The police have charged three men with rioting because of their involvement in the mass brawl between Romani and Ukrainian people that took place on 1 July in Pardubice, Czech Republic. The prosecutor’s statement indirectly revealed that two of those charged are Romani and one is a Ukrainian citizen. The investigation is expected to be closed by the end of this month. The incident sparked protests by some Romani people. Police originally suspected three foreign nationals of rioting, but persons from both communities are now being prosecuted. “The police started the prosecution of a total of three persons for the offense of rioting under Section 358 para. 1 of the Penal Code. Two of the accused are Czech citizens and one is a Ukrainian citizen,” prosecutor Aleš Veselý told Romea.cz.
Similar demonstrations by Romani residents were held this summer in Brno and in Krupka in the Teplice district. Representatives of the city, police, and the Romani and Ukrainian communities came together in Pardubice on 3 July to discuss the situation.
