European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day | 2 August

Marin Constantin, a survivor of the Holocaust, recalls his experiences between 1942 and 1944, when he was forcibly deported to Ukraine. He witnessed first-hand the mass brutality and inhumane treatment of individuals, particularly the Roma people, while he was himself forced to work the land in exchange for meagre rations. He underlines that human rights abuses are real and relevant, even in the twenty-first century. Speaking to the Council of Europe, he says his ordeal haunted him long after he escaped and returned home.