MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR PARTICIPATING IN THE CAMPAIGN ‘’BE DIFFERENT: BLOCK THE HATE’’
| Banja Luka | Tuesday, 27/09/2022
On September 26, 2022, the Head of the Department for Countering Cyber Crime within the Crime Police Administration of the Republic of Srpska Ministry of the Interior, Mr Olivije Zimonja, participated in the panel named "Positive Examples of the Mechanism of Prevention and Protection against Hate Speech Online" which was held as part of the campaign "Be Different: Block the Hate" organised by the Republic of Srpska Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports.
Head Zimonja said that the Republic of Srpska had the criminal offense of public incitement and incitement to violence and hatred in its criminal legislation.
The cyberspace is dynamic, and it would be good if, following these dynamics, the aforementioned legal provision is constantly improved and adjusted," he added.
Head Zimonja added that, when some patterns of behaviour failed to be classified as public incitement and incitement to violence and hatred, it was necessary to use other legal provisions, such as criminal offences of endangering security and persecution. In addition, he emphasised that the legislation of Srpska also recognised the Law on Protection against Defamation and other laws that provide a legal framework for criminalizing hate speech.
Minister of Family, Youth and Sports, Ms Sonja Davidović, stated that the goal of the campaign was to address hate speech in public space, primarily on social networks.
