romanationmovement

[romanationmovement]

We speak today not only to remember, but to bear witness—on behalf of every Roma and Sinti child murdered, tortured, or dehumanized under the Nazi regime. We speak as survivors, descendants, and members of the Roma Nation, whose grief has been compounded by historical erasure and post-war silence. Two names stand as symbols of this barbarity cloaked in science: Eva Justin and Josef Mengele.

The Crimes of Eva Justin – Betrayal Disguised as Science

Eva Justin, a racial anthropologist under the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, exploited Roma and Sinti children under the false pretense of research. She visited orphanages, smiled in the faces of children, gained their trust, and meticulously documented their features—all while preparing them for deportation to Auschwitz.

She selected over 40 children in Mulfingen for her doctoral study. These children were subjected to humiliating measurements, psychological tests, and racial classification. When she was done using them for her thesis, she sentenced them to death—many were murdered in the gas chambers of Auschwitz in May 1944. Eva Justin’s so-called “science” served as a passport to genocide.

And what happened to her after the war? Nothing. She was never prosecuted. She returned to public life, worked as a psychologist, and lived out her days in peace—while the children she betrayed were buried in mass graves.

The Crimes of Dr. Josef Mengele – The Butcher of Auschwitz

Josef Mengele, known by survivors as the “Angel of Death,” carried out sadistic medical experiments on Roma and Sinti children with chilling detachment. In the Zigeunerlager—the “Gypsy camp” at Auschwitz—he hand-picked children for inhuman tests.

• He sewed twins together in crude attempts to create conjoined bodies.

• He injected chemicals into children’s eyes to try to change their color—causing blindness and excruciating pain.

• He performed sterilizations, amputations, and mutilations without anesthesia.

• He infected children deliberately with deadly diseases to observe their slow death.

• And when he no longer needed his “specimens,” he had them murdered with a phenol injection to the heart.

His victims—often Roma—were numbers to him. But to us, they were our children, our siblings, our future.

After Nuremberg: A Deafening Silence

At Nuremberg, the world swore: “Never Again.” Yet for the Roma and Sinti, the promises of justice and remembrance were empty.

• Not a single person was tried at Nuremberg specifically for crimes against the Roma.

• Eva Justin walked free. So did many others responsible for the Roma genocide.

• Josef Mengele escaped to South America and died in Brazil, unpunished.

• Our dead were not mentioned in textbooks. Our pain was not taught in schools. Our genocide was ignored.

Germany did not formally recognize the Porajmos until 1982—nearly 40 years after the war. Reparations were delayed or denied. Memorials came late. And to this day, in many parts of Europe, Roma are still treated as second-class citizens, still denied justice, still spoken of with the same racist pseudoscience that killed our children.

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We Remember, We Demand

On behalf of the Roma Nation Movement, we say clearly:

• The crimes of Eva Justin and Josef Mengele were not isolated acts—they were part of a systemic racial war against our people.

• The world’s failure to prosecute these crimes and acknowledge our suffering is itself a historic injustice.

• We demand full recognition of the Porajmos as part of the Holocaust, including in education, memorialization, and reparations.

• We demand that the silence ends—because silence is complicity.

We are not forgotten shadows in the margins of history. We are still here. We remember our dead, and we will speak their names.

Never again—for anyone. Never again—for the Roma.

[romanationmovement]

Roma Nation Movement Statement on Rising Hostility in Northern Ireland

We, the Roma Nation Movement, are deeply alarmed and outraged by the recent wave of hatred, discrimination, and violence directed at Roma families in Northern Ireland. Our community has long faced systemic prejudice across Europe, but the intensity of the recent attacks—targeting innocent families and even involving clashes with law enforcement—marks a dangerous escalation.

Let it be clear: there is no justification for collective punishment. A single incident or individual cannot and must not be used as a pretext to demonize an entire people. The Roma are not a monolith. We are individuals, families, workers, believers, and neighbors. If a crime is committed, let justice address the individual—not fuel a witch hunt against a whole community.

We are particularly disheartened by this happening in a society that proudly identifies as Catholic and Christian. Where is the Christian commandment to love thy neighbor? To forgive? To protect the innocent? These attacks do not reflect the values of compassion, faith, and community that so many Irish people profess to uphold. You cannot beat your chest in Church on Sunday while attacking Roma families in your neighborhood on Monday.

