In the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh, local Romani women say there is no choice but to beg in order to make a living because they continue to face discrimination. Local Romani women have been complaining to reporters for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that they receive almost no financial support from local authorities, which deny those allegations.

“If the government gave me money for shoes, food and clothes for my children, we wouldn’t need to go out begging,” said Gulpari Mammadova, who initially did not want to speak on camera because she has previously been mistreated by police for speaking to the media. “[The children] see there’s no bread at home, that there’s no food. They go out to beg, they bring some bread and food home. They have to. Should we sit at home and die of hunger?” Mammadova desperately asked RFE/RL.

According to an unofficial estimate, about 10,000 Romani people live in Azerbaijan. Many identify as Kurds, but locals call them “Gypsies”.

Mammadova told RFE/RL that she loves her country. An Azerbaijani flag that she rescued from a garbage can hangs on one of her walls.

The Romani mother told RFE/RL that she has applied for welfare many times for herself and her nine children. “How long should I wait for that money? It doesn’t befit our Azerbaijani Muslim nation that [our children] pull out dry bread from the garbage, wet it and eat it,” she said in tears.

Mammadova also said she hopes her children will take care of her when she is elderly. Azerbaijani Romani people live separately from the majority society.

Link: https://romea.cz/en/world/azerbaijan-romani-people-struggle-for-daily-survival-in-a-discriminatory-environment

Video: https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijani-roma-begging-yevlakh/32382132.html?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=RFE-player32382132&utm_source=romea.cz%2F&utm_content=player

Nine people died in the shooting that happened this morning around eight o'clock in the elementary school in Vracar in Belgrade. Among the victims there are also children, as well as a school guard, while six children and a teacher were wounded and were treated in the Urgentni center and Tirsova. The student Kosta K. (14) was arrested for the shooting.

Dragan Vlahovic, a school guard, was the first victim of Kosta K. (14) who killed nine people this morning in the mass shooting at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" school in Vracar.

In the elementary school where the shooting took place, as reported by Nova.rs, a backpack containing weapons, ammunition and Molotov cocktails, i.e. bottles with flammable liquid, was found. At this time, it is not known for sure if Costa K. (14), the student who was arrested for the shooting, brought that backpack to school.

According to Nova.rs, Kosta K. (14) first shot the guard who tried to take his weapon and stop him.

As we learn, Costa, with a weapon in his hand, wandered into the school. The guard saw this and went to stop him, when the student shot him. He first shot three people in the school hallway, then burst into a history class and started shooting. At least 15 bullets were fired from two magazines.