Prosecutors in the western city of Poznan have opened an investigation into allegations that the Roma minority are being banned from local pubs on racial grounds.

The Prosecutor’s Office has acknowledged a complaint by the Roma Association in Poland, which claims that excluding Romani from the establishments in Poznan is a case of “blatant racism”.

Roma say they have been publicly humiliated because of their ethnic origin and have fallen victim to verbal assaults and threats, which is a race crime in Poland, punishable by up to three-years imprisonment.

In February, the Prosecutor’s Office said that allegedly banning Roma from pubs was not a race hate crime but merely an offence, an infringement of personal rights and, on that basis, two security guards who did not let the Roma in were fined.

In January, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily revealed that several people of Roma origin were kept out of pubs or restaurants because the owners claimed that they “enter in large groups, raise hell and make a mess.”

After the incident Norbert Napieraj, Poznan city councillor, informed the Prosecutor’s Office about a suspected crime.

Adam G., one of the Roma banned from establishments then filed a motion for compensation and demanded an apology from the pub owner.

We spoke to some of those involved in the case, and NGOs who were supporting the Roma’s complaints, in January. Hear the piece here.

The parliamentary committee on minorities, Interior Ministry, the Ombudsman and the government advisor on equality have been mediating in the case. (mg/pg)

Source: PAP