The Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination determined direct intersectional discrimination against the City Swimming Pool “Markovi Kuli” Prilep which discriminated against a group of Roma based on race, skin color, social origin, ethnicity and belonging to a marginalized group, by denying them entrance and use of services.
The complaint to the Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination was submitted by the Association for Rights Education and Transparency STANICA P.E.T. Prilep, which claims that the employees in the pool rejected the Roma citizens and did not let them in, while citizens from other ethnic communities entered the pool without any problems.
After a group of Roma who were not allowed to enter, they decided to protest and rebel against this discriminatory practice, the owner came to the entrance of the pool and threatened those present that which such behaviour, he would not let Roma in his other facilities either.
The Commission addressed the management of the City Swimming Pool “Markovi Kuli” Prilep to comment on the claim in the complaint, but they did not respond within the legal deadline of 15 days.
Examining the evidence submitted in the complaint, the Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination concluded that the pool owner restricted access to public goods and services to Roma ethnic citizens on the basis of skin color, race and ethnicity.
The Commission recommends to the person in charge of the City Swimming Pool “Markovi Kuli” to eliminate the discrimination by sending a public apology in the form of a statement to the Roma ethnic community for the discrimination in at least two media and on their public profile on the social network “Facebook”. The perpetrator is obliged to act upon the recommendation within 30 days from the day of receipt and is obliged to inform the Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination. If the perpetrator does not act upon the recommendation, the Commission has the right to initiate misdemeanor proceedings before the competent court for misdemeanors. The recommendation is aimed at sensitizing the authorized person at the City Swimming Pool “Markovi Kuli” with the group of citizens from the Roma ethnic community so that in the future the access to public goods and services will be equally provided to all citizens.