“We remember the victims of the Roma Holocaust today and reiterate our commitment to fighting anti-Gypsyism in all its forms”, declared John Warmisham (United Kingdom, SOC), Congress Spokesperson on Roma issues and Councillor of Langworthy, Salford, on the occasion of the International Remembrance Day of the Roma Holocaust (“Pharrajimos”). The Remembrance Day commemorates the 73rd anniversary of the extermination of more than 3,000 Roma inmates in the Auschwitz-Birkenau gas chambers on the night of 2-3 August 1944. Mr Warmisham called on all local and regional elected representatives to use this occasion to “give a strong and clear signal to combat anti-Gypsyism”. He invited mayors in all member States to sign the Declaration opened for signature by the Congress in March 2017,to defend human rights and democratic principles and reject all forms of discrimination, violence, harassment, incitement to hatred and hate speech against Roma and Travellers. Furthermore, Congress Secretary General Andreas Kiefer represented the Congress at the commemorative ceremony organised in memory of the Roma victims organised on 2 August 2017 on the forecourt of the Palais de l’Europe. Photo: Andreas Kiefer, Secretary General of the Congress (right)

• Council of Europe honours victims of Roma Holocaust
• Statement by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks
• European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion