Via the Greek Helsinki Monitor

On 13 August 2008, GHM wrote to the Prosecutor and the President of the Supreme Court (with a copy to the Minister of Justice) listing 39 recent litigation cases on behalf of or against Roma. They indicate that cases against Roma (often resulting from abusive actions of prosecutors) are investigated promptly [...]

A recent article about the Roma community at Votanikos from the national newspaper Eleftheros Typos (in Greek). It looks at the health and fire risks that arise from salvaging copper which involves burning cables. The community sells the copper to make some sort of livelihood. The dioxins emitted cause cancer and can have lasting harmful [...]

I have been putting off writing this post for days now. I don’t know how many of you have been following events in Italy involving the Roma community there, but the whole issue is becoming increasingly disturbing. I have written extensively about the Roma here in Greece and I am well-aware of the deeply entrenched [...]

We have won a victory. And I do mean we.
We are not all lawyers. Most of us do not have the ability to go to court and fight for human rights but we are still part of the whole picture. Some of us can do no more than just write and take pictures. Some [...]

Today is International Roma Day

Press release from the European Roma Information Office

The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) would like to join Roma communities throughout Europe in celebrating the 8th April, International Roma Day. On this day we unite with Roma communities around the world in celebrating the Roma culture and remembering the long fight [...]

I just wanted to point you to an earlier post here at THIS IS NOT MY COUNTRY which might have been lost in the holiday period. It is about the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the case of Fani-Yannula Petropoulou-Tsakiris, a Roma woman who was abused by police and suffered a miscarriage as [...]

Spare a thought this Christmas while you are enjoying all the good things in life, for the Roma of Votanikos who I have blogged about for the past two years.

From the Greek Helsinki Monitor

Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) cannot send this year holiday wishes. It cannot even celebrate them, as, on the eve of Christmas, it [...]

From the Greek Helsini Monitor.

European Court of Human Rights rules that Greece violated prohibition of torture and of discrimination in injury of pregnant Romni. Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) expresses great satisfaction on the 6 December 2007 European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) unanimous conviction of Greece in the case of Fani-Yannula Petropoulou-Tsakiris.
Principle facts
The applicant, Fani-Yannula [...]

Yesterday I wrote about the false perceptions that we have of the Roma. Today, I had planned to post a series of pictures that contrasted with the usual stereotypical images we normally see. So I did a search for images and the very first website that came up was Dosta!

Dosta! is a Romani word [...]

The European Roma Rights Centre has a series of articles on the false perceptions and stereotyping of the Roma.

Stereotypes take on a life of their own once they emerge from Pandora’s box. Distorted perceptions are mirrored onto ethnic and racial groups and inflict psychological wounds on individuals that are cast as belonging to those groups. [...]

Via the Greek Helsinki Monitor
Where Europe Has Failed These Europeans
Interview with Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
Thomas Hammarberg was elected as the second Commissioner of Human Rights, by the Parliamentary Assembly on 5th of October 2005. He plays a crucial role in promoting the implementation of the conclusions and recommendations of the [...]

As I sit in my new home, looking out onto my little balcony filled with plants with the sun streaming in, I am reminded again how lucky I am. According to European and international law, we all have the right to decent housing. Below are just two examples:

Everyone has the right to a standard of [...]

Thank you to all those who sent me the link to this article (in Greek) about the Roma community who were living at Votanikos. If anyone has time to do a translation, it would be greatly appreciated… ?!

[This post was written by Panayote Dimitras of the Greek Helsinki Monitor. I took the photographs at the City Hall action I attended yesterday. I will write my thoughts on the "event" tomorrow.]
There was a crew preparing a documentary on the recycling of metal scrap filming the Votanikos Roma last week. They got notice that [...]

There will be a meeting tomorrow (Monday) in Athens to protest the recent illegal evictions of people from Votanikos. Some of the Roma community affected by it will be attending, along with human rights activists and members of some of the political parties. Please email me if you interested in coming.