In 2000, the Government paid considerable attention to the area of human rights and to creating an optimal environment for the development of a multicultural, tolerant society. In terms of this it not only emphasised the education of the whole society towards human rights, the improvement of mutual relations between the majority and the Roma minority, but also the position of the Roma minority in the society. The Government considered building a tolerant multicultural society to be one of the most effective means against xenophobia, racial and other similar ideologies. The activities of advisory bodies to the Government also concentrated on this objective. They were: The Council for Human Right, the Council for Nationalities, and the Inter-Ministerial Commission for Roma Community Issues. These bodies of the Czech Government represented in 2000 a platform where the delegated representatives of the state administration met with the representatives of non-governmental organisations and the public to together participate in draft proposals of the aforementioned current problems in the society. The important event in the area of enforcement of human rights and freedoms was to bring into effect Act No. 349/1999 Coll., on Ombudsman, by electing the first ombudsman by the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic’s Parliament (8 December 2000).
In 2000, the Government emphasised, as in previous years, eliminating racial discrimination, minimising racial attacks, punishing such political parties and civic associations which would in any way supported racism and related extremist ideologies. The Government stressed the need to establish whole-life educational processes, specialised police units, state prosecutors and judges. These objectives were expressed in a number of measures adopted differed in time horizons, from short-term assignments to long-term strategies. 117 Two key resolutions were adopted to address the above-mentioned objectives
The Czech Government continued considering these to be security risks: extremism related to the enforcement of attitudes against the system of society and especially to the declared ”extermination” of some ethnic groups living in the Czech Republic or of the Roma minority respectively. The action against this phenomenon ranked among its priorities in compliance with Resolutions No. 720/1999 and No. 684/2000. 118 In terms of this the Czech Government emphasised an uncompromising action against exponents of such activities. In its ”Report on the Implementation of the Programme Declaration and on the Activities of the Czech Republic from March 2000 Until Present”, the Government evaluated the actions adopted so far.
Criminal Code No. 405/2000 Coll. was amended on the basis of the deputies’ initiative. This amendment affected Sections 198a, 198a (1), 260, 260(1), 261 and new Section 261a was included. The amendment to this Act came into effect on 1 December 2000. A new wording of the Sections is as follows:
This amendment has brought the following changes:
In 2000, the Ministry of the Interior devoted all-round attention to extremism. At the threshold of the third millennium, extremism, racism, and xenophobia were perceived as an international phenomenon crossing national borders, and thus called for a strengthening of international co-operation in fighting it. Generally, it accented the importance of multinational foreign cooperation consisting mainly in the mutual exchange of findings and information and maintaining personal contacts between police experts at the international level. At the same time the Ministry put an emphasis on training projects aimed at increasing the professional level of policemen and their abilities as well as on their unbiased communication with ethnic communities. Last but not least, priority was placed on the assistance to Roma applying for a job at the police to be able to meet relevant requirements.
In 2000, the Ministry of the Interior paid principal attention to facilitating a peaceful meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Prague. It involves a range of activities both at the Governmental and Ministerial levels including contact with non-governmental organisations. The Ministry of the Interior prepared and implemented a media campaign and, in cooperation with the intelligence services, assessed the findings collected, etc. This very demanding assignment, however, did not mean paralysing other activities of the Ministry related to the extremist issue. First of all, the assignments of a permanent nature and the tasks arising from the government’s Resolutions were met on an ongoing basis. 120
First of all, the Ministry of the Interior dealt with the issues of punishing registered organisations for any conduct breaching the conditions for their activities. Therefore, it was solving issues of more offensive actions of the executive bodies against organisations breaching the conditions of their registration. In cooperation with the Security Intelligence Service, they developed ”The Summary Information on Entities Officially Registered with the Ministry of the Interior Whose Activities Contradict the Laws Under Which They Are Registered.” The Government took cognisance of this document through its Resolution No. 384 from 19 April 2000. This document featured a change in the diction related to the registered as well as unregistered organisations in terms of the ”Report on the Issue of Extremism in the Czech Republic”. The information on entities whose activities could partially be, according to the responsible authorities, connected with extremism, anti-system attitudes or the danger of subversion actions was made available to the public.
”The Analysis of Regions (Locations) Mostly Affected by Crime with an Extremist Subtext”, which the members of the Government took cognisance of on 19 April 200 was of considerable importance. By marking out the regions (locations) affected, on a long –term basis and repeatedly by the aforementioned crime, this analysis met its purpose since it clearly defined regions (locations) where the responsible state and self-governing authorities, as well as non-governmental organisations or other social organisations, should devote their attention to with the aim of searching the roots of this negative phenomena in the marked territories in order to contribute, as a next step, towards the reduction of the risk rate through suitably selected preventative measures within the area of their irrespective responsibility. 121 As the development in 2000 showed, the validity of the conclusions resulted from this analysis were confirmed. In the meantime it cannot be supposed that within a short period of time the considerable changes will be made in the structure of the regions (locations) mostly affected by crime with an extremist subtext. There is still room for aimed preventative activities because it is generally known that repression solves consequences without being able to eliminate reasons for the negative phenomena monitored.
In terms of extremist crime, the Ministry of the Interior drew up ”The information on evaluating crimes, committed from 1 January 1996, within which there was an attack against a nation, a nationality or race or a crime of incitement of national and racial hatred was committed, including information on the assessment of all cases where a Roma was either a victim or an offender according to detected facts provided that such ethnic data was monitored”. 122 This information was developed on the basis of the data from the Filing Statistical system of the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic (FSSK PP CR) and the databases of the Ministry of the Interior, which is, every year, the result of cooperation of the Ministry of the Interior, the Czech Police, the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office and court statistics. 123 It was confirmed that in spite of different outputs and methodological processing the results mutually converged. They allow for the evaluation of trends on how to solve extremist crimes, do not report essential discrepancies and thus could be made more perfect in the future, if needed.