To those who see us only as outsiders: We are not going anywhere. We have lived in Europe for centuries. We contribute, we survive, we raise our children in your schools and work in your towns. We are your neighbors whether you like it or not.

To the people of Northern Ireland and to leaders—religious, political, and civic—we demand:

• An immediate end to the hate-fueled violence against Roma families.

• A public condemnation of generalizations and racist rhetoric.

• Protection and justice for Roma victims of violence.

• A serious commitment to integration, education, and truth—not scapegoating.

To our Roma brothers and sisters: Hold your head high. Do not be intimidated. We will not allow lies, fear, or hate to define who we are.

We are Roma. We are human. We deserve dignity.

Roma Nation Movement

June 2025

[romanationmovement]

STOP THIS WAR — BEFORE IT STOPS US ALL.

To the European Parliament, to every leader watching this horror unfold:

You are playing with fire — and that fire is our lives.

How many more graves do you need? How many more cities must burn before you say “enough”?

We are being bled dry in a war we cannot win against a nuclear-armed superpower.

You know it. We know it. The world knows it.

This is not strategy — this is madness.

You send weapons. We send bodies.

You make speeches. We lose homes, limbs, families.

If we die — YOU will not be safe.

Nuclear war knows no borders. You cannot hide behind paper-thin policies and empty resolutions.

The fallout doesn’t check passports. It comes for all.

Bring the peace deal. NOW.

No more blood for pride. No more death for politics.

History is watching. And it will remember who chose peace — and who chose to gamble with humanity’s survival.

[romanationmovement]

Why We Don’t Stand for Palestine

We have no historical or cultural connection to the Palestinian cause or the broader Muslim Arab world. Many of their supporters openly deny the Holocaust—our greatest tragedy—and claim it never happened.

This so-called Palestine will ultimately receive what it has brought upon itself. We stand with Israel—unconditionally.

[romanationmovement]

As Roma, we carry the memory of the Holocaust in our blood. Hundreds of thousands of our people—children, elders, entire families—were murdered by the Nazis because we were Roma. We had no weapons. No army. No state. Like the Jews, we were targeted for total annihilation. It was not a war. It was genocide.

That is why it is deeply offensive and historically wrong to compare the Holocaust to what is happening in Gaza today. The suffering of civilians is always tragic, and no life should be devalued—but this is a conflict involving armed groups, including Hamas, which fires rockets and wages war. This is not the systematic, industrialized extermination of an unarmed people.

The Holocaust was a singular horror. When it is misused as a political metaphor, it dishonors the memory of those who were slaughtered in silence—including our own ancestors.

Remember Gaza for what it is: a painful, complex tragedy. But do not rewrite history. Do not equate genocide with war. And do not use our people’s suffering to score political points.

[romanationmovement]

[romanationmovement]

Roma Who Stand Against Israel:

This is a clear and unwavering message.

We, Roma who stand with the State of Israel, will not remain silent while some among us betray truth and justice by supporting a cause that seeks the destruction of a sovereign nation. Let it be known: if you stand with those who chant for the fall of Israel, you stand against us.

We will confront you. Not with violence, but with strength, with truth, and with loyalty to what is right.

You dishonor our history by aligning with those who glorify terror, who reject coexistence, and who manipulate suffering for political gain. The State of Israel has been a refuge, a partner, and a friend to the Roma people. To turn your back on that is to turn your back on your own.

There is no middle ground. Either you stand with Israel, or you stand against it—and against us.

This is your warning: If you raise the flag of those who call for “Free Palestine” with hatred in your hearts, don’t expect unity, don’t expect support, and don’t expect silence. We will speak out, we will call you out, and we will stand firm.

We are Roma. We stand with Israel. Unconditionally.

[romanationmovement]

Let My People Go.

On this Roma Resistance Day, we remember our ancestors who stood against oppression, who rose with dignity and fought for survival in the face of extermination. Their blood demands truth—not false unity.

We, Roma Christians, are not the same as Roma Muslims. We share history’s cover, but we walk different paths. Faith shapes identity. Belief defines belonging.

Stop using the word “Roma” to blur lines that matter. We respect others, but we will not be diluted. Our traditions, our faith, our future are not negotiable.

This is not hate—it is clarity. This is not division—it is truth.

Today, we honor resistance not just against Nazis, but against erasure—of faith, of truth, of who we really are.

Roma Resistance lives. Roma Christians rise.

[romanationmovement]

We Will Resist.

