European Roma Rights Centre

On May 3rd, 2025, Ramajana Asan, a 36-year-old Romani mother in North Macedonia, was murdered by her partner in front of her young daughter. Despite seeking police protection multiple times, her warnings were minimized, her risk was not assessed, and no action was taken to prevent her ultimate murder.

Now, the National Equality Body has ruled that no discrimination occurred, relying in part on a dangerous logic that a victim's hesitation to file a formal complaint means she was safe. While the fault lies squarely with the police, Ramajana's case represents not just the failure of law enforcement but a wider systemic failure rooted in anti-Roma racism and sexism. When institutions treat domestic violence against Romani women as a "private matter" or assume silence equals safety, lives are lost.

The Istanbul Convention is not optional. Authorities must proactively investigate domestic violence and protect women as a matter of public safety.

Read the full opinion piece by Judit Ignácz here: https://www.errc.org/news/systemic-failure-how-north-macedonia-failed-to-save-ramajana-asan

Congratulations to the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and the applicants in their victory in this case against the odious racist politician Valeri Simeonov 👏🏽

In its third-party intervention, the ERRC drew attention to the pervasiveness of discrimination against Roma, their disadvantaged social position, and the widespread use of racist rhetoric against them, in particular by politicians. The ERRC stated that this distinct form of racism is so prevalent that the Court had to accept that individual Roma should be able to bring legal challenges against hate speech directed against their community as a whole.

The lesson from Bulgaria is that there is a direct link between incitement to commit violence against Roma and actual incidents of racist violence, which in some cases amounted to 21st Century pogroms. It is to be hoped that these latest judgements will prompt the Bulgarian authorities to counter anti-Roma hate speech more effectively. It is likely that it will be many years before the authorities or the courts will actually rise to this challenge.

Full story here: https://www.errc.org/news/european-court-rules-against-bulgaria-for-outrageous-anti-roma-hate-speech

Senator Eileen Flynn, the first Traveller woman to sit in Ireland's Senate, is facing a relentless wave of racist abuse and threats from the far-right. After she courageously refused to attend protests where the Irish flag was being used to promote hatred and anti-migrant rhetoric, she became a primary target for online trolls and extremist agitators.

From international grifters to local influencers, the far-right hijacked the recent Irish fuel protests to push a divisive agenda, targeting one of Ireland's prominent voices for justice.

The Irish Traveller Movement and other allies have condemned this "vile commentary" and called for immediate safeguards to protect women and minorities in public life.

We stand with Senator Flynn. Anti-Traveller racism and misogyny have no place in Irish democracy.

🔗 Read the full story by Bernard Rorke here: https://www.errc.org/news/anti-traveller-racism-irish-senator-targeted-by-the-far-right-with-vile-abuse-and-threats

🚨 Denied an education, denied a future.

While official statistics show high school enrolment rates for Ukrainian refugee children, a silent crisis is unfolding for Romani refugee children. In Hungary 🇭🇺 Moldova🇲🇩 Romania🇷🇴 and the Czech Republic 🇨🇿 thousands of children are being systematically excluded from the school system due to language barriers, poverty, and deep-seated discrimination.

"Formal registration" means nothing if a child never steps foot in a classroom.

Today, the European Roma Rights Centre is taking legal action. We have filed formal complaints in all four countries, demanding an end to this systemic exclusion and the implementation of real, effective access to education.

We cannot let a generation be left behind.

🔗 Read the full press release here: https://www.errc.org/press-releases/errc-takes-legal-action-against-denial-of-education-to-romani-refugee-children