In 2000, the implementation of the project prepared in 1999 started. The aim of this project is to establish conditions for the successful enrolment to the police service for ethnic minority members. Two training courses ”Preparing Citizens of National Minorities to be Accepted to the Czech Police Service” were held. Out of 24 participants 4 succeeded; and from the 15 participants of the second course, 4 were successful as well. 124 The successful participants were accepted into the Czech Police service and they continue their education in the second type of courses provided. It is a five-month course for the citizens of national minorities who are already policemen but have not obtained a completed secondary education. This course is aimed at deepening and extending the knowledge and skills of the students in order to be able to attend a two-year course through which they will obtain a complete secondary education, undergo professional preparation and became qualified policemen.
In 2000, the work on the Draft Act on the Right of Assembly ranked among the most important legislative activities. The Draft Factual Legal Intention was approved by Government’s Resolution No. 472 dated 14 May 2001. This Draft of Factual Legal Intention was an initiative by the Ministry of the Interior itself on the basis of its experiences from the course of assemblies organised within the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Meeting. One of the aims of this legal regulation is to prevent or maximally restrict riots and vandalism, including extremist manifestations, while large assemblies of people gather.
As in other European countries, manifestations of racism or xenophobia in relation to foreigners were recorded also in the Czech Republic. From this point of view, ”The Strategy of Integration of Foreigners” can be considered as an important one. This Strategy, in whose development the Ministry of the Interior participated as well, is, apart from other things, aimed at supporting the equal opportunity of foreigners during their integration to Czech society. 125 In some respects, this Strategy represents in relation to extremist manifestations, such as racism, xenophobia or discrimination, a preventative level and enables early warning against such undesirable phenomena or ”symptoms”.
Some advisory (social-legal services) or other projects (information, multicultural centres, assertion of foreigners in the labour market, cultural activities and education, the monitoring of the current situation and discrimination manifestation, etc.) can indicate some individual or local centres of racism and xenophobia as one of the possible reasons of extremist manifestations or xenophobia towards foreigners or among foreigners themselves.
The support of non-governmental organisations and the associations of foreigners together with advisory bodies for foreigner integration issues, established with the district councils, represent one of the guarantees that the problem of residence and foreigner integration has been opened at the professional, administrative, and civic levels. One of the main aims of such advisory bodies was to monitor and analyse the foreign phenomenon in the districts of the Czech Republic in terms of history, present position and situation of foreigners, including discrimination of foreign communities within a district.
The composition of the advisory body itself (district administration authorities, the Czech Police and Immigration Police of the Czech Republic, non-governmental organisations, foreigners, regional trade unions, training organisations) ensures a balanced view on foreigner issues at the local levels, enables the proposal of measures to be adopted by the central state authorities for the further development of the aforementioned Strategy of Integration of Foreigners, and last but not least contributes to the elimination of generally undesired manifestations of a xenophobic or racial nature.
Following up the above-mentioned symposium and on the basis of its conclusions the Czech-British seminar under the name ”Police Work in the Area of National Minorities Protection” was held in October 2000. British lecturers, Czech policemen from various levels of leadership and services, representatives of the Ministry of the Interior and of police schools, as well as representatives of ethnic minorities, participated in the seminar. The objective was to become acquainted with the work of the British police in the environment of ethnic minorities, with their actions combating racism, with the need to increase trust in ethnic groups during police work and with the realistic application of such a need to the relations between the Czech Police and Roma.
By organising this very successful project, room for further seminars of this kind was opened up. Both the Minister of the Interior of the Czech Republic and the British party expressed unambiguous support for such seminars and stressed interest in continuing them. In December 2000, both sides agreed on organising six more seminars in 2001 within the British-Czech Action Plan of Police Cooperation. 126
The second part of this project was prepared, simultaneously. It is being meant for politicians (Parliament deputies and senators), top managers of the state administration and representatives of non-governmental organisations who are involved in the issues in questions and can affect the quality of police work related to ethnic minorities. This part of the project would be held in the form of discussions, lecturers and visits to the Parliament, self- governing authorities and non-governmental bodies, specialised police units and special locations with a high the occurrence of interethnic conflicts and racially motivated crimes. The implementation of this part of the project will be preceded by a discussion seminar (The Role of Modern Police in Democratic Society and cooperation with National Minorities”.
A proposal to include the issues of suppressing extremism to the agenda of the meeting of Ministers resulted from the conclusions adopted at the meeting of the Ministers of the Interior of the Visegrad Four and Austria held in Bratislava (20 October 2000). The Czech Republic decided to take the responsibility of it. As a follow up of this meeting, there was a Czech-Slovak meeting at the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. Both parties arrived to an agreement that working meetings of an ad hoc group dealing with extremists, racial and xenophobic issues and the fight of the police against these negative phenomena would be more useful than setting up a working party at the official level. The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic organised the first of the meetings. With respect to the need to reflect dangers involved in extremism, which could endanger the democratic basis of a state, the Czech party brought up the topics that more or less, in different forms, concerned or could concern extremist issues in the Central European region. The aim of this first meeting of experts dealing with these issues at the level of V4 and Austria was to establish closer mutual cooperation, exchange information and experience. The seminar was held on 13 and 14 March 2001, and was attended by the representatives from Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic. The seminar acknowledged the topical relevance of the items selected by the Czech party providing participants with a range of common points for mutual exchange of views. Some, slightly modified yet basically very similar problems create a sufficient platform for searching common solutions of the issue in question and for co-ordination of actions against the aforementioned negative phenomena in the Central European region 127
The Ministry of the Interior published in Czech and English versions the following publications:
In 2000, the Ministry of the Interior did not collect any findings concerning the activities of the Patriotic Front and the National Castist Front.
