ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΤΩΝ ΣΥΜΦΩΝΙΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΣΙΝΚΙ
(Ελληνική Εθνική Επιτροπή της Διεθνούς Ομοσπονδίας Ελσίνκι για τα Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα)
& ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΟΜΑΔΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΜΑΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΜΕΙΟΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ
(Ελληνικό Τμήμα της Διεθνούς Ομάδας για τα Δικαιώματα των Μειονοτήτων)
ΓΡΑΦΕΙΟ ΡΟΜΑ
Τ.Θ. 51393, 14510 Κηφισιά, Tηλ. 620.01.20; Fax: 807.57.67; E-mail: helsinki@compulink.gr
_____________________________________________________________________
ΕΠΕΙΓΟΝ
Κύριο Σεραφείμ Φυντανίδη
Διευθυντή εφημερίδας "Ελευθεροτυπία"
Fax: 9028308
27 του Ιουνίου 1997
Κύριε Διευθυντή,
Με έκπληξη διαβάσαμε στο σημερινό φύλλο, στη σχετική αναταπόκριση του Τάκη Διαμαντή για την απαγωγή του ηγετικού στελέχους της Ομόνοιας Θοδωρή Μπεζιάνη, την είδηση -που ΜΟΝΟ η “Ε” αναφέρει- ότι οι απαγωγείς-του είναι “τέσσερεις μάλλον Τσιγγάνοι”.
Ακόμα κι αν τα εγκληματικά στοιχεία που έκαναν την καταδικαστέα -[άσχετα από τα κίνητρα] απαγωγή ανήκαν στη μειονότητα των Ρομά -ΓΕΓΟΝΟΣ ΠΟΥ ΚΑΝΕΝΑ ΜΜΕ Η ΠΡΑΚΤΟΡΕΙΟ ΔΕΝ ΑΝΑΦΕΡΕΙ- δεν αντιλαμβανόμαστε γιατί ήταν αναγκαία η αναφορά αυτή. Οταν μάλιστα στην έκθεση του Ευρωπαϊκού Κέντρου για τα Δικαιώματα των Ρομά που μόλις κυκλοφόρησε και αφορά τους Ρομά της Αλβανίας αναφέρεται ρητά ότι η μειονότητα αυτή καταδιώκεται στην Αλβανία “λόγω της συμμετοχής-της στο υπό ελληνική επιροή Κόμμα της Ενωσης Ανθρώπινων Δικαιωμάτων” [βλπ. σχετικό δελτίο τύπου που ακολουθεί].
Μια εφημερίδα σαν την “Ε” που μάχεται κατά του ρατσισμού -το δείχνει άλλωστε και το σημερινό “πολιτικό παρασκήνιο” με τίτλο “Αγνωστος”- πιστεύουμε πως δεν πρέπει να παρασύρεται σε παρόμοιες αναφορές. Παρακαλούμε γι’ αυτό να κάνετε σχετική επανόρθωση σε αμέσως προσεχές φύλλο-σας.
Με τιμή,
Νάσος Θεοδωρίδης
Νομικός Σύμβουλος
Announcement of Publication:
No Record of the Case: Roma in Albania
The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) announces publication of the
report No Record of the Case: Roma in Albania. The ERRC 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. Throughout 1996
and 1997, the ERRC conducted in-depth research into the situation of Roma in
Albania. The report is the result of this research.
The ERRC documented numerous instances of police ill-treatment of Roma
(beatings, arbitrary detention and extortion of money). The ERRC found that
there are instances of hostage-taking by the police, often of family members of
suspects. Finally, the ERRC documented two police killings of Roma and Jevgjit,
a minority occupying a similarly marginalised position to Roma in Albanian
society.
The upheavals of post-communist Albania have led to an unruly and chaotic
land restitution and privatisation process. In the course of this, many Roma
with whom the ERRC met have been evicted from land on which they had been living
for long periods of time. Many of these evictions were carried out with violence
by groups of ethnic Albanians. In the central Albanian town of Berat, all of the
Roma with whom the ERRC spoke had previously lived in flats in the centre of
town, but as a result of violent evictions, now reside on a mud flat on the
perimeter.
Elsewhere, Roma report violent attack which bears no relation to property
issues. In one such incident, a 15-year-old Romani boy named Fatmir Haxhiu was
burned to death in July 1996 by armed men intent on stealing his clothes and
some money. In cases of attacks such as these on Roma, the police often act
passively or not at all, and legal remedy is not secured.
