Sàtoraljaùjhely / Hungary (RNC Agency) 29.09.1997

In the hungarian small town of Sàtoraljaùjhely several Roma families have been officially declared unwanted person and will be banished. This decision ofm t 20th June this year was confirmed by the city council of Sàtoraljaùjhely last Friday, although gove rnment and members of parliament as well as human rights organisations had protested against it.

The 4 families, in total 60 members, shall be removed from Sàtoraljaùjhely, because they are supposed to be a threat to the public security, according to the mayor of the town, Mr. Kàroly Laczkò, and the city council. Four of them are thought to be crimina ls. The families could not integrate themselves into citylife and caused hygenic problems on top of that. Infact, police investigations are taking place agianst four members of the families, but up to now no one of the four has been charged. The decision o f the citycouncil of S. has lead to nationwide protests in Hungary only after human rights organisations criticised the decision of the town. An ombudsman of the Hungarian parliament, Mr. Jenö Kaltenbach, talked of appartheid-policy against Roma, at the be ginning of September.

Also beginning of September the Hungarian inner minister, Mr. Gàbor Kuncze, aked the mayor and the city council of reversing their decision. After they refused todo so, the public prosecutor started an investigation against them. Moreover human rights orga nistios have taken this case to the constitutional court in Budapest . Besides, in mid September the whole affair was taken before the human rights commitee of the Hungarian parliament. The commitee had criticized the city’s action as well and decided to s ubmit a resolution to parliament which will speak out against the decision of the ctiy of S. and condemn the discrimination of the Roma through the decision of the city council of S. in general. Within the comming week parliament will debate it.