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Opposition party pushes for broader anti-hate crime laws

PR dla Zagranicy
Alicja Baczyńska 08.06.2016 08:32
The opposition Nowoczesna (Modern) party wants to ban ageism alongside discrimination based on sexual orientation and disability under the country's criminal code.
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The grouping's proposed legislation was assessed by civil society organisations on Tuesday, along with representatives of circles that often fall victim to verbal aggression and hate crimes.

The consultations were attended by activists such as Piotr Bystrianin, from the Ocalenie Foundation, an NGO helping migrants integrate in Poland, LGBT rights campaigner Mira Makuchowska, from the Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH), and Joanna Grabarczyk, from the HejtStop project targeting hate speech in Polish society.

The two chief conclusions from these talks are "unsettling", says Nowoczesna's Paweł Rabiej. "Firstly, the level of aggression in public life has risen exponentially in recent months, which, unfortunately, translates to a hike in [attacks against foreigners] and hate speech," Rabiej said. "We are clearly facing a rise of neofascist movements."

The other conclusion is that "anarchistic and terrorist actions" in Poland are the result of "growing aggression in the political arena," which Rabiej says "is fuelled by the governing [Law and Justice] party."

"We want to have the same standards that exist in the European Union," said Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, deputy head of the Nowoczesna caucus, who heads a parliamentary team on countering hate speech and protecting human rights.

At present, Polish law penalizes discrimination against nationality, race, ethnicity, religion or lack of religious conviction. Poland's anti-discrimination laws do not cover crimes motivated by homophobia, and no separate statistics recording such offences exist.

The draft legislation is to be presented at a conference in parliament on 4 July. (aba)

Source: PAP

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