Roma in Albania are, additionally, exposed to discriminatory tendencies
in the allocation of housing, in the school system, and in the military. The
ERRC documented instances of physical violence in the military, and the failure
of military tribunals to correct the violation. The ERRC also noted that,
according to Roma, numerous obstacles prevent Romani children from obtaining
proper schooling: Romani children are subjected to differential treatment by
teachers, other children threaten, beat and taunt them, and schools are far from
Roma settlements.
Roma in southern Albania also report abuses of their political rights.
Some Roma have evidently been harassed and abused by the Albanian authorities
for joining the Greek-dominated Unity Party for Human Rights. Other Roma report
having been prevented from voting in the October 1996 municipal elections. All
over Albania, Roma reported that they are not adequately represented.
On the basis of its findings, the ERRC has made a series of
recommendations to the Albanian government. The ERRC urges that all of the
following policies be adopted in full:
1. Investigate reported cases of corruption in the police force, particularly
instances of the targeting of Roma for the extortion of money and unlawful
confiscations. Bring to justice those responsible for these ongoing forms of
abuse.
2. Investigate instances of police brutality, including beatings, unlawful
detention and police killings reported by the ERRC. Bring those responsible to
justice.
3. Take significant steps to reform the police, the investigation and the
procuracy, focusing on discrepancies between international norms for law
enforcement procedure and current practice in Albania.
4. Initiate programs, in co-operation with Roma leaders, which enable Roma
greater access to law enforcement bodies and competent judicial authorities.
Initiate affirmative action and own-policing programs within the Roma community.
5. Investigate extra-legal expulsions of Roma from housing and settlements and
bring the guilty parties to justice.
6. Provide suitable compensatory housing for those Roma displaced by the process
of property restitution and privatisation.
7. Investigate the violent conflict at Levan, taking into account prior
harassment by the non-Roma community and bias of the local police. Bring to
justice those responsible for the killings and provocation.
8. Bring to justice the killers of Fatmir Haxhiu.
9. Take significant steps to increase oversight in the distribution of social
welfare, the administration of schools and among the officer corps of the
Albanian military establishment. Investigate allegations of discrimination at
local authorities, schools and in the military.
10. Take significant steps, in conjunction with Roma and human rights NGOs, to
introduce anti-racism curricula and programs in schools and in the media.
***
Copies of No Record of the Case are available from the ERRC at a cost of 8 US
dollars per copy. Payment by wire transfer to the following account is
preferred:
B 110772, OTP Rt.
1085-Budapest, Jozsef krt. 33
Hungary
European Roma Rights Center
P.O.Box 10/24 - 1525 Budapest - Hungary -
Phone: + (36 1) 327-98-77 Fax: + (36-1) 138-37-27
Board of Directors :
Andras Biro, Chair (Hungary) Nicolae Gheorghe (Romania) Isabel Fonseca (UK)
Deborah Harding (USA) Rudko Kawczynski (Germany) Khristo Kyuchukov
(Bulgaria) Lord Lester of Herne Hill Q.C.(UK) Edgar Morin (France) Ina Zoon
(Czech Republic/Spain)
GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR
(Greek National Committee of the International Helsinki Federation)
& MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP - GREECE
(Greek Affiliate of Minority Rights Group International)
ROMA OFFICE
P.O. Box 51393, GR-14510 Kifisia, Greece
Tel. 30-1-620.01.20; Fax: 30-1-807.57.67; E-mail: helsinki@compulink.gr
_____________________________________________________________________
Mr. Serafim Fyntanidis
Director of “Eleftherotypia”
27 June 1997
Mr. Director,
We have read with surprise in the today’s newspaper the correspondence of Mr. Takis Diamantis about the abduction of one of the leaders of “Omonia” Mr. Theodoris Bezianis, where it was reported - only in “E” - that the abductors were “probably four Roma”.
Even if the criminals who committed the condemnable [regardless of the motives] abduction belonged to the minority of Roma - A FACT NOT MENTIONED BY ANY MASS MEDIA OR NEWS AGENCY- we do not understand why this reference was necessary. Especially since it is clearly mentioned in the just published report of the European Roma Rights Center on the the Roma in Albania, that this minority is persecuted in Albania “for joining the Greek-dominated Unity Party for Human Rights” [see the related press release below].
We believe that a newspaper such as “E” that fights racism -as shown by today’s “political backstage” comment under the title “Unknown” - should not drift in such references. Therefore, we request that you make the necessary correction in one of your next issues.
