child welfare system and further exposes discriminatory practices against Romani families.

Brussels, 20 September 2024: The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) is recruiting volunteers to counter online racist hate against Roma as part of its Challenging Digital Antigypsyism work. The ERRC and its partners will launch a new phase of monitoring, community action, legal support, and content production against online hate in Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia.

Brussels, Belgrade 16 September 2024: Three Romani minors who allege they were kidnapped, racially abused, and tortured by the owners of a petrol station in the village of Grebenac are receiving legal support from a lawyer provided by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) in the ongoing criminal case against their abusers. The ERRC has also contacted the local public prosecutor in Vršac to provide additional information on the human rights abuses that occurred and the likely racist motive to the crime which are relevant to the severity of the charges.

Brussels, 11 September 2024: We, the undersigned human rights and civil society organisations, urgently call upon the newly elected Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and their respective political groups to actively support the reestablishment of the Anti-racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI) in the European Parliament. This intergroup has played an important role in the past mandate in promoting and safeguarding human rights, racial equality and non-discrimination in EU policies.

Brussels, Skopje, 5 September 2024: On 9 May 2024, Skopje’s Court of Appeal confirmed the ruling of the first instance court (following an order for re-trial from the Supreme Court) in favour of the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) on behalf of children in the Tetovo Correctional Home (currently located in the village of Volkovija) who are denied their right to education. Despite this court order, the ERRC has learned that education is still not being provided to the children in the correctional facility for whom the new academic year started this week. The ERRC reminds the Department of Execution of Sanctions (Ministry for Justice) and the Ministry of Education of their obligations, mandated by the highest court in the country, to provide access to education for these children.

About Moving On

The pivotal role of sport in social inclusion and integration of minorities and socially disadvantaged communities has been recognised time and again, yet in many places access to sports for Roma, Sinti, and Travellers remains limited.

Bratislava, Brussels 22 July 2024: A Slovak civil court has issued an historic first instance ruling in a police brutality case brought by Roma from a community in Vrbnica against the Slovak Ministry of Interior.