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Internet platform for studying Xenophobia, Radicalism and Problems of Intercultural communication.

Recommendations

Recommendations

Minorities in the Czech Republic are protected from discrimination by individual articles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, which is part of the Constitution, the Penal Code, as well as “the Equal Treatment Act and legal protection against discrimination” and certain provisions of other laws of the country, such as the Employment Act, the law of service in the armed forces, the service in the security services and a number of others.

In addition, the country has one of the most progressive anti-discrimination legislations in Europe. Formally, the Czech Republic signed all major international agreements protecting the rights of minorities. However, problems arise with the actual implementation of laws and the terms of these documents.

Danger to Czech society remains a formal execution of anti-discrimination legislation in relation to specific groups, especially the Roma, discriminatory requirements regarding long stays of foreigners in the country, including foreign workers, as well as the absence of anti-Nazi government initiatives in relation primarily to the growth of anti-Roma sentiment in society.

The main problem faced by the minorities, especially the Czech Roma, is the question of inequality in education, discrimination at work and unfair housing conditions. In the face of strong Roma-phobia the vast majority of the population of the Czech Republic actually got used to the stereotype of “Roma crime”, “Roma-parasites”, etc.

Discriminated members of minority groups, in turn, find themselves in a vicious circle - they cannot change their position without the support of the authorities, and the government, following the mood of the voters actually locks them into a ghetto.

  1. General recommendations for the accession to international agreements and conventions.

Czech Republic should sign the Protocol № 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms provides for a general prohibition of discrimination. In addition, the Czech Republic, a country that has suffered from the Nazis, as well as experiencing increasing problems with the growing influence of xenophobic sentiments in society, would speak in support of the Russian Federation introduced resolutions on combating neo-Nazism.

    2. General recommendations for adjustments to the legal framework.

Czech Republic is recommended to liberalize the rights of religious organizations to establish charitable foundations, schools and medical facilities and for this purpose to amend the law on religious organizations in 2005.

In addition, it is important to revise Article 405 of the Penal Code of the Czech Republic, equating the crimes of communism and Nazi regimes, given the political and historical incorrectness of this thesis. This article is the vagueness of the law and in its legal reasoning carries a risk of indirect discrimination for certain groups and actually contributes to the rehabilitation of Nazism and the devaluation of the historical significance of the Holocaust.

    3. General recommendations for the executive bodies in the field of enforcement of law and human rights.

      Given the high level of xenophobia in the Czech society and, therefore, increased risk of violation of social stability, the following actions are recommended:

      • developing a range of social programs aimed at the development of tolerance in Czech society;
      • developing a program of social adaptation of Roma, providing their traditional way of life and the development thereof;
      • actively and informally investigating cases of discrimination against Roma;
      • no impunity for cases of hatred statements in the media and communications;
      • introducing special training for law enforcement officers involved in the service opposition to hate crimes.

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