Brno, Czech Republic: Council of Roma marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Nikolas, disagrees with the acquittal of the man who wielded the knife
One year has passed since the tragic death of a young Romani man, Nikolas D., at the Brno Reservoir. The members of Brno's Council of Roma have marked this sad event by issuing a statement of regret over the loss of this young life and expressing their disagreement with the recent decision of the justice system in this case.
“We share the sorrow of Nikolas’s closest family members, as well as the sense of injustice that has caused even greater pain to his next of kin,” reads the statement. The Council is referencing the fact that prosecutor Petr Bejšovec chose not to appeal the acquittal handed down by the court in this case, despite having said that the court evaluated the complex question of necessary self-defense only within the limits of current jurisprudence.
The Brno Council believes that fact is another reason for the verdict to be appealed. “We believe justice must be available to all irrespective of ethnicity. This case is not just a personal tragedy, but also a symbol of the wider problem of lack of trust in our institutions operating fairly,” the statement reads.
Members of the Brno Council declare that they are still considering further legal moves to bring the entire case to an appeals venue for review. Those signing the statement are Tomáš Ščuka, Jana Horváthová, Miroslav Zíma, Marie Hájková, Jiří Polák, David Horvátko, Petr Banda, Lenka Šarközyová, Jožka Daniel and Jiří Frolec.
The case of the death of the young Romani man at the Brno Reservoir sparked a great deal of discussion and emotion in society last year. After the recent acquittal verdict there were protests by Romani community members and other members of the public who perceive the decision as unjust.
