Session
Source of Reference
State under Review
Recommendation
Amend the Criminal Code to incorporate a clear and comprehensive definition of hate speech explicitly including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics as protected grounds and to enhance effective follow-up of complaints involving hate speech and hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Explanation
Noted. "in the criminal legislation of the Republic of North Macedonia, there is no specific criminal offense directly addressing hate speech; rather, these actions are covered by provisions relating to a number of criminal offenses. The following articles of the Criminal Code pertain to hate speech as incriminations or criminal offenses: • Article 178: Offense against the reputation of the Republic of North Macedonia, its flag, or coat of arms; Article 179: Ridicule of the Macedonian people and persons belonging to the communities living in the Republic of North Macedonia; Article 181: Offense against the reputation of a foreign state; Article 182: Offense against the reputation of an international organization; Article 319: Incitement of national, racial, and religious hatred, discord, and intolerance; Article 394-d: Dissemination of racist and xenophobic material through a computer system; Article 407-a: Approval or justification of genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes; and Article 417: Racial and other forms of discrimination."
Reference type
Response