{"id":957,"date":"2022-09-21T15:02:13","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T14:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mediadefence.org\/ereader\/?post_type=publication&p=957"},"modified":"2022-09-22T11:01:37","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T10:01:37","slug":"was-hate-speech-intended-to-incite","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/www.mediadefence.org\/ereader\/publications\/modules-on-litigating-freedom-of-expression-and-digital-rights-in-south-and-southeast-asia\/module-6-hate-speech\/was-hate-speech-intended-to-incite\/","title":{"rendered":"Was “Hate Speech” Intended to Incite?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hate speech that is intended to incite hostility, discrimination or violence is a type of expression that international law mandates must be restricted.  Therefore, a key factor when dealing with hate speech cases is the requirement for there to have been an intention<\/em> to incite hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rabat Plan of Action<\/a> on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence,[footnote]Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), \u2018Freedom of expression vs incitement to hatred: OHCHR and the Rabat Plan of Action\u2019, (2012) (accessible at: https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/issues\/freedomopinion\/articles19-20\/pages\/index.aspx<\/a>).[\/footnote] compiled by a meeting of experts coordinated by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), proposes a six-part threshold test to establish whether expression rises to the threshold of being criminal.  One of these is intent: \u201cadvocacy\u201d and \u201cincitement\u201d are required, rather than mere distribution or circulation.  Article 20 of the ICCPR<\/a> also requires intent, as signalled by the word \u2018advocacy\u2019.  Negligence and recklessness therefore do not rise to the standard of hate speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A prime example of this distinction is the case of Jersild v Denmark<\/em><\/a> decided by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).  Jersild was a television journalist who made a documentary featuring interviews with members of a racist, neo-Nazi gang. He was prosecuted and convicted for propagating hate speech.  However, the ECtHR found that the journalist’s intent was to make a serious social inquiry exposing the views of the racist gangs, not to promote their views.  There was a clear public interest in the media playing such a role:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Taken as a whole, the feature could not objectively have appeared to have as its purpose the propagation of racist views and ideas.  On the contrary, it clearly sought – by means of an interview – to expose, analyse and explain this particular group of youths, limited and frustrated by their social situation, with criminal records and violent attitudes, thus dealing with specific aspects of a matter that already then was of great public concern\u2026  The punishment of a journalist for assisting in the dissemination of statements made by another person in an interview would seriously hamper the contribution of the press to discussion of matters of public interest and should not be envisaged unless there are particularly strong reasons for doing so.”[footnote]European Court of Human Rights, Application No. 15890\/89, (1994) para. 33-35 (accessible at: http:\/\/hudoc.echr.coe.int\/eng?i=001-57891<\/a>).[\/footnote]<\/p>Jersild v Denmark<\/em><\/a>, European Court of Human Rights, Application No. 15890\/89, (1994) para. 33-35<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

Building counter-narratives as a response to hate speech<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO<\/a>), non-legal methods of countering hate speech are as important as legal proscriptions.  One such measure is building a counter-narrative by promoting greater media and information literacy as a structural response to hate speech online:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiven young people\u2019s increasing exposure to social media, information about how to identify and react to hate speech may become increasingly important.  It is particularly important that anti-hate speech modules are incorporated in those countries where the actual risk of widespread violence is highest.  There is also a need to include in such programmes, modules that reflect on identity, so that young people can recognise attempts to manipulate their emotions in favour of hatred, and be empowered to advance their individual right to be their own masters of who they are and wish to become.\u201d[footnote]UNESCO, Iginio Gagliardone et al, \u2018Countering online hate speech\u2019 at p 58 (accessible at: http:\/\/unesdoc.unesco.org\/images\/0023\/002332\/233231e.pdf<\/a>).[\/footnote]<\/p>UNESCO, Iginio Gagliardone et al, \u2018Countering online hate speech<\/a>\u2019 at p 58 <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hate speech that is intended to incite hostility, discrimination or violence is a type of expression that international law mandates must be restricted.  Therefore, a key factor when dealing with hate speech cases is the requirement for there to have been an intention to incite hatred. 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