The civic association, National Alliance, was abolished. As mentioned above, the Ministry of the Interior decided on 31 March 2000 to dissolve the National Alliance. This decision has not entered into force because the National Alliance took the decision to voluntarily dissolve, adopted prior to the decision of the Ministry of the Interior was reviewed, by the Supreme Court. In accordance with the notification of the National Alliance, the Ministry of the Interior entered the date of abolishment into its database – 15 April 2000. On 18 April 2000 the Ministry of the Interior refused to register the National Social Alliance. The members of the National Alliance strived for its registration. The decision of the Ministry of the Interior was justified by pointing out the undemocratic nature of the Statutes and proclaimed there to be links to the dissolved civic association, the National Alliance. The members of the NSA preparatory committee have not made further steps towards the establishment of the party and no remedy by the Supreme Court has been made
Furthermore in 2000, the Ministry of the Interior rejected the registration of the National Party. The members of the preparatory committee were personally linked to the National Castist Front and the Patriotic League, whose activities were under discussion in 1995 – 1998. The proposal for registration in this case did not comply with the requirements of Act No. 424/1991 Coll., on Assembly in Political Parties and Political Movements, as amended, mainly with respect to the issue of the democratic nature of the Statutes and the right for free assembly in units, societies and other associations guaranteed under Article 20 (11) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.
In accordance with Act No. 83/1990 Coll., on Assembly in Political Parties and Political Movements, as amended, the Ministry of the Interior rejected the registration of a civic association under the name, the Communist Movement of Czechoslovakia. In the case of this association there were two applications. The Ministry decided on them on 27 March 2000 and on 15 September 2000 with reference to the provisions of Section 1 (3) (a) of Act No. 83/1990 Coll., according to which this Act does not apply to the association in political parties and political movements. In both cases the movement aimed at association for the purpose of active participation in the political life of society while the Statutes declared links to Marxism-Leninism as its ideological base. The members of the preparatory committee of the Communist Movement of Czechoslovakia appealed, using a legal remedy, to the High Court in Olomouc.
The Ministry of the Interior also dealt with the document of the Patriotic Republican Party, published on its web sites under the name ”The Complete Political Programme of the Patriotic Republican Party”. According to this material one of the aims of the aforementioned party is to enforce the development and adoption of a new Constitution which would, i.e. ”set up a priority of patriotic and civic membership and place it higher than all national, ethnic and religious interests”. In respect of this, an issue was assessed regarding whether it is not directed towards suppressing the equality of citizens and threatens of the rights and freedoms of citizens, and thus it does not contradict Chapter III of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms or Section 4 of the Act on Assembly in Political Parties and Political Movements, as amended. According to the presented expert’s opinions the mentioned point contradict a cited legal regulation. So, this fact was evaluated by the Ministry of the Interior in the context with the announced changes to the Statutes of the Party made at the VII Extraordinary Congress of this Party. On 21 May 2000 the Ministry made a decision to reject the registration of the modified statutes since they contradicted Section 2(3) and Section 4 of the Act on Assembly in Political Parties and Political Movements, as amended.
Providing Information to the Public on the Danger and Forms of Extremist Conduct
The Ministry of the Interior developed brief, basic information on extremist issues for the press speakers of the Czech Police and the officers of the Preventative Information Groups of the Czech Police. 128
The further media channels of information on extremism in 2000 were, the Press Service of Crime Prevention and the journal Policeman (published monthly). This information was focused on informing the public of typical external signs of the extremist movement and typical ways of committing crimes of an extremist nature – verbal, written, or violent forms. 129
Early information provided to citizens on possible manifestations of extremist movements during the IMF/WB meeting played an important preventative and explanatory role. This campaign was successful in respect to a positive attitude of citizens towards respective interventions of policemen and in terms of their denouncing and not participating in demonstrations.
The Ministry of the Interior responsible for the activities of the National Committee for Preventing Crime supported the projects through which it was possible to start improving interethnic relations, the unfavourable social situation of some Roma communities and the positive emancipation of individual Roma at the local level, and thus in a preventative manner affecting xenophobic moods and extremist manifestations at the local level. This kind of project implemented within the Prevention Crime Programme in 2000 was implemented by 66 cities in the Czech Republic. The self-governments financed these projects and were responsible for them. A total number of 83 projects aimed at multiethnic coherence in the cities were supported, and the value of which reached CZ 4,826,000.
The Ministry of the Interior operates also as the secretariat for the inter-departmental Coordination Commission for Fan Violence and Unsuitable Behaviour During Sports Matches, particularly football matches. The activities of this Commission focus on enhancing the cooperation of the Czech Police and sports clubs while preparing and implementing security measures for football land ice hockey matches and on informing the Czech Police and sports unions on current European trends related to enhancing security at stadiums and preventing fan violence (barriers, fences, effective checks up of crowds, e.g. by using a video systems).
In 2000, preparatory work on pilot projects aimed at social prevention of fan violence started. One of the partial activities was the establishment of the so-called Junior Club against violence. It should be an active participation of sports fans for developing the ideals of fair play, their participation in club work, etc. and their departure from negative manifestations of some fans. The projects are focused on the youngest generation of football and ice hockey fans, who have not been burdened with pathological behaviour manifestations so far. As a further activity, fan violence shall be included into the so-called Minimal Violence.
