Upsurge of violence against Roma communities in Europe
Written declaration
No.
667
| Doc. 14813
| 23 January 2019
- Signatories:
- Ms Gabriela HEINRICH,
Germany, SOC ; Lord Donald ANDERSON,
United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Petra BAYR,
Austria, SOC ; Mr Peter BEYER,
Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Ahmet Ünal ÇEVİKÖZ,
Turkey, SOC ; Mr Vernon COAKER,
United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Yunus EMRE,
Turkey, SOC ; Ms Sabina GLASOVAC,
Croatia, SOC ; Mr Domagoj HAJDUKOVIĆ,
Croatia, SOC ; Mr Mogens JENSEN,
Denmark, SOC ; Ms Gyde JENSEN,
Germany, ALDE ; Mr Haluk KOÇ,
Turkey, SOC ; Mr Konstantin KUHLE,
Germany, ALDE ; Mr Víctor NAUDI ZAMORA,
Andorra, SOC ; Mr Miroslav NENUTIL,
Czech Republic, SOC ; Mr Andreas NICK,
Germany, EPP/CD ; Ms Selin SAYEK BÖKE,
Turkey, SOC ; Mr Axel SCHÄFER,
Germany, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH,
Austria, SOC ; Mr Predrag SEKULIĆ,
Montenegro, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK,
Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Petra De SUTTER,
Belgium, SOC ; Mr Dimitri TSKITISHVILI,
Georgia, SOC ; Mr Martin WHITFIELD,
United Kingdom, SOC
This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.
Recent violent attacks against Roma communities are a cause
for serious concern. In Ukraine, at least two Roma individuals were
killed in 2018 during armed attacks on their settlements or villages,
and many more Roma lost their homes.
Political leaders, including members of governments of Council
of Europe member States, use antigypsyist rhetoric increasingly,
and often with impunity. Yet such discourse condones and sometimes
even encourages discrimination against Roma.
Most recently, in Bulgaria, the authorities ordered the demolition
of a Roma neighbourhood, following an attack on police officers
by two members of that community. Yet it is always unacceptable
to penalise an entire community for the misdeeds of some of its
members.
In view of the escalating violence, anti-Roma prejudice and
abuse should be addressed as a matter of urgency in all Council
of Europe member States.
