Brazil Senate Holds Public Hearing on Romani Holocaust

On Tuesday, August 4, the Brazilian Senate's Human Rights Commission (CDH) convened a public hearing to discuss the memory of the Romani Holocaust and to address anti‑Gypsy racism, antisemitism and other forms of ethnic intolerance. The session was initiated by CDH president Senator Damares Alves, who cited estimates that up to 500,000 Romani people were killed by the Nazi regime and that 4,300 were murdered in a single night at Auschwitz in August 1944.

Researchers and community leaders, including Romani rights specialist Aline Miklos and traditional communities coordinator Hayanne Iovanovitchi, emphasized that preserving this history is essential for education, justice and the prevention of future violations. Miklos highlighted the long‑standing nature of anti‑Gypsy prejudice, while Iovanovitchi called for public policies to combat racism. The hearing also presented the "Mapa da Memória Romani nas Américas," a project documenting the history and rights violations of Romani peoples across the continent.