The ministry of the Interior is a representative of the Czech Republic in the Permanent Committee of the European Convention on Fan Violence and Unsuitable Behaviour During Sports Matches, Particularly Football Matches that was established with the Council of Europe. 130 Preventing fan violence in the course of the European Football Championship EURO 2000 was among the priorities of this Committee. The ministry of the Interior and the Czech Police were actively involved. Members of the Czech Police participated as ”spotters” in security measures during the Championship. In doing this, the Ministry of the Interior was guided by the Recommendation of the Permanent Committee No. 3/1999 on identification and treatment with offenders and the exchange of findings in the course of the European Football Championship EURO 2000”.
The Czech Republic coordinates the activities of the working party established to deal with fan violence. Its establishment resulted from the decisions adopted at the meeting of the Ministers of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Austria.
The basis for the Czech Police’s suppression of extremism was founded through the establishment of a special working site within the Police Presidium (in 1995) and by introducing specialisation at the level of regions and districts (1996). By adopting new internal acts of management at the level of the Ministry of the Interior and the Police Presidium (1999) the work related to extremist issues and the measures aimed at the elimination of extremist crimes were widely and systematically ensured. 131
A continuing trend of higher professionalism of extremist entities and their links to foreign structures, which was i.e. proved by the events related to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Meeting in Prague (September 2000), confirm a need for preventative and offensive responses by the Czech Police to these new elements in 2000. With respect to these issues the following was emphasised:
At the end of 2000, the Ministry of the Interior evaluated extremist issues for the period of the past five years. The following basic facts resulted from such evaluation.
First of all, there were partial corrections to the current system of managing extremist issues, consisting especially in the on going, increasing professionalism of experts, apart from other things, by the stabilisation of personnel working on the issues in questions and making them more professional in fighting extremism (see Personnel Coverage of Extremism). Furthermore, it was necessary to react to new elements in the activities of the entities of the extremist scene and the actual changes in this scene by:
In 2000, problems lasting from the very beginning of the work of specialists for suppressing extremist crimes continued. This work possesses a number of special features. One of the most important assumptions of successful work in this area is to have local and personal knowledge. It is also important to deepen and extend the findings relating to the issue in question. To successfully work in this area, it is necessary to pay full attention to extremist crime in its latent form while the operative work remains a priority. The personal accountability of senior officers for extremist issues and meeting tasks related to them should be more stimulated by the change in standard appraisals towards the appraisals based on an actual situation in the territory. This change is supported also by the fact that extremist crimes are predominantly latent, thus they must be searched for and they are difficult to be proved, and they cannot be evaluated only by qualitative indicators.
Currently, the officers of the Criminal Bureau of the Police Presidium are preparing relevant instructions and control measures aimed at the strict observation of binding instructions in this field. It is also necessary to maintain systematic jobs and corresponding functions of the experts included.
Preventative activities of the Czech Police in the field of extremist issues were approached individually, therefore these activities were performed in different regions with different intensity and to a different extent. Mainly lectures and discussions for pupils and teachers at schools and educational facilities were organised together with training courses for the members of the District Czech Police. Contacts with the Municipal Police, municipalities and Roma advisors were maintained as well.
The preparation and education of a new generation of policemen, including the concept of whole-life education of policemen and investigators, ranked among the priorities of the Ministry of the Interior..
In 2000, the Ministry of the Interior implemented the programme of the Council of Europe ”The Police and the Human Rights in 2000”, a part of which was also the organisation of an international seminar ”The Police and Human Rights – Results Reached and Further Perspectives” at the Secondary Police School in Prague 9 – Hrdlorezy. The Professional Information and Documentary Centre for Education on Human Rights was established at this school. Respect and protection of the rights of an individual and society from the side of the police can be one of the ways on how to eliminate extremist tendencies.
The ENFOPOL 118 (1999-2000) project is equally important. This project is co-ordinated by the Association of European Police Academies aimed at assisting the candidate countries with the adoption and application of the EU rule of law regulating police work. Out of 13 special modules, the following are examples of ones related to the issue monitored :
Increased attention was devoted to this issue of extremism at secondary police schools. In this respect the ”Anti-racial Programme” running for the second year at the Secondary Police School in Prague 9 – Hrdlorezy can be highly evaluated. Extremist issues are now incorporated into the secondary police school syllabus in some of the subjects, e.g. uniform police service, law, police deontology or applied psychology for the students of basic professional preparation. Some special lectures, such as ”Rowdyism with a Racial Subtext”, ”Intolerance, Extremism, Racism” etc., are incorporated into human sciences taught to students who are preparing for school-leaving examinations and to the students of supplementary programmes. This programme, having about 40 teaching hours, was supplemented by discussions with experts. The project ”Neighbours”, developed in co-operation with the Czech Helsinki Committee, also contributed to developing tolerance among the young generation of policemen. 133
In 2000, as in previous years, further education of policemen and investigators was ensured through Czech Police units and the investigation bureaux mainly in the form of lectures and technical seminars. Selected policemen also participated in seminars organised by foreign partners. Within technical seminars the participants were informed especially about new trends in crimes having an extremist nature, they could also exchange experiences related to the investigations and clearing up of racially motivated crimes. The handbook ”Extremism” and publication ”Symbols of Extremist Movements” solving the issues related to the usage of symbols of extremist movements and crime responsibility arising from their use remained basic teaching materials for extremist topics. 134 The Ministry of the Interior provided a specialist dealing with extremist issues with the Czech translation of the 1999 German Security report published every year by the Federal German Bureau for Constitution Protection. Such materials for studies (the 2000 report) will be prepared again in 2001.
