Title

The Romani Minority in Russia

Thursday, September 23, 2004
2325 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
United States
Official Transcript: 
Witnesses: 
Name: 
Dr. Dimitrina Petrova
Title: 
Executive Director
Body: 
European Roma Rights Center
Name: 
Leonid Raihman
Title: 
Consultant
Body: 
Open Society Institute
Name: 
Dr. Alexander Torokhov
Title: 
Director
Body: 
Roma Ural

The Helsinki Commission examined the situation of the Romani minority in Russia, with a focus on hate crimes, police abuse, and discrimination in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Beslan, during which Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to the potential for many ethnic-confessional conflicts in the Federation. Reports by Roma of racially motivated attacks by law enforcement agents were also points of discussion.

Panelists – including Dr. Dimitrina Petrova, Executive Director of the European Roma Rights Center; Alexander Torokhov, Director of Roma Ural; and Leonid Raihman, Consultant for Open Society – provided background information on Russia’s Romani minority, setting their discussion in the current context of the current political, economic and security climate in Russia.

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