UN expert on racism urges Greece to reinforce the fight against hate speech and incitement to violence

United nations press release on hate speech and incitement to violence as Greece is urged.

ATHENS / GENEVA (12 May 2015) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, Mutuma Ruteere, today urged the Government of Greece to effectively address and firmly punish openly racist discourse and incitement to violence.

“Stronger measures need to be taken to effectively address hate speech and verbal abuse against vulnerable groups including irregular migrants and minorities such as Roma people,” Mr. Ruteere said at the end* of his first official mission to Greece.

“Combating hate and prejudice is not just about financial resources, and in times of economic crisis, scapegoating the most vulnerable members of society only contributes to reinforcing a climate of hostility and violence towards such groups and individuals,” the human rights expert noted.

The Special Rapporteur, nonetheless, recognized the continuous and committed hospitality of the Greek population, “as citizens have been displaying efforts to save migrants from drowning and providing them with basic necessities despite strained resources due to the long lasting economic crisis.”

Mr. Ruteere also welcomed efforts and initiatives implemented by the Greek Government to address the issue of racist violence, including reforming the legal framework, establishing strong and credible institutions such as an Ombudsman and the National Commission for Human Rights, as well as the Public Prosecutors for racist motivated crimes and the special police units to assist victims of racist violence.

However, at the end of his five-day mission, he made a number of specific recommendations, including setting up more efficient mechanisms for victims to seek remedies and ensure their access to justice as well as the due punishment of perpetrators, among other things.

The human rights expert noted the official efforts undertaken to investigate acts of police violence through an internal oversight mechanism, but called for the creation of an independent body to guarantee transparency and credibility of such investigations.

“Finally, the Romas of Greece, while being for the vast majority Greek citizens, continue to face rampant discrimination and remain economically and socially disadvantaged, therefore I call upon the Government to take into account and urgently implement the numerous recommendations made by UN and European mechanisms,” the expert pleaded.