Category Archives: Antiziganistische Übergriffe

Analyse und Kritik des Antiziganismus, Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Österreich, Beiträge auf Deutsch, Fundstücke

19 Jahre nach dem Bomben-Attentat in der Roma-Siedlung

Schock und Entsetzen in ganz Österreich: In der Nacht vom 4. auf den 5. Feber 1995 detonierte in der Roma-Siedlung in Oberwart eine Rohrbombe und tötete 4 Roma. Neben ihren Leichen lag eine Blechtafel mit der Aufschrift „Roma – zurück nach Indien“. Dieses Ereignis löste bei den Bewohnern tiefe Trauer und Angst aus.

Ich konnte es kaum realisieren

„Als am 4. Feber 1995 dieses schreckliche Attentat verübt wurde, konnte ich es kaum realisieren“, sagt die heute 32jährige Romni, Tina Nardai. „Meine Großmutter, die eine Ausschwitzüberlebende war, hat dieses Ereignis sehr mitgenommen. Aufgrund ihrer Reaktionen und ihres Verhaltens habe ich dann begriffen, dass diese Tat Narben aufgerissen hat“, sagt Tina Nardai. Trotz der Angst, dass sich die schreckliche Geschichte, die sie erlebt hat, wiederholen könnte, war es für ihre Großmutter ein wichtiges Anliegen, die junge Nardai darüber in Kenntnis zu setzen, was hier in der Roma-Siedlung passiert ist.

Ich habe zwei Verwandte verloren

„Mein gehörloser Onkel hat die vier Opfer aufgefunden. Unter ihnen auch meine beiden Verwandten, Karl und Erwin“, sagt Manuela Horvath. In der Roma-Siedlung herrschten Hektik, Trauer und Unfassbarkeit zugleich. Jeder hatte Angst. „Was für mich dann am Begräbnistag sehr komisch war ist, dass den Politikern in der Kirche ganz vorne ein Raum zum Trauern eingeräumt wurde, und nicht den trauernden Familienmitgliedern“, so Horvath weiter.

Quelle: ORF.at
Stand: 02.02.2014

Antiziganismus von Rechts, Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Beiträge auf Deutsch, Deutschland, Fundstücke

Rassistischer Angriff: Raubüberfall auf Roma-Familie

Im Landkreis Hildesheim wurde eine Roma-Familie überfallen. Ein rassistischer Hintergrund liegt nahe. Den hat die Polizei bislang nicht gesehen.

Alles ging ganz schnell. In Söhre im Landkreis Hildesheim überfielen acht junge Männer eine siebenköpfige Roma-Familie in ihrer Wohnung, schlugen zu und drohten mit einer Pistole. Der Überfall hatte offenbar einen rassistischen Hintergrund, sagt Sigmar Wahlbrecht vom Flüchtlingsrat Niedersachsen. „Das waren Nazis“ habe der Vater ihm berichtet, sagte Wahlbrecht.

In der Nacht zu Sonnabend, dem 4. Januar, sollen die Täter im Alter von 25 bis 30 Jahren in die Wohnung eingedrungen sein. Die Männer hätten mit Nachdruck gegen 1.30 Uhr an die Wohnungstür im Erdgeschoss geklopft, berichtete der Vater. Als der 32-Jährige die Tür öffnete, schlug ihm einer der Täter mit der Faust ins Gesicht und hielt ihm eine Pistole an den Kopf. Eingeschüchtert übergab der Vater das verlangte Geld – insgesamt 1.300 Euro. „Asylbewerber ohne Bankkonto“, sagt Wahlbrecht, „erhalten ihre regelmäßigen Leistungen in Form von Bargeld.“

Nach wie vor steht die schutzsuchende Familie aus Serbien unter Schock. Der Vater sei sehr „angeschlagen“, sagt Wahlbrecht und bittet um Verständnis, dass die Betroffenen nicht mit der Presse reden möchten. Nach dem äußeren Eindruck geht die Familie von Neonazis als Täter aus. Einige der Männer sollen eine Glatze gehabt und Springerstiefel getragen haben. Mit zwei PKWs seien sie geflohen. Bereits am Tag zuvor will die Familie einen PKW mit späteren Tätern am Haus beobachtet haben.

