In connection with several first-instance judgments of the Higher Court in Belgrade establishing violations of the prohibition of hate speech, as well as violations of the rights to dignity, honor, and reputation of activists of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in certain media outlets, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality points out that it is important and encouraging that courts clearly recognize and sanction such occurrences in the public sphere.

Hate speech is an extremely dangerous phenomenon, prohibited by the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination, because it does not affect only the individuals exposed to it, but also destroys social dialogue, fuels intolerance, and creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.

Antonijević recalls that, in addition to constantly pointing out the dangers of hate speech, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality has sent recommendations to media outlets on measures to prevent and remove content that incites discrimination, hatred, or violence, as well as that public interest cannot serve as justification for tabloid and sensationalist reporting.

The Commissioner notes that it is encouraging that courts are increasingly clearly recognizing and sanctioning hate speech and media targeting, since judicial practice plays a key role in protecting human rights and in preventing further violence in the public sphere. In this context, the Commissioner also recalls the importance of the announced amendments to the Ministry of Justice’s Rulebook on the work of courts, under which judgments will be systematized and delivered to the Commissioner and thus made available in one place. This will contribute to greater transparency, legal certainty, and more consistent application of anti-discrimination protection standards.