This Charter 77 document from December 1978 provides a critical analysis of the discrimination and human rights violations faced by the Roma minority in Czechoslovakia. The signatories highlight the stark contrast between official declarations of equality and the repressive practices of state authorities. The text details systematic disadvantages in housing, education, and employment, as well as the impact of unconstitutional measures such as the law against nomadism and forced dispersal policies. It emphasizes the lack of Romani representative bodies following the dissolution of the Union of Gypsies-Roma and criticizes forced assimilation efforts that erase Romani ethnic identity. Charter 77 draws attention to alarming practices, including forced sterilizations and the removal of children from their families, which the document suggests are genocidal in nature. The goal is to stimulate public debate and advocate for the recognition of Roma group rights, arguing that genuine social integration is impossible without them. It concludes with a call for legal reforms and the active inclusion of Roma people in decision-making processes regarding their own affairs.
Ladislav Hejdánek – Václav Havel: Dokument Charty 77 č. 85
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◆ dokument of Charter 77, Czech, origin: 14. 12. 1978
- in: Charta 77: Dokumenty 1977–1989. Svazek 1, Praha: Ústav pro soudobé dějiny, 2007, p. 198–206