Albania
There is no
specific legislation prohibiting blasphemy and/or religious insult in Albania. The Criminal Code however contains
a specific section in relation to “Criminal acts against freedom of religion”.
Criminal Code, Article 131 Obstructing the activities of
religious organizations
Ban on the activity of religious organizations,
or creating
obstacles for
the free exercise of their activities, is sentenced to a fine or
to up to three years of imprisonment.
Criminal Code, Article 132 Ruining or damaging objects of
worship
Ruining or damaging objects of worship when it has inflicted
the partial or total loss of their values is punishable by a fine or to up to
three years of imprisonment.
Criminal Code,
Article 133 Obstructing religious ceremonies
Ban on
creating obstacles for
participating in religious ceremonies, as well as for
freely expressing religious beliefs, constitutes criminal contravention and is
sentenced to a fine or
up to one year of imprisonment.
Criminal Code,
Article 265 Inciting national, racial or religious hatred and conflict
Inciting
nationality, racial and religious hatred or
conflict as well as preparing, propagating, or
preserving with the intent of propagating, of writings with that content, is
sentenced to a fine or
to up ten years of imprisonment.
Code pénal (1995), Article 122
Ceux qui auront
commis des actes de profanation, outrage ou destruction dans des édifices
destinés au culte ou à l'occasion de cérémonies religieuses seront punis d'un
emprisonnement d'un maximum de quatre ans.
Code pénal (1995), Article 301
Quiconque aura
offensé publiquement les sentiments religieux ou aura empêché ou perturbé les
actes ou cérémonies religieuses sera puni d'un emprisonnement d'une durée
maximale de six mois.
Armenia
Criminal Code, Article 226. Inciting national, racial or religious
hatred.
1. Actions
aimed at the incitement of national, racial or
religious hatred, at racial superiority
or humiliation
of national dignity, are punished with a fine in the amount of 200 to 500
minimal salaries, or
with correctional
labor for
up to 2 years, or
with imprisonment for
a term of 2-4 years.
2. The
actions envisaged in part 1 of this Article committed: publicly or
by mass media, with violence or
threat of violence; by abuse of official position; by an organized
group, are punished with imprisonment for
the term of 3 to 6 years.
Austria
The Austrian legal system does not prohibit any sort of
blasphemy or religious insult in a general way. However, the Criminal Code
forbids some acts under specific circumstances.
Criminal
Code, Section 188 - disparaging of religious precepts
Whoever publicly disparages or mocks a person or a thing,
respectively, being object of worship or a dogma, a legally permitted rite, or
a legally permitted institution of a church or religious society located in
Austria in a manner capable of giving rise to a justified annoyance is liable
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine.
Criminal
Code, Section 189 - disturbance of the practice of religion
1. Whoever forcibly or threatening with force precludes or disturbs divine service
or an act of divine service of a church or religious society located in Austria
is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years
2. Whoever is up to mischief at a place destined for a legally permitted
practice of religion or on the occasion of a legally permitted public divine
service or a legally permitted act of divine service or with an object directly
destined for a legally permitted divine service of a church or religious
society located in Austria in a manner capable of giving rise to a justified
annoyance is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a
fine.
Criminal
Code, Section 283 - Incitement
Whoever publicly
calls upon or goads to a hostile act against a church or religious society
located in Austria or against a group belonging to such a church or religious
society, a race, a people, a tribe, or a state in a manner capable of
endangering public order or incites against or insults or decries in a way which
hurts the human dignity a group belonging to a race, a people, a tribe, or a
state is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.
Azerbaijan
Constitution (1995), Article 18 - Religion and State.
Religion
shall be separated from the State in the Azerbaijan
Republic.
All religions shall be equal by law. The spread and propaganda of religions
which humiliate human dignity and contradict the principles of humanity shall
be banned.
The
State
education system shall be of secular character.
Constitution (1995), Article 47 - Freedom of Thought and
Speech.
Every Person
shall have the freedom of Thought and Speech.
Nobody shall be forced
to identify or
refuse his/her ideas and principles.
Propaganda
inciting racial, ethnic or
religious animosity or
hostility shall be banned.