On this day, May 16th, we remember the brave Roma who rose up in Auschwitz in 1944 — unarmed, unafraid, and unwilling to die without a fight. Their courage lives in our blood.

But today, our people are still dying — in Ukraine, in silence, in exile.

We still have no place to call home.

We are still treated as second-class citizens across Europe and beyond.

We are still erased from history and ignored in the present.

We cry out: No more!

We are a people with ancient roots, with pride, with pain, and with purpose.

We demand what every human being deserves — dignity, protection, and a homeland.

We want first-class citizenship in our God-given Promised Land — a place where Roma children can grow free, safe, and proud.

We want peace. We want justice.

We want a future.

We will not be silent. We will not be forgotten. We will resist.

[romanationmovement]

May 16 – Roma Resistance Day

Today we honor Roma Resistance Day—a day of memory, defiance, and unyielding determination of the Roma Nation. On the night of May 16, 1944, in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Roma prisoners rose in armed resistance against Nazi SS forces, refusing to be silently erased. Though many were ultimately massacred, their courage echoes across generations.

From the fires of the Porajmos (Roma Holocaust), where over 500,000 Roma were murdered, to decades of systemic discrimination, segregation, and forced assimilation—our struggle has never been passive. We have survived slavery, fascism, pogroms, and institutional racism. But survival is not enough. We claim our right to self-determination as a transnational Roma Nation.

We are not a minority. We are a people. A nation without a state, but not without identity, dignity, language, and a rich cultural legacy.

From the 1971 First World Romani Congress to the present Roma Nation Movement, we are building the political, social, and cultural future we deserve—one grounded in justice, autonomy, and unity across borders.

Today, we resist invisibility. We demand recognition. We declare our nationhood.

Roma is rising. We are not asking for permission.

listen in full podcast with #GrattanPuxon for #May16 https://youtu.be/Oz-W6bvwpJg?si=O-RVL7kSpu7-cEX5

[romanationmovement]

Tomorrow, we remember the night our people rose up inside Auschwitz. They had no weapons—only their will to live free. That spirit of resistance runs in our blood. But remembrance alone is not enough.

To the Romani intelligentsia, to the educated among us—this message is for you.

You were not born to beg.

You were not born to manage poverty from behind a desk.

You were not born to sell your people’s suffering for grants, praise, or position.

You were born into a nation with a long memory and a fierce dignity.

You were born to serve—not yourself, but your people.

Do not become another polished voice who speaks for the Roma abroad but does nothing at home.

Do not reduce our struggle to a career.

Do not wear your identity like a costume when it’s convenient and hide it when it’s not.

If you truly care, prove it.

Be a builder. Be a healer. Be a protector. Be useful.

Not another echo in a donor report, not another empty title at a conference.

Our resistance today looks different—but it still demands courage. It demands you live with integrity, work with purpose, and never forget who you are.

The Romani struggle is not a job. It is a duty.

This community doesn’t need saviors. It needs servants.

It doesn’t need fluent English—it needs honest hearts.

It doesn’t need more ‘Roma experts’—it needs real examples.

Tomorrow, we honor those who rose.

Tonight, we ask: Will you rise too?

[romanationmovement]

80 years after WWII, we honor Timofey Prokofiev—an incredible Roma hero. A sailor turned soldier, he died in 1944 during the Olshansky Landing after resisting 18 Nazi attacks. He’s the only openly Roma Hero of the Soviet Union.

[romanationmovement]

Today, on May 9 – the 80th anniversary of Victory over Nazism – we remember a forgotten heroine of history.

Elizaveta Stepanovna Bogdanova (née Marcinkevich) was not just a soldier. She was a defender of Leningrad, a fighter in the skies, and a symbol of strength in the face of annihilation.

When the Nazi war machine surrounded Leningrad, seeking to starve it into surrender, Elizaveta took her place in the Leningrad Air Defense. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t fall back. Night after night, she helped guard the skies from enemy bombers, protecting the lives of millions trapped in the city.

She stood in a war zone where winter could kill as surely as bullets. But her resolve was unshakable. Through siege, hunger, and fire, she endured — and she fought.

Like so many Soviet women who took up arms during the Great Patriotic War, she was not just supporting the fight — she was the fight. While others wrote women out of the story, Elizaveta wrote hers in the sky, with courage, precision, and duty.

Her name may be forgotten in textbooks — but it lives in every life saved, in every child who survived Leningrad, in every plane shot down before it could drop its bombs.

She is our memory. She is our resistance. She is our Romani hero.

