UN: Roma status getting worse

A UN report saying the situation of Roma is deteriorating in the Czech Republic has been slammed by a minister as "not reflecting reality."

The report, submitted March 5 by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, says Roma in the Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia are discriminated against and their plight is worsening.

"While the EU and several European governments have done their best to improve the situation of Roma, in many other countries, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia, their position is noticeably deteriorating," she said.

Human Rights and Minorities Minister Michal Kocáb said there is no proof of the alleged deterioration of the position of the Roma in the Czech Republic.

"I do not understand how the situation can be considered worse when we have not had reports of any serious racially motivated attacks since the one in Vítkov," he said.

One of the most notorious attacks against a Roma family occurred in April 2009, when three Roma were injured during a firebombing in Vítkov, north Moravia.

"The situation in the Czech Republic is not good; however, from the systemic perspective, we constantly strive for its improvement," Kocáb said.

"We have adopted an anti-discrimination law, we amended the assembly law, and the government expressed its apology to the involuntarily sterilized Roma women."

- Klára Jiřičná contributed to this report.

Tom Clifford can be reached at
tclifford@praguepost.com