Viktória Mohácsi
Viktória Mohácsi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 2004–2009 | |
| Preceded by | Gábor Demszky |
| Succeeded by | ? |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 April 1975 Berettyóújfalu, Hungary |
| Political party | Alliance of Free Democrats |
Viktória Mohácsi (born April 1, 1975 in Berettyóújfalu) is a Hungarian politician of Roma ethnicity. Between 2004 and 2009 she was a Member of the European Parliament, one of only a small caucus of Roma MEPs (another ethnic Romani member is Lívia Járóka). She was a member of the Alliance of Free Democrats, part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party). She replaced a party colleague, Gábor Demszky, on 1 December 2004. In the July 2009 European elections, she lost her seat.
In 2008 in Rome she was granted the "Premio Minerva" for her activity in defense of human rights of Roma. On 21st October, Mohácsi, who has taken the lead in documenting violence toward the Roma in Hungary, received Human Rights First's 2010 annual award in New York.
The Movement for Desegregation Foundation led by the former European Parliament Member Viktória Mohácsi, the leading domestic monitor of anti-Roma attacks and hate crimes documented 68 attacks, of which 12 lead to death between January 2008 and June 2010.
Mohácsi attracted heavy criticism several times for indiscriminately defending Roma people even when they commit crimes. After the murder of handball player Marian Cozma by Roma men (see Veszprém stabbing) she commented on TV that "he must have provoked them".[1] Péter Magyarády, the chairman of Cozma's handball club, confuted the assumption that Cozma made disparaging comments about the Roma. Mohácsi later apologized.[2] In another interview she apparently found nothing wrong with Roma stealing street garbage bins, because "they know they can get money for them".[3]
In 2009, Mohácsi requested police protection due to serious threats she had received. Newspaper Nepszabadsag reported in February 2012 that the former Member of European Parliament Mohácsi has asked for asylum in Canada.[4]
Sources
- ^ Mohácsi Viktória: „cigányozott Cozma feltehetőleg” hircity.hu, March 4, 2009
- ^ Cozma-gyilkosság: bocsánatot kért Mohácsi Viktória hvg.hu, March 4, 2009
- ^ Gettó-gondok. MiNap Online, November 23, 2008
- ^ http://www.romea.cz/english/index.php?id=detail&detail=2007_3142
External links
- Official website
- Work in mass-media
- A discrimination issue
- Interview with Viktória Mohácsi and Lívia Járóka
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