Let the world know her name.

Elizaveta Stepanovna Bogdanova (Marcinkevich)

Defender of Leningrad. Fighter in the skies. Soviet soldier. Heroine of resistance. Romani Woman of steel.

[romanationmovement]

Today, on May 9 – Victory Day – we remember a forgotten giant of history.

Alexander Ivanovich Baurov was not only a hero of the Soviet Union, he was a hero of the Roma people — in Russia, in Europe, and around the world.

Born into a Roma family in Saint Petersburg, Baurov defied every expectation the world placed on him. He was a musician. An engineer. A warrior. When the Nazis invaded, Baurov didn’t wait to be called — he volunteered for the front. He served as head of service in the 44th Armored Battalion and was wounded near Krasnoye Selo. He returned to the fight. He rose to command his own division. And he won.

He was decorated with the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Battle Red Banner, and the Order of Alexander Nevsky — among the highest Soviet military honors. Poland awarded him the Cross of Valor. But his fight didn’t end in 1945.

After the war, Alexander Baurov helped design and launch the Soviet Union’s first space rockets — including Sputnik 1, the first satellite in human history.

While much of the world erased the Roma from their history books, Baurov reached the stars.

He is our pride. He is our resistance. He is our hero.

Let the world know his name.

Alexander Ivanovich Baurov

(1906–1972)

Roma soldier. Soviet officer. War hero. Rocket engineer. Legend.

[romanationmovement]

80 years ago, the guns of war fell silent — but for our people, the Roma and Sinti, the silence had already begun in the mass graves, in the gas chambers, in the forgotten genocide Europe called Porajmos. Over 1.5 million of our people were exterminated — not only as victims, but as fighters, as partisans, as soldiers in the Red Army.

We remember the children torn from their mothers. The elders left to die. Whole families erased from the pages of history. We remember the world’s silence.

And yet, from those ashes, we rose.

Our people resisted — in the ghettos, in the forests, on the front lines. Roma and Sinti stood shoulder to shoulder with others who fought fascism, many in the Soviet ranks, refusing to be erased.

On May 8, 1945, peace arrived in Europe — and in the streets of Prague, where the final battles raged, tyranny fell at last. For the Roma and Sinti who survived, it was the beginning of freedom — and the long road toward truth.

Today, the Roma Nation Movement gives solemn thanks to the Allied soldiers — from Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union — whose courage defeated Nazi terror and made liberation possible. You helped save the few who lived, and gave our people a chance to breathe again.

But remembrance is not enough. Europe still forgets our dead. Still silences our grief. Still denies our genocide.

We are the Roma Nation. We remember. We resist. We rise.

[romanationmovement]

On April 15, 2025, authorities in Sofia, Bulgaria, demolished homes in the Zaharna Fabrika neighborhood, displacing around 200 Roma individuals, including children and the elderly. This action proceeded despite a European Court of Human Rights ruling on April 11 that ordered a halt to the demolitions until a court case concerning 14 residents was resolved. 

The demolitions have left many families sleeping in tents or under the open sky, with some seeking refuge in a nearby church. Local officials have faced criticism for downplaying the ECHR ruling and failing to provide adequate alternative accommodations.

This incident highlights ongoing challenges faced by the Roma community in Bulgaria, including forced evictions and inadequate housing solutions. Human rights organizations continue to advocate for the protection and fair treatment of Roma communities across Europe.

📸 For more information and images, visit the full article on Balkan Insight: https://balkaninsight.com/2025/04/30/demolitions-in-bulgarian-capital-leave-roma-community-destitute/

[romanationmovement]

During World War II, they came for us. And the world looked away.

Across Nazi-occupied Europe, Roma and Sinti were hunted down. Branded. Deported. Tortured. Murdered.

Between 500,000 and 1,500,000 of our people were killed — in forests, ghettos, forced labor camps, and death camps. Entire families vanished. Cultures shattered. Names lost to smoke and silence.

We call it the Porajmos — “the Devouring.”

And yet our genocide remains one of the most forgotten chapters of World War II.

But we will not be erased.

We remember. We mourn. We speak.

To our Jewish brothers and sisters: we honor your suffering. We carry it with our own.

To the world: the Holocaust was not only a Jewish tragedy — it was a Romani tragedy, too.

Never again must mean never again for anyone.

Never again for the Jews. Never again for the Roma. Never again for any people persecuted because of who they are.

We are still here.

We remember. We resist.