Open Letter to the president of the European Commission for the dignity for Lety
Lety Publication – The Times
Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 200
In the heart of Europe, a pig farm currently sits on the site of a concentration camp. It is the duty of the European Union to finally act and put an end to this "locucide", this crime against the place.In Lety, Czech Republic, the camp established in 1939 to detain different types of prisoners was transformed into a concentration camp exclusively for Roma in July 1942 until its closing in August 1943. Hundreds of Roma were reduced to a state of forced labor, died in the camp, or were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Since 1973, an industrial pig farm has been operating on the site of the camp. This means putrid odors, an ignorance regarding the history of the site, a lack of effort to find the remains of the dead, an absence of tombs,…
In a few words: a stain on the dignity of the dead and the living.
This locucide resonates with the genocide of the Roma during World War II, the "Samudaripen". It reflects the persecutions and discriminations of which they are still targets today in numerous countries in Europe. It symbolizes the lack of knowledge relative to this part of our history. While the European flag is displayed on the fence of the farm, which receives subsidies from the EU, this locucide has become a symbol of the unbearable indifference of public institutions for these dead, the survivors and their descendants. For several years, European civil society, led by the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement (EGAM) and its partners in the Czech Republic, has fought to restore dignity which suits to the site and to the history of the Samudaripen.
It shows the path to follow: international commemorations involving Roma as well as non-Roma, historical research, collection of testimonies, transmission of the history and the memory of the genocide, construction of a dignified memorial,…Successive Czech authorities have continually promised, for over thirty years, to relocate the pig farm. Yet, it has never moved. A stele was built, but on the mass graves, deepening the symbolic violence of the site. Recently, the Deputy-Prime Minister and Finance Minister has even publicly denied the nature of the concentration camp, before being forced to apologize.
The Czech government has evaluated the cost of the relocation at between 10 to 20 million euros, in other words, a trifling sum for the budgets of the Czech Republic and Europe. Its lack of will, or at least action, cannot endure. The involvement of the European Union is imperative. It is a site of genocide perpetrated in Europe, by European countries, against citizens of a European country, in a concentration camp constructed by a European country, guarded by the police of a European country.
Europe cannot decently walk away from this history.Therefore, we ask you, Mr. President, to not cast the responsibility unto others but to fully engage the European Commission to put an end to the locucide of Lety. Along with the European civil society, we want to work with you towards this end.It is a question of dignity. For the dead, for the survivors, for their descendants, for the Roma, for all. For Europe.
Benjamin Abtan, Coordinator of the Elie Wiesel Network of Parliamentarians of Europe for the prevention of mass atrocities and genocide and against genocide denial, President of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement – EGAM
and 82 parliamentarians from 20 countries :
20 MEPs :
Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea, Member of the European Parliament (Spain), Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament (Italy), Frank Engel, Member of the European Parliament (Luxembourg), José Inácio Faria, Member of the European Parliament (Portugal), Ana Gomes, Member of the European Parliament (Portugal), Danuta Maria Hübner, Member of the European Parliament (Poland), Yannick Jadot, Member of the European Parliament (France), Eva Joly, Member of the European Parliament (France), Jude Kirton-Darling, Member of the European Parliament (United Kingdom), Stelios Kouloglou, Member of the European Parliament (Greece), Merja Kyllonen, Member of the European Parliament (Finland), Philippe Lamberts, Member of the European Parliament (Belgium), Luigi Morgano, Member of the European Parliament (Italy), Soraya Post, Member of the European Parliament (Sweden), Cristian Dan Preda, Member of the European Parliament (Romania), Michèle Rivasi, Member of the European Parliament (France), Csaba Sógor, Member of the European Parliament (Romania), Ivo Vajgl, Member of the European Parliament (Slovenia), Bodil Valero, Member of the European Parliament (Sweden), Julie Ward, Member of the European Parliament (United Kingdom)
62 national MPs :
Said Abdu, Member of Parliament (Sweden), Gerry Adams, Member of Parliament, President of Sinn Féin (Ireland), Michel Amiel, Senator (France), David Assouline, Senator (France), John Brady, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Pat Buckley, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Fanélie Carrey-Conte, Member of Parliament (France), Rose Conway-Walsh, Senator (Ireland), Seán Crowe, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Pascale Crozon, Member of Parliament (France), David Cullinane, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Loredana De Petris, Senator, President of SEL Group in the Senate (Italy), Máire Devine, Senator (Ireland), Karamba Diaby, Member of Parliament (Germany), Pearse Doherty, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Cécile Duflot, Member of Parliament (France), Dessie Ellis, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Martin Ferris, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Kathleen Funchion, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Paul Gavan, Senator (Ireland), Dennis Gratz, Member of Parliament (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Meyer Habib, Member of Parliament (France), Rasmus Hansson, Member of Parliament (Norway), Goran Ješić, Member of Parliament (Serbia), Philippe Kaltenbach, Senator (France), Martin Kenny, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Jan Klawiter, Member of Parliament (Poland), Alev Korun, Member of Parliament (Austria), Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Senator (Ireland), Noël Mamère, Member of Parliament (France), Rachael Maskell, Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Sandrine Mazetier, Vice-President of the National Assembly (France), Mary Lou McDonald, Member of Parliament, Vice-president of Sinn Féin (Ireland), Finian McGrath, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Peter Meiwald, Member of Parliament (Germany), Denise Mitchell, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Paul Molac, Member of Parliament (France), Imelda Munster, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Carles Mulet García, Senator (Spain), Philippe Noguès, Member of Parliament (France), Carol Nolan, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Eoin Ó Broin, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, Senator (Ireland), Niall Ó Donnghaile, Senator (Ireland), Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Jonathan O'Brien, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Louise O'Reilly, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Birgitta Ohlsson, Member of Parliament (Sweden), Christophe Premat, Member of Parliament (France), Milorad Pupovac, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-President of SDSS (Croatia), Maurice Quinlivan, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Barbara Romagnan, Member of Parliament (France), Jean-Louis Roumégas, Member of Parliament (France), Tommy Sheppard, Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Brian Stanley, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Marinika Tepić, Member of Parliament (Serbia), Stavros Theodorakis, Member of Parliament (Greece), Peadar Tóibín, Member of Parliament (Ireland), Catherine Troallic, Member of Parliament (France), Fintan Warfield, Senator (Ireland), Zoran Živković, Member of Parliament (Serbia)