In 2000, 148 persons (in 1999, 1,666 persons) were lawfully sentenced for crimes motivated by racial intolerance, which accounts for 0.2 % of the total number of 62,082 persons lawfully sentenced. Out of the stated number were 35 juvenile offenders, which is 21.08 %, and 13 persons were repeated offenders.
The persons sentenced under the following Sections of the Criminal Code: most persons (57) were sentenced under Sections 260 or 261– the support and propagation of movements aimed at suppressing citizens’ rights and freedoms; 29 offenders were sentenced under the Section 196– violence against a group of citizens or an individual; 24 persons under Section 198 or 198a–defamation of a nation, race or conviction or incitement of national and racial hatred respectively; 16 persons under Section 221 - injury to health; 4 persons under Section 235 - extortion; 3 persons under Section 202– rowdyism; 2 persons under Section 222– intentional severe injury to another person’s health; 2 persons under Section 279 – violation of soldiers ‘rights and protected interests; 2 persons under Section 155 – assaults on public officials; 2 persons under Section 201a – drunkenness; 2 persons under Section 197a – violence against a group of citizens or an Individual; 1 person under Section 231 – restriction of personal freedom; 1 person under Section 234 – robbery; 1 person under Section 247 –larceny; 1 person under Section 278 – embezzlement; and 1 person under Section 276 –insults between soldiers.
The greatest number of persons sentenced for the above crimes were recorded in North Moravia (63), followed by South Moravia (17), West Bohemia (17) and Prague (17).
In the majority cases, 93 persons, the sentenced persons received sentences with a suspension (62.8%). Sentences without a suspension were imposed on 20 sentenced persons (13.5%) and other sentences were imposed on 16 sentenced persons. 25 offenders (15.9%) were sentenced to beneficial public work. 7 persons (4.7%) were refrained from punishment, three offenders (2%) we imposed a financial fine.
The instruction of the Minister of Justice to presiding judges to review decisions in closed matters as to their lawfulness and to give room for complaints about violations of the law where appropriate remained valid. In 2000, the Minister of Justice lodged one complaint on violation of the law unfavourably for the persons sentenced. The Supreme Court of the Czech Republic by its judgement decided that the law was violated and returned the case for a new proceeding. 135 Another complaint is suggested to be lodged.
In 2000, in comparison with 1999, the total number of prosecuted and accused persons for crimes monitored considerably decreased - by 7.7%. 136 Only the number of crimes prosecuted under Section 198 of the Criminal Code – defamation of a nation, race or conviction and under Section 198a of the Criminal Code – incitement of national and racial hatred rose (see table No. II/5).
A share of crimes motivated by racial, national or any other hatred in the total number of crimes has still remained minimal and has not reach 1%.
While taking into account the number of persons prosecuted (117, which accounts for 21.9% of the total number of persons prosecuted) and persons accused (101, which accounts for 22.4% of the total number of persons accused), North Moravia occupied first place.
In terms of the composition of crimes, the majority of crimes monitored were committed by juvenile persons or persons who have just reached adulthood, almost exclusively by members of the skinhead movement when verbal or physical attacks were directed towards Roma equal in age. Those persons have very often been repeat offenders. In other cases there are predominantly verbal attacks having a nature of situational conflicts between the persons from the majority society who have never been sentenced, and Roma on the other side. The conflicts were often provoked or affected by previous the behaviour of victims, however the attacks were not aimed at the subject matter of such a conflict but against the ethnic membership of the victims. Exceptionally, there have also been attacks having a racial subtext by Roma directed towards members of the majority society.
The data available to the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office show that the promptness of proceedings related to crimes committed by national, racial or other similar hatred has been better than proceedings relating to other kinds of crime.
It was difficult to prove an offence committed by the wearing various symbols and cloth badges, which are worn on the clothes of skinhead movement supporters. The problems come up when these are not obvious fascist symbols, but signs written in German or English. An expert’s opinion is needed to assess the interpretation. Furthermore, there were difficulties proving a motive to the offenders’ publishing of various press materials which had directly become symbols of some movements aimed against the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens since detecting the subject matter is very complex and the scope of evidences made does not usually comply with the legal qualification of the crime prosecuted and with the sentence which could be used (e.g. publication of Mein Kempf).
The heads of the state prosecutor’s offices regularly evaluated situation reports from the police with the aim of assessing whether the crime committed had not been motivated by national, racial or other similar hatred.
On 11 – 15 February 2001 (Stockholm) the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Swedish Kingdom in cooperation with the European Commission organised a multidisciplinary seminar on the issues of suppressing crimes motivated by racial hatred, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. The principal method used at the seminar was a detailed analysis of case studies aimed at both finding legal regulations concerning the crimes in question and options on how to prosecute this phenomenon in individual states, and at issues of Internet crimes in the relevant area. 137 The Czech Republic was evaluated as a state whose legal regulations in the area in question do not deviate from the legal regulations of the developed European countries. As a result of this seminar the European Commission recommended some measures to tackle this issue within the EU.
Although the Chief Inspector for Human Rights Protection within the Ministry of Defence examined in 2000 approximately 100 complaints and petitions, none of them related to the issues of racism, racial discrimination, or xenophobia.
Within the control of the observation of human rights, the inspection teams paid, as every year, considerable attention to racial discrimination at three selected military bases. No problems related to human rights observation were detected during the course of the inspection check ups by a Chief Inspector for Human Rights Protection.
