Saudi security forces arrest 21,477 illegal residents in a week    Saudi Arabia delivers sacrificial meat to Egypt and Palestine    Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia welcome baby girl    Sharifa Al-Sudairi makes historic debut at Asian Winter Games    Palestinian prisoners arrive in Ramallah under Gaza ceasefire deal    Trump revokes Biden's access to classified briefings    Wreckage of missing plane found in Alaska; all 10 aboard presumed dead    Trump vows to fire FBI agents involved in Jan. 6 investigations    Jaecoo J8 launches in Saudi Arabia, marking a new milestone in the Middle Eastern off-road market    Saudi Arabia opens Hajj 1446 registration for domestic pilgrims Priority given to those who have not performed Hajj before, with registration available via Nusuk app and e-portal    Ivan Toney's brace secures Al Ahli victory over Al Fateh in Saudi Pro League    Al Nassr reclaims third place with 3-0 victory over Al Fayha as Jhon Durán shines    Karim Benzema's last-gasp winner sends Al Ittihad to the top of Roshn Saudi League French striker seals dramatic 2-1 victory over Al Taawoun with stoppage-time strike    Salvador Dalí art comes to India for the first time    Crown Prince announces King Salman Automotive Cluster at KAEC    Saudi Arabia's population crosses 35 million, with non-Saudis constituting 44.4%    Heading into a new journey, JAECOO J8 is shaking up the luxury off-road market    GEA hosts mass wedding of 300 couples at "Night of a Lifetime" celebration during Riyadh Season 300 cars and housing as gifts for the newlyweds    Food Culture Festival kicks off in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter    Saudi Arabia to present 'The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection' at Biennale Architettura 2025 Syn Architects explore Riyadh's architectural heritage, fostering new pedagogical approaches and global dialogue    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UN rights office warns against rising hate speech in western Balkans
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 14 - 01 - 2022

Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in neighboring Serbia, must condemn and refrain from any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
Spokesperson Liz Throssell said OHCHR was deeply concerned by recent incidents in both countries which saw individuals glorify atrocity crimes and convicted war criminals, target certain communities with hate speech, and, in some cases, directly incite violence.
The fear is that such acts – fuelled by continued inflammatory, nationalistic rhetoric and hate speech of some politicians – will increase this year, ahead of elections.
"As we have repeatedly highlighted, the rise in hate speech, the denial of genocide and other atrocity crimes and the glorification of war criminals in the Western Balkans, highlight the failure to comprehensively address the past," she said.
The incidents occurred amid religious holidays last weekend, and took place in several locations in Republika Srpska, the Serb-run entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Brčko in the north, and in the Serbian cities of Priboj and Novi Pazar.
They included large groups of people chanting the name of convicted war criminal and former Bosnian Serb military leader, Ratko Mladić, during torchlight processions, or singing nationalistic songs calling for the takeover of various locations in the former Yugoslavia. In one incident, individuals fired shots into the air as they drove past a mosque.
"These incidents, some in locations that saw large-scale atrocity crimes during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina...are an affront to survivors, including those who returned to their homes after the conflict," said Ms. Throssell.
Failure to prevent or sanction them is a major obstacle to trust-building and reconciliation, she added.
"Serious incidents like these should be investigated promptly, effectively and impartially, to prevent them being repeated and perpetuated, and also to foster the public trust in authorities and institutions, and among communities, that is essential to build social cohesion and peaceful societies."
OHCHR was encouraged that some senior politicians, as well as religious leaders, have condemned the acts, and that police have begun investigations.
Ms. Throssell underlined the need for authorities in both countries to abide by their international obligations to ensure the rights to truth, justice, and reparation.
"They should also adopt measures to prevent recurrence and to promote further reconciliation efforts," she said. "We call on them to condemn and refrain from any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred."
Furthermore, she recalled that countries party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which include Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are obliged to ensure that incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence is prohibited in law and in practice.
"All perpetrators and instigators of such acts must be held accountable," she said. — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.