MINELRES: European Roma Rights Centre Calls for Vigorous Investigation and Prosecution of Perpetrators of Hate Crime in Hungary
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[email protected]
Wed Mar 4 20:59:21 2009
Original sender: European Roma Rights Centre <[email protected]>
European Roma Rights Centre Calls for Vigorous Investigation and
Prosecution of Perpetrators of Hate Crime in Hungary
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Hungarian
Chief of Police today, the European Roma Rights Centre (�ERRC�) called
on law enforcement to deploy all necessary resources to investigate and
prosecute the brutal murder of Robert and Robika Csorba of
Tatarszentgyorgy. The two victims, one a five-year-old child, were
buried today in a funeral attended by approximately five thousands
people, Roma and non-Roma coming from all over Hungary in a show of
solidarity against hate crimes. According to media reports and
information provided by the Hungarian Chief of Police, since the
beginning of 2008 there have been fifteen incidents of Roma houses being
firebombed, and two attacks on Roma homes with hand grenades. During
this time, at least five people of Roma origin have been murdered in
these and other incidents, and more seriously injured.
In its letter to the Hungarian authorities, the ERRC called for an end
to impunity concerning crimes of violence committed against persons of
Roma origin, and criticized the poor track record of law enforcement in
identifying and prosecuting offenders. The ERRC also criticized the
reluctance of the authorities to characterize and prosecute such crimes
as hate crimes under Article 174 B of the Hungarian Criminal Code.
Echoing the findings of a report on Hungary recently published by the
European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance, the ERRC called for
strengthening the legal framework against hate crimes. A copy of the
letter is attached.
The ERRC extends its condolences to the members of the Csorba family and
the Roma community in Tatarszentgyorgy.
The full text of the letter is available at:
http://www.errc.org/db/03/B1/m000003B1.pdf - English and
http://www.errc.org/db/03/B2/m000003B2.pdf - Hungarian.
For further information, contact:
Judit Geller, ERRC, [email protected], +36 1 413 22 00
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The European Roma Rights Centre is an international public interest law
organisation which monitors the human rights situation of Roma and
provides legal defence in cases of human rights abuse. For more
information about the European Roma Rights Centre, visit the ERRC on the
web at http://www.errc.org
To support the ERRC, please visit this link:
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2735
European Roma Rights Centre
1386 Budapest 62
P.O. Box 906/93
Hungary
Tel: +36.1.413.2200
Fax:
+36.1.413.2201
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