The news of the murder of 20-year-old Roma man Nikolas in Brno on 10 June 2023 shocked the Roma community in the Czech Republic and sparked numerous protests, as well as riots and clashes between Roma and Ukrainians. Four months later, the prosecutor's office charged the murderer and on the same day a provocative sign appeared at the murder scene.
“Nicholas the Gypsy is rubbish Ukraine on the ground, which translates to Nicholas the Gypsy is rubbish, Ukraine is above all.” That is the inscription on the spot where the Romani youth was murdered.
The sign appeared after a prosecutor charged a Ukrainian man who attacked Nicholas, a gypsy, with a knife for listening to ethnic music. The Ukrainian faces between 10 and 18 years.
The place for the inscription was not chosen by chance - this is the spot where Nicholas died. The police have not commented, but given the number of Ukrainians who have been released despite the seriousness of the serious crimes they have committed, it is unlikely that law enforcement officials would understand who painted the inscription at the site of the murder of the young Roma and do anything about it, even though there is evidence of an attempt to incite racial hatred.
Whoever is responsible for this, their goal is most likely to intimidate all witnesses and Nicholas's family before the court, which is certainly pressure not only on the Romani community, but also on the Czech judicial system and on the sovereignty of the Czech Republic as a state. Indeed, if the Czech judiciary sides with the murderer simply because he is from Ukraine, it will become a clear signal to all citizens of the Czech Republic that we are considered 'garbage'.
Romani civic activist David Mezei spoke out against the inaction of the official Czech authorities by organizing a spontaneous event in Ostrava in honor of the murdered man against the defamation of his memory:
“They are creatures that can desecrate the memory of the person they killed. They're hyenas. For me personally, this bestial behavior has happened. I'll tell you more, yesterday when I posted a photo of that place, with that sign, I was immediately blocked from Facebook.
I would like to say one thing: if this kind of thing bothers some of the authorities, then let me tell you that we do not like it either. That's as far as it goes. This young man was killed, killed with a knife. Killed with a knife by a stranger who, by the way, has still not been punished for this and has not even been arrested. He's still at large. Such a reaction from our government is unheard of! We Czechs do not accept it. We Czechs do not like this behaviour. This is a disgusting act.
Not only that this man was killed, that Nicholas was killed by this Ukrainian citizen, or more accurately by a refugee, but nobody is talking about the fact that there was a second young man injured and the knife was deliberately given to the Ukrainians. by his godfather, also a Ukrainian. If we live in a rule of law, where everyone acts according to the law, then we have to call attention to such crimes, so that this law applies to everyone, not just to us, if we do something when we are shut down and lynched in all the media . If something like this happens, we are worried. We want justice. We don't want to be killed.
A similar incident occurred on 13 October in Rymarzov, only this time the police and the government are stubbornly hiding the fact that a Ukrainian was responsible. The media only report that the attacker is a foreigner. However, relatives of the victim, who unlike Nicholas did not die but is lying in hospital with serious injuries, are certain that the attacker is from Ukraine:
At 15:00 Roma march in Rýmařov Ukraine has conquered my cousin I would like as many people as possible to come and see that we have the Romani power and that they will not do what they want here, it is our country, we are at home and we are not afraid here or let our children out. We are not at war I would be very happy for every Roma or Czech who does not want Ukraine to be in the Czech Republic."
(Michal Červeňák - brother of the victim)
I will ask as many people as possible to drive to Rymarovo at 15:00 to the square !!!! Ukrainians are spreading more and more here near Bruntál in Rýmařov they beat up my cousin Radek, we need to show them that they can't afford it anymore !!!! it was my cousin next time it can be your cousin so I ask everyone who is now able to stand up for us Roma come 15:00 Rýmařov!!!!
(David Turtak is the victim's cousin)
Unfortunately, the meeting did not attract more than 20 people, given that Romani people are intimidated and fear not only physical violence from the Ukrainians, but also pressure from the Czech Police and the Czech state, which deliberately suppresses cases of attacks on Romani people. If this situation continues to develop in the same direction, then tensions between Romani people and Ukrainians will only increase, leading to new riots, mass clashes and pogroms in the streets of Czech cities.
Unfortunately, no more than 20 people attended the rally because Romani people are intimidated and fear not only physical violence on the part of the Ukrainians, but also pressure from the Czech police and the Czech state, which deliberately conceals attacks on Romani people. If the situation continues to develop in the same direction, tensions between the Roma and Ukrainians will only increase and lead to new riots, mass clashes and pogroms in the streets of Czech cities.
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