Croatia Discriminates Against Roma Students Says ECHR

By Kenneth F. Hunt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

STRASBOURG, France – The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled this week that Croatia violated the rights of Roma students when it forced them into segregated classes in Croatian public schools.

Fifteen Roma students were segregated into separate classes in two primary schools in Croatia. All of the students were Croatian citizens of Roma ethnicity. The public schools were located in Macinec and Podturen, small villages in the north of Croatia. The villages in that area of Croatia in are in general understood to have negative views of the minority Roma population, like many areas of central Europe.

The ECHR ruled that segregating the students based on language alone constituted discrimination in violation of the EU Convention of Human Rights.As a result of the ruling, Croatia must pay the students 77,500 Euros, which amounts to 4,500 Euros each in compensation and 10,000 Euros in court fees.

This decision builds on previous ECHR rulings, where segregation of Roma students into within public schools based on ethnicity and in separate special schools for children with mental disabilities was ruled discriminatory.

The Roma students in this case initially brought a lawsuit in Croatia’s trial courts, but that case was summarily dismissed. An appeal to the Croatian Constitutional Court was likewise denied. The defense in previous litigation successfully argued that fully segregated classrooms were necessary based on Roma students needing additional class time on learning the Croatian language.

According to Lydia Gal of the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), the European Union will likely penalize Croatia in its effort to be admitted to the EU in 2012 as a result of this decision. Dzavit Berisha of the ERRC said that those of Roma ethnicity will continue to face discrimination in Croatia, despite this decision.

For more information, please see:

B92 – EECHR: Croatia discriminating against Roma children – 17 March 2010

CROATIAN TIMES – Croatia to pay Roma €77,500 for school segregation – 17 March 2010

BBC – European Court says Croatia violated Roma rights – 16 March 2010

PR NEWSWIRE – Europe’s Highest Court Rules Roma School Segregation by Language Illegal – 16 March 2010

Author: Impunity Watch Archive