A/HRC/29/24 A. Pillar 1: protection of existence and prevention of violence against minorities 19. The Special Rapporteur remains concerned that globally there is little awareness that Roma were targeted by the Nazi regime and were subjected to arbitrary internment, forced labour and mass murder. Together with the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, she has called for stronger measures to keep the memory of the Roma Holocaust — referred to as Porrajmos or Pharrajimos in the Romani language — alive, and to enable survivors and others to mark it in a recognized, dignified manner. 14 The Special Rapporteur also notes that violence against Roma is not only an historical circumstance but remains a current reality for many Roma communities. Therefore, Governments must remain vigilant and take appropriate measures against signs of hatred and stigmatization. 20. In 2014, Amnesty International reported that harassment and intimidation of Roma individuals and communities in Europe continued to be widespread.15 One of the most tragic manifestations of hatred against Roma was the serial murder of six randomly selected Roma people, including a five-year-old boy, in Hungary in 2008 and 2009. Roma are reportedly at higher risk of being subjected to violence in other regions too. In Iraq, the Dom are allegedly targeted, their villages reduced to rubble and the residents slaughtered by militants opposed to their religious and cultural traditions. Roma women in Iraq are also reported to be severely exposed to sexual violence and a heightened risk of exploitation. 16 21. Roma are also vulnerable to violence by State actors, which can be both explicit and implicit. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about police harassment, intimidation and abuse. Empirical studies indicate that Roma are overrepresented in the criminal justice systems across Europe, with research indicating that they are often detained arbitrarily on account of their Roma identity. 17 The lack of a visible Roma presence in police forces and judiciaries compounds that problem. 22. The Special Rapporteur also remains concerned by the failure of public authorities to protect Roma from violent attacks. That includes the lack of systematic intervention and condemnation by public figures when political and public discourse perpetuates racist and extreme views about Roma, and the failure of law enforcement authorities to protect Roma from the perpetrators of crimes against them. 18 For example, a violent police crackdown on a Roma community in Slovakia in 2013 was condemned by a number of special procedures mandate holders,19 the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,20 and the country’s Ombudswoman. Nevertheless, the Minister of the Interior of Slovakia publically labelled the Roma victims of that intervention as criminals, and investigation into the police misconduct has been slow, with no charges brought against the police to date. 21 Such failures by authorities to protect Roma adequately and to distance themselves from all 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14917&LangID=E#sthash. bigTt871.dpuf. Amnesty International, “We ask for justice” Europe’s failure to protect Roma from racist violence (London, Amnesty International, 2014). Minority Rights Group, From Crisis to Catastrophe (see note 7 above). Interview with a representative of Minority Rights Group in Iraq. See, for example, A/HRC/27/48/Add.2, para. 117; A/HRC/10/21/Add.5, para. 67; and A/HRC27/48/Add.4, paras. 118–121. Amnesty International, “We ask for justice” (see note 15 above), p. 6. See A/HRC/25/74, p. 60 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13687&LangID=E. Response from the national human rights institution of Slovakia to the questionnaire. 7