Back Prosecutors and judges from the Republic of Moldova increased their knowledge on the European standards and judgements addressing hate speech

Prosecutors and judges from the Republic of Moldova increased their knowledge on the European standards and judgements addressing hate speech

A two-day seminar focusing on the way hate speech is addressed by the European Court of Human Rights’ jurisprudence brought together 22 prosecutors and judges from the Republic of Moldova. The program included discussions on the best legal practices in hate speech case handling and exchange experience and ideas for improving the legal redress responses to discrimination and hatred by the country.

The seminar also covered topics related to the identification of prejudices and stereotypes and working with victims of hate speech. The participants had the possibility to discuss relevant case-law of the European Court of Human Rights with Council of Europe experts and an ECtHR lawyer and take part in interactive sessions, and practical exercises for the application of the ECtHR principles when handling cases.

Participants were provided with relevant training materials, including the 2022 Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on combating hate speech, in local language (Recommendation CM/Rec (2022)16).

As concluding remarks, the judges and prosecutors from the Republic of Moldova agreed upon the future directions of work in this area, highlighting the importance of an approach based on dialogue and collaborative solutions by different actors dealing with hate speech and discrimination.

This event was organised in cooperation with the National Institute of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, in the framework of the joint European Union and the Council of Europe project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judicial redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in the Eastern Partnership countries”, part of the programme “Partnership for Good Governance II, 2019-2022”.

Chisinau 19-20 January 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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