A/HRC/48/77
members met monthly to address problems relating to religious diversity and to promote
dialogue and tolerance among various groups. In order to preserve historical memory and to
combat discrimination and hatred, a series of debates had taken place on eliminating all forms
of discrimination, in particular based on religion, and on promoting diversity and tolerance.
8.
During the previous decade, hate speech had become more of an issue and extremism
had become more visible and accessible to individuals or groups of individuals through social
media and the Internet. The National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and
Racism, within its mandate of awareness-raising, could make proposals to address that issue.
Armenia
9.
The Government of Armenia reported that there were no groups or movements of a
racist, antisemitic or xenophobic character, including neo-Nazis and skinhead groups, in
Armenia. The Constitution contained a non-discrimination principle. Article 9 of the Law on
Political Parties prohibited the establishment and operation of political parties whose
objectives were to bring about violent change in the constitutional order or territorial
integrity, or to incite national, racial or religious hatred, propaganda of violence and war, as
well as the establishment and operation of parties that engaged in such activities. The Law
on Non-governmental Organizations provided for the suspension of an organization if it was
involved in inciting hatred or propagating violence or war. Armenia also referred to article
63 of the Criminal Code, which included as an aggravating circumstance when a crime was
committed on the basis of ethnic, racial or religious motives or religious fanaticism.
10.
In December 2019, Armenia had adopted a national strategy for human rights
protection and a corresponding action plan for 2020–2022, which envisaged liability for hate
speech in accordance with international standards. Article 226 of the Criminal Code
criminalized the incitement of national, racial or religious hatred, racial superiority or
humiliation of national dignity committed: publicly or by mass media, with violence or threat
of violence; through abuse of an official position; or by an organized group. The high-tech
crimes division of the police monitored the Internet to prevent the dissemination of racist or
xenophobic material and to detect and respond quickly to acts of hatred committed on the
basis of national, racial or religious grounds.
11.
Armenia stated that, in compliance with the provisions of the International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the criminalization of
public calls for violence, including public justification of or advocating for violence, had
been introduced to the Criminal Code (art. 226.2) in April 2020.
Brazil
12.
The Government of Brazil stated that with the increase in the use of new information
technologies, hate speech and intolerance on the Internet had also significantly increased. In
the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a generalized and
uncoordinated acceleration of the social process of digital inclusion had taken place, leading
to an increase in cybercrime.
13.
Acts of incitement to hatred, racial violence and discrimination had been included in
the criminal legislation, as had the dissemination of symbols and any form of advertising
aimed at promoting Nazism. Since 1980, the neo-Nazism movement had intensified in Brazil.
It continued to be active and included more than 12 groups.
14.
Brazil referred to the challenges faced in prosecuting acts of hate speech at the national
level. Since hate speech had not yet been explicitly criminalized, it was prosecuted as a crime
of discrimination, making it difficult to intervene and obtain evidence when hate speech
messages were diffused through the Internet. Prevention and repression of such crimes were
crucial to combating impunity and avoiding the perpetuation of such actions.
Burundi
15.
The Government of Burundi reported that it had recently put in place a legislative
framework and institutional mechanisms to prevent and eradicate propaganda and acts that
incited violence, ethnic hatred, ethnic intolerance or racial discrimination.
4