Mario Bango is young Roma from Slovakia, has recently been senteced to 12 years without parole and been on remand since March 2001 for the "crime" of defending his younger brother when they were brutally attacked by a Neo-nazi skinhead.

The nazi died from his wounds later in hospital. Mario's family - as many other Roma in Slovakia - has suffered repeated racist abuse and physical attacks by neo-Nazi skinheads. His brother spent a week in hospital last year after an attack by skinheads. The nazis use knives and other weapons in their attack Mario like other Roma carried a knife in self-defense, and was this time forced to use it.

The Roma people are a terribly oppresed minority in Central Europe. As many as a million and a half were murdered in the Holocaust. Since 1989 they have been subject to a wave of racist attacks in Slovakia and the Czech Republic - around 20 have been murdered. Nationalist politicians, the press, and the growing fascist movement have targetted the Roma people, with deadlly results, where racist talk breeds racist attack. Now Mario's case has been turned into a racist cause celebre against the Roma, with a media campaign against the "gypsy" Mario and sympathizing with the deceased "patriotic and honourable citizen" - in the Slovak parliament there was even a minute of silence for the dead Nazi!

Mario's case is one of legitimate self-defence - we must defend him. But his case has larger dimensions: we must turn it into a campaign to expose the rising tide of anti-Roma racism in Britain and in Central Europe.

This case is very simular to that of Satpal Ram and we need to start a campaign simular to his.

Please Please Please we need people to help get involved especially bands to put on benefits and people like Mark Thomas (i know you come on this site) to speak out on mario's behalf

Other things you can do are

Send protests to the

Slovak authorities:
by email:  urad@government.gov.sk;
 tlacove@justice.gov.sk

by post:
Slovak president
Rudolph Schuster
Kancelaria prezidenta SR
Stefanikova 14
814 38 Bratisllava
ph: 00421-7-5441 6624

Ministry of Justice
Ministerstvo spravodlivosti SR
Zupne namestie 13
813 11 Bratislava
ph: 00421-7-5935 3497
fax: 00421-7-5443 0467

Urad Vlady (Bureau of the Slovak government)
Namestie Slobody
1 813 70, Bratislava,
Slovak Republic
ph: 00421-7-5729 5111
fax: 00421-7-5249 7597


Send postcards to Mario with a few words of solidarity:
Mario Bango,
nar.8.6.1982
Ustav na vikon vazby priecinok 1077 Chorvatska 5 812 29 Bratislava,
Slovakia

All donations to Mario Bango Defense Campaign, BCM Box 7750 London WC1N 3XX

If you are a member of a student union, or an anti-racist, anti-fascist or labour movement organisation pass a resolution and support the campiagn. Get in touch to receive updates.

Please copy or print this and distribute to anyone and everyone (message boards, e-groups etc)