The European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the  “Stop! Hate Speech!” campaign organised by the Press Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The campaign, just launched in the context of the election campaign in the country, aims to tackle hate speech, discriminatory and inciting rhetoric used in visitors’ comments on internet portals.

“Hate speech is not acceptable in democratic society. This issue is one that has to be tackled across Europe and it is no different in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Research shows that the use of hate speech in Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased on internet portals in recent years and there needs to be a determined and united effort to combat it,” EU Delegation to BiH/EUSR Spokesperson Andy McGuffie said.

The spokesperson recalled that hate speech is usually used by people who are in a majority and is directed against those in a minority. “People using hate speech should ask themselves how they would feel if they were targeted. In a country with a diverse population, like Bosnia and Herzegovina, where understanding and co-operation is important in every process, there is even more reason to publicly reject hate speech,” he said.

The Press Council in BiH is a self-regulatory body for print and online media and it is conducting the “Stop! Hate Speech!” campaign during the 2014 election campaign. General Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina will take place on 12 October. Read more about the Press Council here: http://vzs.ba/