A/HRC/62/55/Add.1 system of enforcement that includes sanctions, including high fines, for families that do not comply with the ban. She fears that this punitive approach may reveal an underlying hostility toward Muslims and could further damage trust between the Government and affected communities. In addition, if implemented, such fines may have negative impacts on the best interests of the child, as they could lead to a diversion of resources dedicated to children’s care, education and/or well-being. 40. The Special Rapporteur reminds the Government and Parliament of their obligations under international human rights law, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. She urges them to halt implementation of the legislation to assess its provisions against constitutional and international human rights standards. C. 1. Thematic topics Neo-Nazi groups and growing right-wing populism 41. The Special Rapporteur received extremely concerning reports about neo-Nazi and other far-right extremist groups in Austria that engage in historical revisionism, particularly Holocaust denial, and fuel antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and anti-immigrant propaganda. She received several reports of identitarian propaganda by neo-Nazi groups that has further exacerbated racism. She was shocked by reports of the growing presence of far-right and neo-Nazi groups. She received disturbing information about neo-Nazi groups perpetrating physical violence against those from marginalized racial and ethnic groups, including men and boys who are African or of African descent. The impact of these groups is far-reaching because of their targeting of multiple marginalized racial and ethnic groups and the related fear and intimidation they spread. 42. Neo-Nazi and other far-right extremist groups have become adept at perpetuating their corrosive role within society. They recruit children and young people, especially boys and young men, through online platforms, far-right music and mixed martial arts activities. The online environment plays a significant role in radicalization processes, enabling the rapid dissemination of extremist content, cross-border networking and the targeting of young people through subcultural spaces, including music, gaming and combat sports. The Special Rapporteur heard about how such groups are adept at mainstreaming extremist ideologies by using carefully coded language and racist dog whistles. There were also concerning reports of disinformation targeting racially and ethnically marginalized groups disseminated by far-right and neo-Nazi groups. This contributes to a blurring of boundaries between extremist and mainstream discourse, facilitating the normalization of racist, xenophobic and exclusionary narratives in public debate. This is reflected in growing right-wing populism and the alleged relationships between neo-Nazi groups and formal political parties. Parties with links to neo-Nazi groups are reportedly increasingly integrated into formal political and governance structures at the federal and Länder levels. The Special Rapporteur fears that this is emboldening extremist groups and leading to the normalization of far-right discourses and policies within politics and governance. 43. The Special Rapporteur commends Austria for its legal provisions to address neo-Nazi and other far-right extremist groups. These include the 1947 Prohibition Act, which criminalizes neo-Nazi activity and Holocaust denial, the Criminal Code provisions relating to hate crime and incitement to hatred and the Act to Combat Hate on the Internet. Nevertheless, given reports of pervasive trends in neo-Nazism and related right-wing extremism and the corrosive impacts of these scourges, the Special Rapporteur stresses the need to ensure more comprehensive enforcement of these provisions. She also highlights the importance of complementary non-legal measures, including comprehensive historical and anti-racism educational provisions, early interventions and programmes to address and combat neo-Nazi ideology and its propaganda. 11