Senators: Vsetin town hall likely infringed on human rights in a number of cases

Senator Josef Pavlata - the head of the Senate Committee on Human Rights - has indicated that in all likeliness the city hall in the east Moravian town of Vsetin did not respect human rights when it relocated several Roma families to a number of areas in the Jesenik region, including Vidnavy, Stare Cervene Vody and Vlicice. The families were evicted from their original homes for repeatedly defaulting on rent. The committee, inspecting in the region over two days, found the circumstances of the families' evictions were not in order. The committee has criticised the fact that families were moved to new locations either at early morning or night, with no opportunity to see the homes first; as well they were reportedly pressured into signing new leases.

By comparison, on Thursday the Senate committee visited a highly-publicised site of portacabin homes in Vsetin, where thirty-six mostly Roma families were relocated. There, they found city hall had not infringed on human rights.

Author: Jan Velinger