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Open bief over racisme tegen Roma, Italie
Carla - 13.07.2008 12:18
Hieronder de open brief van het Europese Forum voor Roma en Reizigers aan alle staatshoofden in Europa. Het gaat over het plan van de regering Berlusconi om van alle Roma in Italie die in vluchtelingenkampen wonen vingerafdrukken te gaan nemen.
Open letter from European Roma and Travellers Forum to all Heads of Governments
Regarding Italian action on fingerprinting Roma living in camps
Your Excellencies
The European Roma and Travellers Forum is seriously concerned about the action of the Italian authorities on fingerprinting Roma living in the camps across he country – adults and children alike – brushing aside the concerns of the European nstitutions and International organisations. Having regard the Human Rights and Fundamental freedoms, the principles of equality and nondiscrimination, the right to privacy and data protection, as recognised by the International and European conventions protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, and in particular the European Convention on Human Rights and the related jurisprudence and by the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as the International Convention on Children’s Rights today the European Roma and Travellers Forum call upon all Governments of European and non- European member states to:
- prevent the Italian authorities to refrain from conducting a census that includes the possibility of fingerprinting Roma and Roma minors, as this is in contradiction with the prohibition of direct and indirect discrimination foreseen in the EU directive on race and ethnicity, while a further discrimination between Roma and other citizens is enacted as
the latter do not have to undergo similar procedures;
- asks the European Commission and the Council to make sure that Member States apply EU law consistently and fully, and to take the necessary measures shall this not be the case.
We believe that now is a crucial moment to press the Italian authorities to stop its anti-Roma activities immediately and to undertake all necessary measures to stop the Anti-Roma pogroms and ensure safe and secure life of all Roma living in Italy as well as the full implementation of International Laws and standards.
Similar activities to this one are not only a threat to the Roma community. These activities remind us of the Nazi and Fascist periods in the early 1930s, when Roma/Sinti and Jews were singled out for discrimination and persecution leading finally to the genocide of millions of innocent people.
Nowadays this is a serious threat to the future of European, to democracy and the rule of law.
Sincerely,
Rudko Kawczynski
President of the European Roma and Travellers Forum
Strasbourg, 10 July 2008
Mr Silvio Berlusconi
the Prime Minister of Italy
LETTER OF PROTEST
Dear Mr Berlusconi,
Since months we are looking very closely at the incidents of violent attack on the settlements in Italy, police brutality and violations, hate speech in which hundreds of Roma have been forced to run for fear of their life. So far there hasn’t been any appropriate reactions or measures taken to stop the violence and pogroms of Roma by your government.
The European Roma and Travellers Forum is seriously concerned about the action of the Italian authorities on fingerprinting Roma living in the camps across the country – adults and children alike – brushing aside the concerns of the European Institutions and International organisations.
- Having regard to human rights and fundamental freedoms, the principles of equality and non-discrimination, the right to privacy and to data protection, as recognised by the international and European conventions protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, and notably the European Convention on Human Rights and the related jurisprudence and by the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as the International Convention on Children’s Rights,
- Having regard to the EU Treaties, and notably to Article 6 and 7 TUE, Article 13 TEC (measures against discrimination based on, inter alia, race and ethnic origin), Article 12 TEC (prohibition of discriminations on the basis of nationality), Article 17 (European citizenship), Article 18 (freedom of movement), articles 39 and following (free movement of workers),
- Having regard to the European Council directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin and to directive 2004/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the European Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the European Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States,
- Having regard to the Roma Staff Working Paper on Community Instruments and Policies for Roma Inclusion and to the 2008 Fundamental Rights Agency annual report,
- Having regard to the resolutions adopted by the European Parliament on Roma, on anti-discrimination, on freedom of movement,
we urge the Italian authorities to stop its anti-Roma activities immediately and to undertake all necessary measures to stop the Anti-Roma pogroms and ensure safe and secure life of all Roma living in Italy as well as the full implementation of International Laws and standards.
Similar activities to this one are not only a threat to the Roma community. These activities remind us of the Nazi and Fascist periods in the early 1930s, when Roma/Sinti and Jews were singled out for discrimination and persecution leading finally to the genocide of millions of innocent people.
Nowadays this is a serious threat to the future of European, to democracy and the rule of law.
Today the European Roma and Travellers Forum sent an open letter to all Heads of Governments asking them to condemn the activities of the Italian authorities ensuring that EU is a community of values based on democracy and the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, equality and non-discrimination, and that the EU is committed to fight against racism and xenophobia, as well as against discriminations based on any of the reasons stated in articles 13 and 12 TEC.
We believe that the international bodies too, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, OSCE and the United Nations should take a stand and condemn the behavior of the Italian government as inhumane and unacceptable.
On behalf of 15 million Roma living in Europe we are seriously condemning the anti-Roma activities and call on the Italian authorities to reconsider their activities and decisions.
Yours truly,
Rudko Kwaczynski
President of the European Roma and Travellers Forum
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| Read more about: anti-fascisme / racisme vrijheid, repressie & mensenrechten | | supplements | | Ook Rode Kruis betrokken bij vingerafdruk | Carla - 14.07.2008 22:01
PRESS RELEASE - European Center for Antiziganism Research
July 14, 2008
“Red Cross Collaborates in Ethnic Filing of Roma in Italy”
Massimo Barra, the head of the Italian Red Cross, insisted that the aim was to integrate Roma people into Italian society. If children were fingerprinted, it would be done "as a game", he said. Mr Barra said the Red Cross "always respects human rights. We are building bridges, not walls."
– 5 July, The Times
The European Center for Antiziganism Research based in Hamburg, Germany condemns in the strongest possible terms the involvement of the Italian Red Cross in assisting the Italian Government in the ethnic registration and profiling of Roma. We urge members of European Civil Society to condemn this action of the Italian Red Cross and to pressure the Red Cross (internationally) to demand that their Italian division withdraw from this involvement.
The registration of minorities is contrary to European Data and Minority Protection legislation in Italy, and yesterday, the European Parliament itself passed a Resolution against the fingerprinting of Roma in Italy, see a recent news report at:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7500605.stm
The announcement that the Red Cross will assist the Italian police in the registration and fingerprinting of Roma in Rome, Naples and Milan was made by Massimo Barra, Head of the Italian Red Cross, in an interview published in The Times on July 5. This was confirmed in a statement by the Italian Minister of the Interior, Mr. Roberto Maroni, published in the Südtiroler Zeitung on July 10, that the government of Silvio Berlusconi is proud of the participation of the Red Cross in the ethnic registration and fingerprinting of Roma.
The decision of the Italian Red Cross to assist a neo-fascistic Government in singling out the Roma for registration and profiling is chillingly reminiscent of Red Cross collaborations with the Nazis during WWII in the registering, deportations and destruction of Roma life. Moreover, today these actions are being validated by arguments that are similar to those of Nazi German, which state that Roma and Sinti need to be controlled as a means of “crime-prevention”.
We ask every Board and Organizational Structure of the Red Cross to condemn the actions of the Italian Red Cross which support the current Italian government’s recent measures towards Roma.
We request an official Statement from the International Red Cross, as a matter of urgency, condemning the behaviour of the Italian Red Cross for their support of the policies of the neo-fascistic Italian Government. We demand an immediate interdiction of this support for the Italian Police in ethnic profiling and registrations of Roma.
Furthermore, we urge members of European Civil Society to pressure the Red Cross by withdrawing their support, and stopping their financial support to its activities.
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