Human Rights officials seek priority probe into Romani man’s death after police action

Commissioner for Human Rights Helena Válková has called for a priority and objective investigation into the circumstances the death of a Romani man detained by police in Teplice on Saturday.

The 46-year-old man died in an ambulance after police intervened in a scuffle and subdued him. A forensic autopsy found the cause of death was likely a drug overdose, police said.

But many are questioning the official version of events, equating his death to that of George Floyd in the US. In a video shared widely on social media, Czech police officers appear to kneel for minutes on the neck of the Romani man.

The Council of Europe said in a statement on Wednesday that the police action was “alarming and raises numerous questions about the circumstances of this tragic incident.”

The Czech branch of the human rights organization Amnesty International has also called for a thorough investigation. It characterised the police intervention as excessive and illegal.