Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 51

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The Special Rapporteur remains concerned about the continuing existence and the use of flawed domestic laws that purport to combat hate speech but are in fact used to suppress critical or opposing voices. Such laws frequently carry disproportionate sanctions, such as hard labour, long prison sentences, life imprisonment or even capital punishment, for vague offences such as "inciting religious unrest" in Turkmenistan, "promoting division between religious believers and non-believers" in Viet Nam, "incitement to violation" in the Islamic Republic of Iran, "instigating hatred and disrespect against the ruling regime" in Bahrain, "inciting subversion of State power" in China, "incitement to offences that damage public tranquillity" in Myanmar, "blasphemy" in Pakistan, "inciting violence against a religious authority" in Angola, "causing national, racial or religious hate, discord and intolerance" in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (to suppress any criticism of the Macedonian Orthodox Church) and "misrepresenting events and inciting violence" in Somalia (to arrest and detain independent journalists).
Legal status
Non-negotiated soft law
Body
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Document type
Special Procedures' report
Means of adoption
N.A.
Topic(s)
  • Governance & Rule of Law
  • Social & Cultural Rights
Person(s) affected
  • Activists
Year
2012
Paragraph type
Other
Reference
SR Freedom of Opinion, Report to the UNGA (2012), A/67/357, para. 51.
Paragraph number
51