In 2000, as in 1999, problems resulting from racism, xenophobia or extremism occurred very rarely within the Ministry of Defence. Considerable attention corresponding to the danger involved was paid to prevent such negative social phenomena. A basic document for this Ministry, ”The Strategy and Programme to Prevent Pathological Social Phenomena in 1999 – 2000”, aimed at preventative measures against the aforementioned negative phenomena. Such preventative activities are also contained in the follow up strategy focused on preventing pathological social phenomena in 2001 - 2004.
The issues of racism, xenophobia, and extremism were included into all levels of education implemented within the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. The training called ”prevention of Drug Abuse, Alcoholism and Other Pathological Social Phenomena” was commenced by the order of the Minister of Defence. Shortly after their enlistment, national servicemen undergo a training programme and the above-mentioned topics form a part of it. At the same time such topics are a part of the syllabus of the training programmes preparing the national servicemen for becoming junior ranking commanders. These topics were also included in two-week courses in the prevention of pathological social phenomena for commanders of troops, companies, air squadrons, and batteries. These courses were organised centrally. Commanders and teachers at military schools, as well as soldiers leaving for international military missions, underwent similar courses.
In 2000, a special instruction for trainers in the area of prevention against pathological social phenomena was commenced at the Army College in Vyskov. Within such courses the trainers were also prepared on how to solve manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and extremism as highly negative social phenomena.
Special attention was devoted to the issues in question at military schools. The students at secondary military schools learned about those topics in the following subjects: basis of law, basis of social sciences, civics, and some other subjects. The students of army colleges had special lectures related to this topic.
The Ministry of Defence is convinced that to prevent pathological social phenomena it is very important to prepare a wide offer of sports and cultural activities for the spare time of soldiers and to organise consulting services.
In 2000, there were regular cooperative meetings with the experts of the Criminal Bureau of the Police Presidency of the Czech Republic at the level of the Chief Command of the Military Police concerning extremist issues. Individual regional commands of the Military Police closely cooperated with the police experts of the criminal service (at the regional and district levels) while solving actual issues related to extremism. Within this collaboration they mutually exchanged information and also set up criteria for solving crimes having an extremist subtext committed in some of the units under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. Higher attention was paid to the above-mentioned issues during the preparations as well as in the course of the IMF/WB meeting in Prague (September 2000). The Military Police adopted and implemented a wide range of preventative measures to prevent extremists from breaking into military facilities.
In 2000, the police units working within the Military Police investigated altogether 5,026 cases where suspicion of crime was well founded. Out of this number only six cases (0.1%) were examined as crimes with racial or xenophobic motives. In four of these cases the Military Police investigated acts under Sections 260 and 260 of the Criminal Code – support and propagation of movements suppressing citizens’ rights and freedoms, and out of which 1 case also under Section 198 of the Criminal Code – defamation of a nation, race or conviction. Furthermore, they documented 1 case of suspicion of committing a crime under Section 196 of the Criminal Code – violence against a group of citizens or an individual, and one case under Section 198 of the Criminal Code –defamation of a nation, race or conviction.
The offenders perpetrated unlawful conduct as follows:
10 national servicemen and two juvenile persons who committed the crimes together with servicemen, were suspected of committing crimes. The files of 7 persons were submitted to the Czech Police investigator with the proposal to commence prosecutions. In one case the suspicion of committing a crime under Section 198 (1)(a) of the Criminal Code - defamation of a nation, race or conviction – was not proven and the case was suspended under Section159(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The investigations of the Military Police have continued in the two remaining cases.
In spite of the aforementioned cases, in 2000 such crimes were very rare. In 2000, as in 1999, the relevant bodies of the Ministry of Defence did not detect any existence or activities of extremist groups in Czech Army units or regiments.
The Ministry of Culture has a mainly preventative function that should aim at eliminating negative social phenomena. Culture of national minority members is understood as an integral part of the national culture. By penetrating one another, the cultures are mutually enriched, known and understood, which could lead to a reduction of manifestations of xenophobia and racism. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic pay attention not only to supporting cultural events of national minorities, but also supporting the events affecting the majority society.
For 2000 the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic announced projects to support cultural activities of the national minority population living in the Czech Republic. Such projects could involve artistic activities, educational or training activities in various cultural fields, research into national culture and folk traditions of the national minority, documentation of national culture, publication activities, or multiethnic cultural events.
59 civic associations offering 104 projects applied for the grant resulting from the tender for support of cultural events of national minority members. The total sum demanded equalled almost CZK 25 million. A number of civic organisations which traditionally participate in such a tender, applied again, however a great increase was recorded among Roma organisations which is probably the result of the influence of Roma advisors working for district committees. In comparison with the previous years, there were more projects of civic associations of the German minority. 73 projects of 79 civic organisations were granted state subsidies in the amount of about CZK 6.5 million. During the course of the year the Ministry succeeded in increasing funds for this grant so that by the end of 2000 the subsidies from the budget of the Ministry of Culture amounted to CZK 8.7 million. In addition, the Ministry of Culture also provided about CZK 1.25 million from the programme of Roma integration. The total amount of CZK 21 million was provided from the state budget for this programme. 98 projects received a state subsidy. While evaluating the projects the selection was made in compliance with the Strategy For More Efficient Support of Culture –the so-called cultural policy (Government’s Resolution No 401 dated 28 April 1999).