Yours sincerely,
Nasos Theodoridis
Legal Advisor
Announcement of Publication:
No Record of the Case: Roma in Albania
The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) announces publication of the
report No Record of the Case: Roma in Albania. The ERRC 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. Throughout 1996
and 1997, the ERRC conducted in-depth research into the situation of Roma in
Albania. The report is the result of this research.
The ERRC documented numerous instances of police ill-treatment of Roma
(beatings, arbitrary detention and extortion of money). The ERRC found that
there are instances of hostage-taking by the police, often of family members of
suspects. Finally, the ERRC documented two police killings of Roma and Jevgjit,
a minority occupying a similarly marginalised position to Roma in Albanian
society.
The upheavals of post-communist Albania have led to an unruly and chaotic
land restitution and privatisation process. In the course of this, many Roma
with whom the ERRC met have been evicted from land on which they had been living
for long periods of time. Many of these evictions were carried out with violence
by groups of ethnic Albanians. In the central Albanian town of Berat, all of the
Roma with whom the ERRC spoke had previously lived in flats in the centre of
town, but as a result of violent evictions, now reside on a mud flat on the
perimeter.
Elsewhere, Roma report violent attack which bears no relation to property
issues. In one such incident, a 15-year-old Romani boy named Fatmir Haxhiu was
burned to death in July 1996 by armed men intent on stealing his clothes and
some money. In cases of attacks such as these on Roma, the police often act
passively or not at all, and legal remedy is not secured.
Roma in Albania are, additionally, exposed to discriminatory tendencies
in the allocation of housing, in the school system, and in the military. The
ERRC documented instances of physical violence in the military, and the failure
of military tribunals to correct the violation. The ERRC also noted that,
according to Roma, numerous obstacles prevent Romani children from obtaining
proper schooling: Romani children are subjected to differential treatment by
teachers, other children threaten, beat and taunt them, and schools are far from
Roma settlements.
Roma in southern Albania also report abuses of their political rights.
Some Roma have evidently been harassed and abused by the Albanian authorities
for joining the Greek-dominated Unity Party for Human Rights. Other Roma report
having been prevented from voting in the October 1996 municipal elections. All
over Albania, Roma reported that they are not adequately represented.
On the basis of its findings, the ERRC has made a series of
recommendations to the Albanian government. The ERRC urges that all of the
following policies be adopted in full:
1. Investigate reported cases of corruption in the police force, particularly
instances of the targeting of Roma for the extortion of money and unlawful
confiscations. Bring to justice those responsible for these ongoing forms of
abuse.
2. Investigate instances of police brutality, including beatings, unlawful
detention and police killings reported by the ERRC. Bring those responsible to
justice.
3. Take significant steps to reform the police, the investigation and the
procuracy, focusing on discrepancies between international norms for law
enforcement procedure and current practice in Albania.
4. Initiate programs, in co-operation with Roma leaders, which enable Roma
greater access to law enforcement bodies and competent judicial authorities.
Initiate affirmative action and own-policing programs within the Roma community.
5. Investigate extra-legal expulsions of Roma from housing and settlements and
bring the guilty parties to justice.
6. Provide suitable compensatory housing for those Roma displaced by the process
of property restitution and privatisation.
7. Investigate the violent conflict at Levan, taking into account prior
harassment by the non-Roma community and bias of the local police. Bring to
justice those responsible for the killings and provocation.
8. Bring to justice the killers of Fatmir Haxhiu.
9. Take significant steps to increase oversight in the distribution of social
welfare, the administration of schools and among the officer corps of the
Albanian military establishment. Investigate allegations of discrimination at
local authorities, schools and in the military.
10. Take significant steps, in conjunction with Roma and human rights NGOs, to
introduce anti-racism curricula and programs in schools and in the media.
***
Copies of No Record of the Case are available from the ERRC at a cost of 8 US
dollars per copy. Payment by wire transfer to the following account is
preferred:
B 110772, OTP Rt.
1085-Budapest, Jozsef krt. 33
Hungary
European Roma Rights Center
P.O.Box 10/24 - 1525 Budapest - Hungary -
Phone: + (36 1) 327-98-77 Fax: + (36-1) 138-37-27
Board of Directors :
Andras Biro, Chair (Hungary) Nicolae Gheorghe (Romania) Isabel Fonseca (UK)
Deborah Harding (USA) Rudko Kawczynski (Germany) Khristo Kyuchukov
(Bulgaria) Lord Lester of Herne Hill Q.C.(UK) Edgar Morin (France) Ina Zoon
(Czech Republic/Spain)
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