Back Judges and prosecutors in Armenia enhanced their knowledge on combating hate speech

Judges and prosecutors in Armenia enhanced their knowledge on combating hate speech

Twenty-five judges and prosecutors from Armenia have successfully completed the online training course on the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance’s General Policy Recommendation No.15 on Combating Hate Speech (GPR 15).

The course, implemented from January to February 2023 consisted of eight modules hosted online on the Council of Europe’s HELP platform, that followed the structure and the content of the GPR 15 and covered the following topics: defining and identifying hate speech; raising public awareness and using counter-speech; support for those targeted by hate speech; self-regulation as a means of tackling the use of hate speech; media, the internet and hate speech; administrative and civil liability for the use of hate speech; administrative and other sanctions against organizations that use hate speech; criminal liability and sanctions for the use of hate speech.

After each module, an online session with the course tutor was organized, offering a platform for discussion on the scope and applicability of the liability under criminal, civil and administrative law for the use of hate speech. Hate speech is intended or can reasonably be expected to incite acts of violence, intimidation, hostility or discrimination against those who are targeted by it; sanctions need respecting the right to freedom of expression and opinion.

The course participants were encouraged to follow developments in this field, continue to exchange with their peers but also with other stakeholders as active in the field of combatting hate speech and in the protection of those targeted. This course served as an additional impetus to implement GPR 15 recommendations in Armenia, as well as the recently adopted Council of Europe’s Recommendation on combatting hate speech CM/Rec(2022)16.

The course was organised in cooperation with the  Academy of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, in the framework of the regional project “Strengthening the access to justice through non-judiciary redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries” funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe under their Partnership for Good Governance II, 2019-2022.

Yerevan 15 February 2023
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

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