The world Roma festival ”KHAMORO 2000”, held under the auspices of the President, was part of the event ”Prague - the European City of Culture 2000”, ranked together with a television educational series AMARE ROMA among the most important projects implemented in 2000. So far, 16 parts of this TV cycle have been produced and broadcast. Each part is devoted to the culture and history of Roma, a language course and an interesting Roma personality is presented
In November 2000, the reconstruction of premises for the Museum of Roma Culture in Brno was finished. The state contributed the amount of CZK 35 million and this museum has from its very beginning collected and presented artefacts related to traditional as well as current Roma culture through exhibitions, educational programmes, cycles of lectures, and publishing books or music media. It endeavours to contribute, apart from other things, to acquainting and understanding the majority society. From other multiethnic events we can mention another year of a regular Children’s Festival ”TOLERANCE”, the project COEXISTENCE, prepared by the League of Ethnical Minorities, and the multiethnic and multicultural evening ”LIKE AT HOME” organised by the Advisory Office for Integration.
With respect to the up to date geopolitical changes in Europe, to the development in the migration situation and to the interest of the Czech Republic to join the EU, the Government adopted Resolution No. 698 in July 1999 on the Principles of the Strategy of Integration of Foreigners in the Czech Republic and on the Preparation and Implementation of this Strategy. Then in December 2000, the Government approved by its resolution No. 1266 the Strategy of Integration of Foreigners in the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Culture was also involved in its implementation. It will announce, besides the current programme supporting cultural activities of national minority members living in the Czech Republic, an autonomous grant programme also aiming at:
The Ministry of Culture prepared ”the Draft Act on the freedom of religious faith and position of churches and religious societies and on the amendment of some related acts” which was submitted to the Government in February 2001. According to the Draft Act, the approach aimed at churches and religious societies with a lower number of members to become independent legal entities is to be more liberal. This approach shall be balanced by setting up conditions limiting the operation of churches and religious societies. The aim of making conditions more concrete is mainly to prevent registering dangerous sects, i.e. religious societies utilising methods of manipulating adults as well as children which lead to disturbances in family and social relations, and which conceal their teaching or links to their foreign branches.
On 14 March 2000 Act No. 46/2000 Coll., on the Rights and Duties while publishing periodicals came into effect. This Act replaced the original Press Act No. 81/1966 Coll. In accordance with the new Press Act, an original process of registering periodical was simplified and replaced by a mere record which confirms that all requirements regulated by the Act needed for authorisation to publish periodicals in the Czech Republic were met.
In the course in 2000 the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Affairs continued implementing previously commenced projects that impact all prevention of undesired manifestations of conduct motivated by extremist ideologies and attitudes.
This project is aimed at ensuring cooperation in various fields of work with children and youths committing crimes. A pilot PIC project has been implemented in cooperation between the Ministries of the Interior and Labour and Social Affairs. The MLSA ensures methodological management of the PIN employees and supports their supervisory work .
Within the project, 25 participants (25 curators for youth and the PIC staff) are trained. The training itself concentrates on working with clients and his/her family. In 2000, there were 6 two-day teaching blocks aimed at special topics. Curators for youth from all municipal councils from the city of Ostrava participated in this training programme. Thelectures were taught by trainers from the training centre Strep Prague, the training centre Social Work in Judiciary Prague and teachers from the University of Ostrava. 4 supervision meetings professionally managed by the staff of the Social Service Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs were an integral part of the training programmes.
The cooperation of curators for youth with probationary officers within the criminal proceedings against minors could contribute to the motivation of juvenile offenders to solve and remedy the consequences of their crimes, particularly in considering the justifiable interests of victims and their nearest social environment.
This cooperation forms a part of the PIC projects. A manual for cooperation of the curators for youth with probationary service staff (PSS) has been developed; there was a meeting of the PSS with the staff of the PIC Ostrava and the curators for youth. The manual is tested as a pilot project also in the PIC. The conclusions of the meeting were presented to other curators for youth from Ostrava. The objective of the pilot stage is to clarify the competencies of both parties, to name the points of potential conflicts, to make more accurate conditions for giving an offer to a client and to gain needed experience to implement wide cooperation. Important cooperation points are seminars presenting common case studies of curators for youth and the probationary service staff.
In the course of 2000, there were 8 regional conferences of curators for youth, 8 conferences of social curators and 8 regional meetings of social assistants. During the conferences, relevant working parties were established. The individual sessions aimed at changing methodological management of target groups towards regional needs. The following special topics were presented at the conferences: increasing professional competencies of social workers, advisory services, work with drug abusers, work with extremist groups, the establishment of social networks, whole-life education. The topics were selected in agreement between the target groups and methodological staff of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
The centre of education against extremism and other pathological social phenomena should be seen not only at colleges, but also at primary schools, secondary schools and at schools for higher education,.
The MEYS supported a campaign against racism ”The Tolerance Project” by a letter addressed to selected schools. By this letter the Ministry required the support and acceptance of the agency Previa by headmasters. Previa is an agency facilitating this campaign in selected regions.
Furthermore, the MEYS recommended headmasters at all primary and secondary schools to accept multi-culture in their teaching, especially in social sciences with respect to education towards tolerance, and all teachers’ training institutes and faculties of arts (departments of pedagogy and civics) to include lectures on education towards human rights into their programmes of so-called common basic subjects, including information on the MEYS’s instructions issued with respect to education on tolerance and against racism.
The document called White Book was developed and submitted to the Government within the National Programme of Education Development in the Czech Republic. ( The Czech Government discussed and adopted this document on 7 February 20001.) The White book formulates the objectives and strategies of the system of education development and introduces a system view at all educational grades in the Czech Republic.
The new educational Draft Act contains a number of provisions on the prohibition of all forms of any discrimination, protection and respect for rights and the dignity of every child – pupil-student, irrespective of gender.
The Strategy of State Policy in Relation to the Young Generation until 2002 – this document emphasises the creation of conditions for the active participation of young people in decision making processes, including strengthening awareness of national identity and the present European coexistence and respect for other nations, European cultural traditions and values such as tolerance, freedom and responsibility, recognition of democratic principles and values of human rights.
