Progress Report on the Republic of Croatia
11/01/2010
Submitted by
Sanja Juras, Lesbian Group Kontra
TO ALL MEDIA
15 October 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,
We are writing you concerning this year’s Progress Report on the Republic of Croatia which was prepared by the European Commission.
Among other things, the Report states that there has been no improvement in the implementation of legislation concerning hate crimes. It also states that there have been no sentences handed down for the crime of encouraging racial or other hatred. The Report places special emphasis on the fact that it is necessary to work harder on combating discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Furthermore, it states that lesbians, gays and bisexual persons are subject to threats and attacks and that many cases have not been adequately investigated by the police and judicial authorities and that a large number of cases remain unreported.
A representative of Lesbian Group Kontra participated in consultations concerning the Progress Report with representatives of the European Commission in May this year in Brussels.
We would like to express our satisfaction with the Progress Report of the Republic of Croatia for 2009 on the questions of protection from discrimination and the incidence of homophobia which is in accordance with the real indicators of the functionality of the country in the fight against hate crimes and homophobia.
From the practice to date of the Lesbian Group Kontra and Iskorak, it has been established that the responsible state prosecution services reject charges of the crime of hate speech because it does not find that the perpetrators had the direct intention of spreading hatred against sexual minorities. This rejection is based on statements by the perpetrators that they did not have such an intention, but that they just were expressing their opinion. Recently, emphasis has been placed in a media on hate speech at football matches which has become a regular occurrence. Members of Parliament and members of the Government of the Republic of Croatia regularly use hate speech concerning sexual and gender minorities in public, without any consequences at all. On the contrary, they build their election campaigns on such statements.
Because of all the above, we seek amendments to legislation concerning hate speech and its adequate enforcement by the responsible institutions. We consider that this is not sufficient. We also seek that hate crimes against members of sexual and gender minorities be punished according to the law.
15 October 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,
We are writing you concerning this year’s Progress Report on the Republic of Croatia which was prepared by the European Commission.
Among other things, the Report states that there has been no improvement in the implementation of legislation concerning hate crimes. It also states that there have been no sentences handed down for the crime of encouraging racial or other hatred. The Report places special emphasis on the fact that it is necessary to work harder on combating discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Furthermore, it states that lesbians, gays and bisexual persons are subject to threats and attacks and that many cases have not been adequately investigated by the police and judicial authorities and that a large number of cases remain unreported.
A representative of Lesbian Group Kontra participated in consultations concerning the Progress Report with representatives of the European Commission in May this year in Brussels.
We would like to express our satisfaction with the Progress Report of the Republic of Croatia for 2009 on the questions of protection from discrimination and the incidence of homophobia which is in accordance with the real indicators of the functionality of the country in the fight against hate crimes and homophobia.
From the practice to date of the Lesbian Group Kontra and Iskorak, it has been established that the responsible state prosecution services reject charges of the crime of hate speech because it does not find that the perpetrators had the direct intention of spreading hatred against sexual minorities. This rejection is based on statements by the perpetrators that they did not have such an intention, but that they just were expressing their opinion. Recently, emphasis has been placed in a media on hate speech at football matches which has become a regular occurrence. Members of Parliament and members of the Government of the Republic of Croatia regularly use hate speech concerning sexual and gender minorities in public, without any consequences at all. On the contrary, they build their election campaigns on such statements.
Because of all the above, we seek amendments to legislation concerning hate speech and its adequate enforcement by the responsible institutions. We consider that this is not sufficient. We also seek that hate crimes against members of sexual and gender minorities be punished according to the law.