Die Polizei in Hildesheim ist verwundert. Ermittlungen wegen eines gewalttätigen Raubüberfalls laufen. Bei der Anzeige, so Polizeipressesprecher Claus Kubik, sei aber von „Nazis“ nichts gesagt worden. Er sei bisher nicht von einem rassistischen Hintergrund ausgegangen. Einen der Täter beschrieb der Vater nur mit „deutsch“ und „zwei Meter zehn groß“.

Das liege vielleicht an einem Sprachproblem, sagt Wahlbrecht. Nur die Kinder, die zur Schule gehen, sprechen etwas deutsch. Die erste Vernehmung am 4. sei auf Englisch und mit Gestik verlaufen, sagt auch Kubik und betont: „Wir wollen hier nichts vertuschen.“

Nach dem Überfall konnte das Ehepaar mit seinen zum Teil noch sehr kleinen Kindern bei einer befreundeten Familie unterkommen. Mit dem Mann der Familie habe sich der Vater an den Flüchtlingsrat gewendet – auch wegen der Wohnsituation. „Seit dem Überfall leben elf Personen in einer 60 Quadratmeter großen Wohnung“, sagt Wahlbrecht. „Die gehen auf dem Zahnfleisch.“ Er hofft, dass die zuständigen Stellen „schnell und unbürokratisch“ helfen.  

Quelle: taz.de
Stand: 14.01.2013

Antiziganismus von Rechts, Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Fundstücke, Posts in English, Serbien

Roma Activist Musician Assaulted in Serbia

Olah Vince, a Roma activist and musician, said he was attacked in the street near his home in Novi Sad at Christmas, having received a series of threatening messages.

Olah Vince, a Roma activist and musician, said that he was attacked and beaten up by six unknown men as he was walking with his wife at Christmas outside their house in the Telep quarter in the northern city of Novi Sad. „They asked me whether I was Olah Vince and the moment I confirmed it, two men hit me in the head twice,“ Vince told Beta news agency on Thursday. According to him, the attack was „a classical ambush“. He said that in the latter half of 2013 he started getting anonymous threatening telephone calls and text messages, after he publicly accused the Novi Sad authorities, the National Council of Roma and the Vojvodina Office for Roma Inclusion, of corruption and discrimination. Vince organized a protest rally in Novi Sad in June after the city allocated only 50,000 dinars (about 430 euro) for the organization of a Roma festival. Earlier, Vince won a special award from the City of Novi Sad for his contribution to the development of multiculturalism, expressed through music and social work and activism for Roma participation in the cultural and public life of Novi Sad. The head of the Vojvodina government, Bojan Pajtic, the mayor of Novi Sad, Milos Vucevic, the Councillor for Roma Integration with the Serbian government, Srdjan Sajn, and the Interior Ministry State Secretary, Vladimir Bozovic, all condemned the assault. Serbia’s main opposition Democratic Party also condemned the attack. „No one can feel safe in Novi Sad today,“ the party said in a statement. Roma are periodically attacked in Serbia. In 2000, a group of skinheads in Belgrade beat up Serbian actor Goran Maksimovic as they believed he was a Roma. Maksimovic died from the injuries soon after. According to the 2011 census, there are 147,604 Roma people in Serbia, but unofficial estimates put the figure at closer to 450,000 or 500,000.

Source: Balkan Insight
Date: 09.01.2014

Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Fundstücke, Posts in English, Slowakei, Staatlicher Antiziganismus

Slovak prosecutor investigates police for brutality in raid on Romani settlement

The Slovak Prosecutor-General has ordered an investigation into a June raid by police officers on a Romani settlement in eastern Slovakia that has been criticized by NGOs and Romani residents for its use of force. The prosecutor’s statement implies that local police who participated in the intervention could face criminal prosecution. Police have defended their actions and previously found that no errors had been committed during the maneuver. Activists say the police raid on a settlement in Moldava nad Bodvou involved several dozen members of a special police unit who undertook house searches there. Many eyewitness testimonies say the police behaved aggressively and assaulted several local residents who had to seek medical treatment as a result. International human rights organizations Amnesty International and the European Roma Rights Centre have called for an investigation of the intervention. The Slovak Interior Ministry’s Inspectorate reviewed the case in the summer and found no wrongdoing on the part of the police officers. The public prosecutor has now taken a diametrically opposed position on what happened during the raid. Continue reading Slovak prosecutor investigates police for brutality in raid on Romani settlement →

