An unofficially built settlement, where about 50 Roma people, including women and children, live, may be demolished in Irkutsk. Settlements like the one in Irkutsk appeared in our country after 1956 when a decree banning Roma people from leading nomadic life was adopted. But since then no legal mechanisms for the legalization of their stay in a particular location appeared. Human rights defenders are trying to appeal court decision, which can leave dozens of people in Irkutsk homeless.
Expert of ADC “Memorial” Olga Abramenko and Irkutsk human rights defender Svyatoslav Khromenkov commented on the situation for Open Russia.