Law on Freedom of Religious Belief, No. 281, No. 16 article
694 (Bulletin of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan Republic 1992-00-00)
(MOD. 2001) Article 1. Freedom of Religious Belief
Everyone
shall determine his attitude to religion
independently and shall have the right to practice any kind of religion
alone or
together with others and to express or disseminate
his belief concerning his attitude to religion.
Laying any kind of obstacles to any person in determining his attitude to
religion, in his religious beliefs, worship, participation in execution of
religious rituals and ceremonies shall not be allowed. Propagating of religious
beliefs, religious mode of life and worship by using force
or with the
aim to breed strife among people and forcing
religious beliefs shall be prohibited.
Restrictions
on the exercise of freedom of religious belief may be imposed only in such
cases as are necessary for the considerations of national security and public
safety and for the protection of rights and freedoms compatible with the
international obligations of the Republic
of Azerbaijan
Carrying out religious propaganda by foreigners
and persons without citizenship shall be prohibited. (inserted into Article 1
by Law No. 222-IQD of 27
December 1996 (Collection of Legislation of the
Republic of Azerbaijan, 1997, No. 3, Article 171).
Parents or
the persons replacing them may educate their children based on mutual consent,
in accordance
with their religious belief and attitude towards religion.
Criminal
Code (Collection of Legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 2000, No. 4(II), Article 251, entered
into force on 1 September 2000), Article 167 - Interference with religious rituals
An illegal
interference with religious rituals shall be punishable by a fine in the amount
one hundred to five hundred minimum wages, or community works for a term of one
hundred and sixty to two hundred forty hours, or corrective works for a term of
up to one year.
Criminal
Code, Article 283 - Instigating
national, racial or religious enmity
1. Actions
aimed at instigating national, racial or religious enmity, at debasing national
dignity, as well as at restricting the rights of the citizens or establishing
their superiority based on their national, racial or religious affiliation, if
such actions are committed in public or using mass media, shall be punishable
by a fine in the amount one thousand to two thousand minimum wages, or
restriction of liberty up to three years, or imprisonment for a term of two to
four years.
2. The same
actions, if committed:
1.
by using force or threatening to use force;
2.
by a person by using his or her official position;
3.
by an organized group
shall be
punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to five years.
Code pénal, Article 142.
Toute personne qui,
par des violences ou des menaces, aura contraint ou empêché une ou plusieurs
personnes d'exercer un culte, d'assister à l'exercice de ce culte, de célébrer
certaines fêtes religieuses, d'observer certains jours de repos, et, en
conséquence, d'ouvrir ou de fermer leurs ateliers, boutiques ou magasins, et de
faire ou de quitter certains travaux, sera punie d'un emprisonnement de huit
jours a deux mois et d'une amende de vingt-six francs à deux cents francs.
Code pénal, Article 143.
Ceux qui, par des
troubles ou des désordres, auront empêché, retarde ou interrompu les exercices d'un culte qui se
pratiquent dans un lieu destiné ou servant habituellement au culte ou dans les
cérémonies publiques de ce culte, seront punis d'un emprisonnement de huit
jours à trois mois et d'une amende de vingt-six francs à cinq cents francs.
Code pénal, Article 144.
Toute personne qui,
par faits, paroles, gestes ou menaces, aura outragé les objets d'un culte, soit
dans les lieux destinés ou servant habituellement à son exercice, soit dans des
cérémonies publiques de ce culte, sera punie d'un emprisonnement de quinze
jours à six mois et d'une amende de vingt-six francs à cinq cents francs.
Code pénal, Article 145.
Sera puni des mêmes
peines celui qui, par faits paroles, gestes ou menaces, aura outragé le
ministre d'un culte, dans l'exercice de son ministère.
S'il l'a frappé, il
sera puni d'un emprisonnement de deux mois à deux ans et d'une amende de
cinquante francs à cinq cents francs.
Code pénal, Article 146.
Si les coups ont été
cause d'effusion de sang, de blessure ou de maladie, le coupable sera puni d'un
emprisonnement de six mois à cinq ans et d'une amende de cent francs à mille
francs.
