The Czech Republic has come under fire in a report by human rights watchdog
Amnesty International for exporting torture equipment to countries where
they are likely to be used. Amnesty says the export of items like shackles
that give electric shocks raise real concerns that clear EU rules banning
trade in torture equipment are being breached.
The Education Ministry has proposed introducing lessons in Romani language
and culture in schools, to encourage Roma pupils and foster greater
integration in society. The plan, reported this week by the newspaper
Lidové noviny, is still in the early stages – the ministry is about to
launch a pilot project in a number of schools.
The National Library is currently holding a special exhibit of the work of
the first printing press in Bohemia. The seven original works made by
anonymous printers in Plzeň in the late 15th century have been out of the
public eye for 34 years. Foremost among them is the Trojan Chronicle, which
for more than a hundred years has been at the centre of debate over when
Czechs first began printing.
My Neighbor, My Killer, which is being screened at the One World festival
of human rights documentaries in Prague, focuses on local tribunals called
Gacaca set up following the horrific 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Under the
Gacaca system, the victims give testimony in front of their communities
against the perpetrators, who in many cases live alongside them.