Analyse und Kritik des Antiziganismus, Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Fundstücke, Posts in English, Slowakei

Slovakia: Court acquits non-Romani youth of stabbing Romani man to death

The District Court in the Slovak town of Košice has acquitted a non-Romani youth of stabbing a Romani man to death even though there is no question he committed the crime. Several psychiatrists testified that he was not responsible for his actions at the time, while other experts came to the opposite conclusion. The Slovak youth responsible for taking the life of another human being was then released by the court because the experts testified that „he does not suffer from any mental disorder.“ The bloody incident took place at a bus station in 2010 in the town of Košice. On the day he committed the assault, Andrej K. (age 20) of the Krupina district had just finished registering for his Master’s studies at a local college and was waiting for the bus. A Romani man, 40-year-old Zoltán Z. from the village of Sokoľana, approached him and asked him for money. The youth immediately drew a knife from his pocket and stabbed Zoltán Z. 22 times. The attack was so unexpected that the victim, who was under the influence of alcohol, had no time to respond. News server Korzár.sk reports that the assault lasted just 40 seconds, and even though the victim received rapid medical care, he died one month later as a result of his injuries. Andrej K. was originally charged with battery. During the police investigation, mainly on the basis of an expert evaluation of the victim’s cause of death, the legal qualification of the crime was increased to „the particularly serious crime of murder“. Despite this, the prosecutor saw no reason to remand the assailant into custody. Andrej K. refused to testify during the preliminary proceedings and maintained his silence during the main trial. He only revealed why he had drawn a weapon during his psychiatric interview. The assailant claimed that the Romani man, whom he did not know, had been bothering him and said he feared the man was about to kill him. An eyewitness at the bus station said that the late Zoltán used to regularly bother people there with his begging and that they had already thrown him out of the bus station once on that fateful day. The student’s attack on the Romani man was so fast that no one nearby managed to respond in time. CCTV footage of the murder has confirmed that. Two psychiatric evaluations of Andrej K. determined how the court has proceeded in his case. A first team of experts claimed the student found himself under the influence of a pathological affect at the moment of the assault, a state close to unconsciousness in which his ability to tell right from wrong and his capacity for self-control disappeared. A second team conceded that the youth was acting in a state of passion in response to stress, but insisted that his ability to tell right from wrong and his capacity for self-control were merely reduced, not gone entirely. The court then requested another evaluation from a third pair of experts, who spent several months elaborating their critique. These experts determined that Andrej K. does not suffer from any chronic mental disease or disorder. However, in that particular fraction of a second, he found himself under the influence of a delusional, psychotic, but temporary, disorder. „When the Romani man stood in front of the youth, he was pathologically convinced that he was about to die, that he was about to be murdered. The trigger for his brutal aggression was his acute reaction to that stress. We could not find any other explanation for his behavior,“ an expert from the third team said, adding that this was the first case of its kind he had seen. According to this psychiatrist, Andrej K., at the time of attack, could not control his own behavior or recognize the danger it posed. In other words, he was not responsible. The experts did not suggest that the youth should seek prophylactic treatment, as in their view he is not mentally ill. „Given that he was in such a state of mind, I do not insist that the defendant be found guilty, and I propose the court acquit him by reason of insanity,“ the prosecutor said; defense counsel Marta Šuvadová joined that opinion. Andrej K. has communicated that he is sorry about what happened and said he will have the experience in his mind’s eye for the rest of his life. The court in its acquittal stated that the defendant was not criminally liable by reason of insanity; the verdict has taken effect.

