Înapoi Judges and prosecutors in Armenia get trained on combating hate speech

Judges and prosecutors in Armenia get trained on combating hate speech

On 2 November 2021, prosecutors and judges from Armenia started a training course on hate speech, in co-operation with the Justice Academy of the Republic of Armenia. The training course includes the translated version of the Council of Europe’s HELP course on hate speech, as well as tutored activities like case studies, analysis of national legislation, discussion on assessing cases, etc. This training course will be implemented to support legal professionals in Armenia to better grasp the concept and manifestations of hate speech, the European acquis on the topic and to become readier to tackle such cases as part of their work in Armenia.

Considering the relevance of the topic for the Armenian context, the Council of Europe carries out this training course on hate speech in Armenian during November and December 2021, also to clarify the concept and its legal framework for prosecutors and judges in Armenia, preparing them to tackle the problem in their practice.

This is the second cycle of the HELP training course on combating hate speech: in April-May twelve judges and prosecutors from Armenia successfully completed the course. The second phase of the training will be conducted until December 2021.

The training was organised in the framework of the regional project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crime in the Eastern Partnership,” funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in the framework of the Partnership for Good Governance II.

Armenia 2 November 2021
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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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