A/HRC/62/56 strike, the August 2024 riots in the United Kingdom, and the September 2024 Lebanon pager attack.28 The research identified antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate as dominant themes in online discourse surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. The findings further revealed internal divisions within extremist networks. Telegram is highlighted as a key hub for extremist content, significantly outpacing other major platforms in the volume and coordination of disinformation and hate narratives, and noted that online discourse on the conflict transcended national boundaries. 62. In Sudan the widespread use of social media in the context of the ongoing conflict has fuelled hate speech and deepened digital polarization, exacerbating ethnic, political and ideological divisions. Hate speech disseminated through platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp and Telegram has reportedly played a critical role in intensifying hostilities by fostering resentment and dehumanizing opposing groups, including through the circulation of terms targeting specific groups along military and political lines. 29 The political mainstreaming of extremism 63. The Special Rapporteur expresses deep concern regarding the increasing electoral representation of extremist political parties promoting racist or xenophobic ideologies within national and local legislative bodies in several countries. The growing institutional presence of such actors raises serious concerns regarding the normalization of discriminatory discourse and the mainstreaming of narratives rooted in racial superiority, exclusion and intolerance. 30 64. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur emphasizes that all democratic political parties bear a responsibility to ensure that their programmes, public discourse and political activities are grounded in respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, the rule of law and principles of good governance. The Special Rapporteur further underscores the obligation of political actors to unequivocally condemn messages and rhetoric that disseminate ideas based on racial superiority or hatred or that contribute to contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. 31 As made clear in the Rabat Plan of Action, political leaders should refrain from using messages of intolerance or expressions which may incite violence, hostility or discrimination; but they also have a crucial role to play in speaking out firmly and promptly against intolerance, discriminatory stereotyping and instances of hate speech. It should be made clear that violence can never be tolerated as a response to incitement to hatred.32 65. The increasing normalization of exclusionary and discriminatory rhetoric within political discourse in several countries is a related concern. Reports indicate that migrants and refugees are frequently portrayed as threats to national security or economic stability, contributing to social polarization and, in some cases, inciting violence and discrimination. Such rhetoric has, in certain contexts, been accompanied by restrictive policy measures and increased deportation initiatives, as well as the instrumentalization of migration issues for political mobilization. These developments risk undermining social cohesion and exacerbating the marginalization of already vulnerable populations. 66. Public discourse by political leaders and State officials carries particular influence in shaping social attitudes and public perceptions. Rhetoric that generalizes or stigmatizes religious or ethnic communities may contribute to hostile social climates, reinforce prejudice and increase the vulnerability of targeted groups to discrimination and hate crimes. Political leaders and State officials also play an important role in developing human rights-based 28 29 30 31 32 14 Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), Conflict Amplified: Disinformation and Hate in the IsraelHamas War (January 2025), https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Conflictamplified_Disinformation-and-Hate-in-the-Israel-Hamas-War.pdf. Hind Abbas Hilmi Ibrahim, Digital Warfare: Exploring the Influence of Social Media in Propagating and Counteracting Hate Speech in Sudan's Conflict Landscape, Sudan Working Paper SWP 2025:3 (Bergen, Chr. Michelsen Institute, 2025), https://www.cmi.no/publications/9610-digital-warfareexploring-the-influence-of-social-media-in-propagating-and-counteracting-hate. A/C.3/73/L.53/Rev.1. A/RES/77/204. A/HRC/22/17/Add.4, para 36.