Four homes occupied by Roma families in the town of Siófok near Lake Balaton in Hungary were the target of a coordinated Molotov cocktail attack in the early morning hours of March 18. There were no injuries, as only one device actually exploded. The houses were occupied by families with small children. “We have moved out of the house since the attack,” one of the Romani residents said. “We are afraid.” Romani activist Zsolt Németh said the attacks were racially motivated. No serious conflicts between the Roma and the majority population have been noted in the area to date. (Romea, Prague, March 18)
The attempted arson follows a nearly identical attack on a Roma family four days earlier in the Czech Republic.
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Hungarian neo-Nazis get life in Roma kill spree
A Hungarian court sentenced four neo-Nazis on Aug. 6 for killing Roma families in a spree of racist violence in 2008 and 2009. The gang killed six Roma and wounded several others in carefully planned attacks across the country over 13 months, creating a climate of fear for members of Hungary’s largest ethnic minority. Three men were imprisoned for life without parole and a fourth for 13 years, also without parole. The ruling may be appealed. (Reuters, Aug. 6)