Police Verbally Abuse Roma in Serbia and Montenegro

11 March 2005

On October 9, 2004, Ms Bahtija Beriša, a Romani woman, testified to the ERRC, working in partnership with the Belgrade-based Minority Rights Center (MRC) that earlier that day she had been verbally abused by police officers while collecting raw materials in Belgrade. At around 1:00 PM Ms Beriša was passing under a bridge pushing a handcart for the collection of raw materials when she came across two young police officers standing beneath the bridge. One of the officers went to move a gate, which was blocking the sidewalk, but the other reportedly cursed Ms Beriša, stating, "You Gypsy Albanian. Go to Kosovo. There are many streets which you can use!" Ms Beriša turned back the way she had come and went home. Ms Beriša did not pursue legal action.

(ERRC, MRC)