Source: Romea.cz
Date: 18.12.2013

Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Fundstücke, Posts in English, Tschechien

Young Roma Singers Attacked in the Czech Republic

The head of a Roma youth singing group says her students were attacked in an eastern Czech town. Ida Kelarova, a well-known singer and musician, says 19 singers from the Chavorenge group were attacked by about a dozen men Friday evening in Hodonin. She called the incident „shocking.“ Kelarova said Monday the attackers targeted four singers and kicked them in front of the others, who included eight-year-old children. Nobody was seriously injured. The singers came for rehearsals with the local high school to prepare for two December concerts in the city of Brno with its philharmonic orchestra. Police spokesman Petr Zamecnik said Monday the attackers have not been caught. Some 250,000 Roma, or Gypsies, in the Czech Republic endure high unemployment and are often targeted by far-right groups.

Source: ABC News
Date: 09.12.2013

Analyse und Kritik des Antiziganismus, Antiziganismus von Rechts, Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Fundstücke, Posts in English, Ungarn

A new attack on a Roma family from Bögöt

The home of a Romani family has been attacked last weekend in a village called Bögöt located in the county of Vas, west of Hungary. The household was shared with a Romani widow and her five children. The windows and the fences of the house have been broken into pieces; firecrackers were also thrown onto the house. As a result of the fear caused by the incident, the family had to flee the village; they now live with a relative. Before the attack, Roma and non-Roma were living peacefully together in Bögöt. This is the first case that such an incident has occurred in the county of Vas.

These incidents should not be viewed as isolated events. Instead, they are part of a growing transnational extreme right wing movement that is sweeping through Central and Eastern Europe, building up inter-organizational networks and common strategies for spreading terror among local Roma populations. This is a regional problem, and as such it requires strong unified regional action.

This growing movement represents a clear threat to regional peace and security and indicates an acute need of a consolidated, regional approach to tackle the issue; this should involve increased cooperation between governments, police forces, judicial institutions and national security agencies.

The mainstream media plays a key role in perpetuating the cycle of prejudice, misunderstanding and exclusion. Media informs social attitudes and defines perceptions of the self and the other. Although, it has the power to promote inclusion and understanding, the European mainstream press strongly confirms anti-Roma sentiments; reinforcing harmful stereotypes, overemphasizing Roma crime, presenting Roma as passive victims and depicting Roma as exotic and “Other.”

This consistently negative and unbalanced media representation reinforces anti-tziganism. Recent EU polling suggests that a majority of Europeans believe that Roma are detrimental to society. Even well intentioned news sources often present stereotypical and abstract portraits of Roma. Distanced reporting creates a culture of fear and a sense of emergency which leads to prejudice, discrimination and increasing violence.

Source: Romedia Foundation
Date: 20.11.2013

Analyse und Kritik des Antiziganismus, Antiziganismus von Rechts, Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Bulgarien, Fundstücke, Posts in English

Bulgarian Roma Muster Self-Defense Teams in Answer to Far-Right Militias

A Roma organization in Bulgaria has created a platform for self-defense groups in response to reports of far-right vigilante patrols roaming the streats of Bulgarian capital Sofia. The platform is called Organization of Minorities for Defense against Violence (OMON), and has been created by the National Center for the Development of Roma in Bulgaria, reports Dnevnik.bg. Last ween far-right nationalist Bulgarian National Union leader Boyan Rasate announced the creation of militias, allegedly to secure the peace of Sofia residents. Rasate denied any racist motivations behind the move. At the same time, in the past weeks, there has been an increased number of cases of violence against immigrants and Bulgarians of minority ethnicity. Dnevnik.bg reports that the Roma Center plans involves „safeguarding Roma neighborhoods and places where public order is being disturbed.“ Center director Petko Asenov said that he has talked to Sofia police head Ivaylo Spiridonov and Vice-Chief Prosecutor Asya Petrova regarding rising tensions. He added that the platform is intended to include Roma people from across Bulgaria. Increased tensions and an apparent stirring up of the far-right – including the founding of a new, Neo-Nazi-like party – led to an antifascist rally in Bulgarian capital Sofia last Sunday. At the same time, activists warned that a planned new law regarding the Bulgarian police could pave the way to formalizing the vigilante militias.

