Serbian McDonald's Denies Banning Roma Children

"Nicefoods Restaurants" says it will appeal against a judgment of the Novi Sad Court, which fined it 100,000 dinars (about 860 euro) for not allowing Roma children to enter McDonald's in the city of Novi Sad in 2012.

"Nicefoods Restaurants respect the ruling... but we will use our right and appeal the decision," the company said in a statement.

The court ruling on Wednesday said Nicefoods violated Article 52 of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination and fined the director of the company, Tomas Rogac, as the responsible person, 20,000 dinars (about 180 euro).

The verdict said the security staff in the McDonald’s restaurant banned minors of Roma nationality from coming inside on July 10, 2012.

Vitomir Mihajlovic, from the National Council of the Roma, welcomed the ruling, saying the court's decision gave everyone the hope of taking on powerful companies.

"It is important because it is the first court decision to enforce the law banning discrimination, adopted in August 2009. I hope this will have positive effects," Mihajlovic told Radio Free Europe on Wednesday.

McDonald's, however, said that during years of operations in Serbia, it had never before encountered such complaints.

The company "has never conducted racial or any other kind of discrimination on any grounds and has always respected the rights of all minorities and disadvantaged communities". it said.

The word famous burger chain started operations in Serbia in 1988, opening its first restaurant on Slavija Square in central Belgrade.