ANKARA
Amnesty International on Tuesday called on European states to take action against anti-Roma discrimination, remarking the EU is failing to curb violence against Roma in the region, a report published for the International Roma Day said.
The human rights group’s report “We ask for Justice: Europe’s failure to protect Roma from racist violence,” analyzed violence perpetrated against Roma by officials and ordinary citizens in the Czech Republic, France and Greece.
John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director said in a written statement that there had been a marked rise in the frequency of anti-Roma violence in Europe and the authorities response for that has been “woefully inadequate.”
“It is unacceptable that in modern-day Europe some Roma communities live under the constant threat of violence and pogrom-like attacks,” Dalhuisen added.
“The European Union has legislative arsenal at its disposal to ensure that discriminatory violence, and discrimination more generally, are addressed,” he said, adding, “The European Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the application of EU laws in the member states, has to date failed to take clear and decisive action to address discrimination and violence against Roma in member states.”
Around 12 million Roma are living in Europe. Hundred of thousands of Roma people were killed during the World War II.
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