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Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
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21 Jun, 19 tweets, 7 min read
Romani man dies after Czech police kneel on his neck. Obvious parallels to the killing of George Floyd the US.

This demands a full, independent investigation.
romea.cz/en/news/czech/…
The video is horrific. It appears that the police continue to kneel on his neck for ages, even when his arms are cuffed behind his back & he’s immobilised.
The conversation of bystanders is also chilling…

Woman: “They’re smothering him.”

Man: “Yeah, so?”

Woman: “What do you mean, ‘Yeah, so?’”

Man: “That’s their job.”

-

Sadly, given deeply ingrained racism in the country, many will agree with him & defend this brutality.
Please also follow @gwenhubkaalbert for updates.
A call for the Interior Ministry to investigate (rather than have the police investigate police):
Will European media and political leaders respond?
Local Romani residents say they are afraid to comment on the incident because police have forbidden them to discuss it. (Police deny this.)

romea.cz/en/news/czech/…
A preliminary autopsy claims police kneeling on the guy’s neck and all the other police brutality had nothing to do with his death.

denikn.cz/minuta/649988/
More in English: romea.cz/en/news/czech/…
Pretty desperate tweets from Czech police now, saying the man was “No Czech Floyd”.

They then call him a recidivist under the influence of drugs & hitting cars (with video).

So he deserved to die?

And then they of course deny killing him.
Why make so many efforts to denigrate and demonise the man if you’re so absolutely sure that you had nothing to do with his death?
And as was noted earlier:
Replies here falling onto 3 groups:

1) White supremacists spreading anti-Roma hate;

2) People implying that drug users should be killed;

3) People who think police should have tools between doing nothing & using deadly force, and asking for an independent investigation.
Civil society members of the Czech Govt Roma Council ask Interior Minister to prioritize the thorough investigation of the death
bit.ly/3vPkAGe
"Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction" - That's how police originally described George Floyd's death...
news.yahoo.com/man-dies-after…
A former police officer says he sees "nothing unusual" in the way police knelt on the neck of the Romani man who then died soon after...

That he thinks this is a defence of the police actions says a lot about policing in the Czech Republic, I fear.
bit.ly/3zFE3MR
The incident demands an independent & transparent investigation.

Czech authorities have tried to sweep deaths of Roma in police custody under the carpet before...

Na romských životech záleží.

Romani Lives Matter.

romea.cz/en/news/czech/…
Czech interior minister says he backs the police 100%.

❌ No questions allowed.

❌ No independent investigation allowed.

❌ No recourse for the Romani man's family.

This is the Czech Republic.
romea.cz/en/news/czech/…

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More from @astroehlein

Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
21 Jun
Is the EU finally going to get serious this week about the long-running assaults on human rights and democracy in #Hungary & #Poland?
EU members meeting in the General Affairs Council session tomorrow will discuss the situations in Poland & Hungary under Article 7, the EU treaty mechanism to hold accountable governments whose actions threaten the bloc’s rule of law, human rights and democratic principles.
The EU must put Hungary & Poland on notice that there is no place for attacks on the rule of law in the EU & step up scrutiny of their rights-abusiving policies, say:

@amnesty;
@fidh_en;
@hrw;
@ICJ_org;
@osfEUpolicy;
@RSF_en.

Joint statement: hrw.org/news/2021/06/1…
Read 6 tweets
Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
21 Jun
This makes sense when we understand the EU as one of the most successful peace projects ever created.

(Sadly, too few of the current lot of EU leaders seem to understand the idea that peace & security depend on vigorous, active defence of democracy & human rights.)
Yes, the EU is a peace project.
Key institutions emerged after the war to ensure peace & security through political & economic integration, based on democracy & respect for fundamental human rights.

EU leaders must always defend these values with actions, not just lofty words.

hrw.org/news/2017/03/1…
Read 4 tweets
Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
20 Jun
A new must-read from @TheLancet on why COVAX won’t save us and why experts agree: we need a #PeoplesVaccine.

thelancet.com/journals/lance… Image
Some background on COVAX in this thread, along with the questions Human Rights Watch has been raising about it:
This bit from The Lancet article is particularly devastating:

"As of late May, COVAX had supplied about 80 million doses to low-income and middle-income countries; 22 million doses had gone to high-income countries."

Shocking. Image
Read 9 tweets
Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
18 Jun
Is the EU finally going to get serious next week about the long-running assaults on human rights and democracy in Hungary & Poland?
EU members meeting in the General Affairs Council session on 22 June will discuss the situations in Poland & Hungary under Article 7, the EU treaty mechanism to hold accountable governments whose actions threaten the bloc’s rule of law, human rights and democratic principles.
The EU must put Hungary & Poland on notice that there is no place for attacks on the rule of law in the EU & step up scrutiny of their rights-abusiving policies, say:

@amnesty;
@hrw;
@ICJ_org;
@fidh_en;
@osfEUpolicy;
@RSF_en.

New joint statement: hrw.org/news/2021/06/1…
Read 27 tweets
Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
17 Jun
I was killed by a wind turbine just the other day...
Third time this month...
I called the police, but all they said was, "Sir, have you been drinking?"
Read 4 tweets
Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
16 Jun
The "right balance" between demonising a minority and not demonising them?

The "right balance" between protecting #LGBT people from violence & discrimination and not protecting them?

Seriously, @EU_Commission?

Your failure to unequivocally defend human rights is appalling.
What @EU_Commission should say:

Hungary's new law is another assault by the ruling party on the EU's fundamental values of democracy & human rights. The Commission will use every political & institutional tool available to defend the rights of all Hungarians & all EU citizens.
Sadly, the @EU_Commission won't say that, because they refuse to take their responsibilities seriously.

They gave up on human rights and let the EU cease being a club of exclusively democracies.

I guess they now seek the "right balance" between democracy and authoritarianism.
Read 6 tweets

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