Source: Novinite.com
Date: 21.11.2013

Antiziganismus von Rechts, Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Beiträge auf Deutsch, Fundstücke, Italien

Razzia gegen militante Neonazis

Die italienischen Sicherheitsbehörden haben mit einer abermaligen Razzia gegen die Fortführung konspirativer neonazistischer Aktivitäten reagiert.
Den Ermittlern lagen bereits im Vorjahr konkrete Hinweise auf bevorstehende Gewalttaten gegen Unterkünfte von Asylbewerbern und Roma-Angehörigen vor. Daher fand bereits im November 2012 eine landesweite Durchsuchungsaktion statt. Auch diesmal gab es diverse Hausdurchsuchungen. Das Behördeninteresse fokussierte sich dabei auf insgesamt 35 Aktivisten im Alter von 17 bis 51 Jahren in 22 Provinzen. Dabei erfolgte die Beschlagnahme von Waffen, Munition, einer Hakenkreuzfahne, anderer Devotionalien sowie von diversem Beweismaterial, speziell Computer-Festplatten.

Vier Wortführer sind als Folge der im Vorjahr gestarteten Ermittlungen bereits juristisch belangt worden. Dabei handelt es sich um Daniele Scarpino (24) aus Mailand, Diego Masi (30) aus der Region Frosinone, Luca Ciampaglia (23) aus der Provinz Pescara sowie Mirko Viola (42) aus der Region Como. Letzterer sitzt eine Haftstrafe von zwei Jahren und acht Monaten im Gefängnis ab. Er soll dem Vernehmen nach der rechtsextremen Partei Forza Nuova nahestehen. Ciampaglia und Masi wurden zu zwei Jahren und sechs Monaten verurteilt, Scarpino zu drei Jahren. Das Trio kann die Strafe aber in Form eines Hausarrests absitzen. Die Staatsanwaltschaft in Rom ermittelt nun nach der Razzia gegen alle neuen Verdächtigen sogar wegen Bildung einer kriminellen Vereinigung. Continue reading Razzia gegen militante Neonazis →

Antiziganistische Übergriffe, Antiziganistische Klischees, Fundstücke, Irland, Posts in English, Staatlicher Antiziganismus

Tallaght Roma girl’s family victims of racist attacks

The windows at the front of the family’s home have had to be fortified because of people in the area throwing bricks at the house.

THE ROMA FAMILY at the centre of a controversy involving a little blonde girl, who was taken from their house in Tallaght, Dublin, this week, have previously been victims of racist attacks in their area, it has emerged. DNA tests carried out today have proven that the 7-year-old is related to the family. She was taken into the care of the HSE on Monday after being removed from the house during a garda operation. A source close to the family told TheJournal.ie that the family, who have been living at the house for five years, have been targeted several times. Windows at the front of the house have been broken with bricks twice and the landlord has had to install fortified glass . It is understood that several verbal threats have also been made against the family over the last number of years. “There’s a bad feeling in general in Tallaght towards the Roma community,” a source said. “The whole area is a melting pot of mixed cultures so there has been racial tension and that has led to violence and threats.” The source said there have been a number of attacks on “other properties with people from the Roma community”. “In some cases it’s broken windows and there’s been fire damage as well,” they said.

‘Witch hunt’

This new information comes in the wake of a warning from groups representing immigrants and the Roma community about a ‘witch hunt’ against them. Pavee Point said today that there is a “real danger” that State action based solely on the basis of appearance could create the conditions for an increase in racism and discrimination against the Roma community living in this country. It also emerged today that a two-year-old boy, who had been removed from the home of a Roma family in Athlone because of questions around his identity, has now been returned to them. The head of the Immigrant Council Denise Charlton said the Government needs to make clear what procedures are in place in public services to stop racial profiling from happening. “Any targeting of an individual community for such scrutiny, on the basis of unfounded perceptions that they are more likely than others to break the law, is wrong,” she said. Commenting today on the incidents with the two children, Minister For Justice Alan Shatter said it is important that “no group or minority community is singled out for unwarranted attention, or, indeed, suspicion in relation to child protection issues.”

Source: The Journal
Date: 23.10.2013