The methodological instruction of the MEYS ref. no. 25 484/2000-22 on the establishment of preparatory classes for children from socially weaker families and on setting up the function of an assistant to the teacher regulates conditions for the establishment of the aforementioned classes and clearly declares the need of such facilities. In 2000, altogether 217 Roma assistants worked at school facilities pursuant this Instruction.
Methodological instruction of the MEYS ref. no. 14423/99-22 on education against racism, xenophobia and intolerance lists the tasks and assignments for school headmasters.
Methodological instruction of the MEYS ref. no. 35 471/99-22 on obligatory school attendance of asylum seekers’ children. The objective of this Instruction is to ensure better conditions for the work of teachers at schools attended by asylum seekers’ children living in asylum facilities.
Methodological instruction of the MEYS ref. no. 21 153/2000-35 to ensure Czech language courses for asylum seekers.
Methodological instruction of the MEYS ref. no. 21 836/2000 - 11 on education of foreigners at primary and secondary schools, schools for higher education as well as special schools. This Instruction simplified the approach for the education of foreigners, mainly at secondary schools, and established conditions for eliminating some strict provisions of the previous instruction.
The regular education of teachers is offered by pedagogical centres and institutions of an advisory system of the MEYS. Among the topics offered are education towards tolerance and against racism, towards human rights, basic communication skills and legal information. Awareness of teachers and students in respect of individual articles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms helps gradually change the climate of the school towards democracy and humanism. .
In co-operation with the civic association ”A Man in Distress” and the International Centre of Spiritual Revival in Hejnice, a series of lectures on ethical and national relations in Europe was commenced in March 2000 . (There have been lectures on Kosovo, Chechnya, the Roma holocaust, the Jewish holocaust, and Bosnia and Herzegovina so far)
Within the education towards intercultural coexistence at schools recommended by the UN document called ”10 Years of Education Towards the Human Rights in 1995 – 2004” the MEYS has authorised and financially subsidised the European Information Centre at Charles University (EIS CU) to prepare educational programmes for teachers and educational and training activities for secondary school teachers.
The MEYS, in co-operation with the Memorial in Terezin, the Educational and Cultural Centre of the Jewish Museum and with the participation of the Roma Museum in Brno, offered an educational seminar to all schools called ”How to Teach About the Holocaust”. In 2000, about 500 teachers were trained and the seminars are going to continue also in the future.
The MEYS published an information booklet on the Holocaust and distributed in to all primary and secondary schools..
The MEYS, in cooperation with the Educational Centre of Masaryk University in Brno, prepared (departments of social sciences at pedagogical faculties) a specially designed seminar for university teachers on teaching about the holocaust. The participants received relevant literature, video cassettes and other materials for teaching.
At the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp in Auswitz. the Office of the President in cooperation with the MEYS announced a literary competition ”The Holocaust – Conscience of Mankind”. 317 works of pupils and students of primary and secondary schools were received. The jury chose the 10 best, which were published in a miscellany and sent to schools. The winners were accepted by President Vaclav Havel at Prague Castle. This event was attended also by the representatives of the Ministry of Education.
The MEYS, in co-operation with the Educational and Cultural centre of the Jewish Museum, has supported the project ”Lost Neighbours”, which is prepared for pupils and students of primary and secondary schools and is aimed at searching for people who survived the Holocaust, discovering relations, links and connections within a village, city or region, and at actual activities of pupils and students related to this topic. Professional associations of history and civics teachers were called for involvement.
” Education Towards the Culture of Human Relations in the Multiethnic Environment” – this programme is utilised, e.g., at the Religious Grammar School in Kutna Hora and at the Teacher’s Training Institute in Hradec Kralove.
”The Democratic School” – the guarantor of this programme is the Centre for Education Towards Human Rights” and this programme has been applied since 1995 at a grammar school in Trebon, a primary school in Kladno and a special school in Rumburk.
”Human Relations and the Present School” this project has been used at the Secondary Pedagogic School and the School for Higher Pedagogical Education in Litomysl and at the pedagogical faculty of Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti upon the Elbe.
”Project Citizen” – is coordinated by the Association for Citizenship Education.
”Where Europe Ends” and ”Islands and Cross-Roads” - Tereza – the Association for Environmental Education.
”Neighbours” – the Czech Helsinki Committee (Mgr.Ondrackova)
A project aimed at the general improvement of the quality of Roma population education has been developed (within Phare). It is called ”The Complete Improvement in Roma Population Education” and is aimed at enhancing curricula for educating the Roma population and followed by training 700 teachers how to apply such curricula. The second objective of the project is to revise and extend the multicultural content of the curricula for all Czech children with the aim to eliminate existing prejudices against Roma and other minorities and to train 400 teachers on how to apply such curricula.
The MEYS within the announced Programmes for Support of Activities of Civic Associations For the benefit of Children and Youth” enabled the implementation of the following programmes :
Civic association DUHA - project ”Hello, Children Rights Speaking” - and ”Come and Meet…Please” prepared by the Alliance of Non-governmental Organisations for Children Rights in the Czech Republic – the projects aimed at education towards human rights. (This entity associates the following organisations: the Czech Section of the Association for International Protection of Children, the Circle (an association of youth), the association ”Security Line for Children and Youth, foundation ”Our Child”, the Association for Observation of the Rights of Children and Parents in the Czech Republic, the Society of Social Paediatrics with the Medical Society of J.E.Purkyne University, the Justice for Children, the Union of Catholic Women, the Union of Fathers, and the Union of Parents).