Loi du 25 février 2003 tendant à lutter
contre la discrimination et modifiant la loi du 15 février 1993 créant un
Centre pour l'égalité des changes et la lutte contre le racisme
Article 2. …/… § 6. Le harcèlement est considéré comme une
forme de
discrimination lorsqu'un
comportement
indésirable qui est lié aux motifs de discrimination figurant au § 1er a pour
objet ou pour effet de porter
atteinte à la dignité d'une personne et de créer un environnement intimidant,
hostile, dégradant, humiliant ou offensant.
§ 7. Tout comportement
consistant à enjoindre à quiconque de pratiquer une discrimination à l'encontre
d'une personne, d'un groupe, d'une communauté ou de leurs membres pour un des
motifs <visés au § 1er> est considéré comme une discrimination
au sens de la présente loi.
…/…
Article 6. § 1er. Est puni
d'emprisonnement d'un mois à un an et d'une amende de cinquante EUR à mille EUR
ou d'une de ces peines seulement :
- quiconque, dans l'une des
circonstances indiquées à l'Article 444 du Code pénal, incite à la
discrimination, à la haine ou à la violence à l'égard d'une personne, d'un
groupe, d'une communauté ou des membres de celle-ci, en raison du sexe, de l'orientation
sexuelle, de l'état civil, de la naissance, de la fortune,
de l'âge, de la conviction religieuse ou philosophique, de l'état de santé
actuel ou futur, d'un handicap ou d'une caractéristique physique;
- quiconque, dans l'une des circonstances
indiquées à l'Article 444 du Code pénal, donne une publicité à son intention de
recourir à la discrimination, à la haine ou à la violence à l'égard d'une
personne, d'une groupe, d'une communauté ou des membres de celle-ci, en raison
du sexe, de l'orientation
sexuelle, de l'état civil, de la naissance, de la fortune,
de l'âge, de la conviction religieuse ou philosophique, de l'état de santé
actuel ou futur, d'un handicap ou d'une caractéristique physique.
Criminal Code of the Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina 1998, article 150
(1) Whoever publicly incites or fans national, racial or religious hatred or discord or hostility between
constitutional nations and other living in Bosnia and Herzegovina or the Federation, shall
be punished with a sentence of imprisonment for a term between one year
and five years.
(2) If an act referred to in paragraph 1 of this
Article has been committed by coercion, molestation, jeopardizing of safety,
exposing to derision of national, ethnic or religious symbols,
damaging belongings of another, desecrating monuments or graves, the perpetrator shall be punished with
a sentence of imprisonment for a term of between one
and eight years.
(3) Whoever commits an act referred to in
paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article abusing his/her position or authority, or if disorder, violence or other grave
consequences for the living together of constitutional nations
and others living in Bosnia and Herzegovina or the Federation resulted
from these acts, shall be punished for the act referred to in
paragraph 1 by imprisonment for a term between one and
eight years and for the act referred to in
paragraph 2 by imprisonment for a term of between one
and ten years.
Criminal Code of the Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina 1998, article 356
(1) Whoever disturbs or prevents performance of religious
ceremonies, shall be fined or punished by
imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.
(2) Whoever commits the offence from paragraph
1. of this Article by use of force or serious threat of using
the force, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term between three
months and three years.
Bulgaria
Criminal Code, §164 -Crimes against Religious Denominations
§164: A person who propagates hatred on a
religious basis by speech, through the press, action or in another way, shall
be punished by deprivation of liberty for up to three years or by corrective labour.
Criminal Code, §165 - Crimes
against Religious Denominations
(1) Whoever, by force or threat, obstructs the citizens to profess their faith
or carry out their rituals and services which do not violate the laws of
the country, the public peace and the good morals shall be punished by
imprisonment of up to one year.
(2)
The same punishment shall be imposed on those who, in the same way, compels
another to participate in religious rituals and services.
(3)
For the acts under art. 163 committed against groups of the population,
individual citizens or their property in connection with their religious belonging shall apply
the punishments stipulated by it.
Criminal Code, §166 - Crimes
against Religious Denominations),
(Suppl., SG 28/82; Amend. SG 92/02, amend. SG
103/04) Whoever forms
a political organisation
on religious grounds or
whoever, through speeches, publications, act or
in any other way, uses the church or
the religion for
propaganda against the authority
or its
activities shall be punished by imprisonment of up to three years, unless he is
a subject to a more
serious punishment.
Religious Denominations Act (1949), Article 4 (1)
Every Bulgarian citizen has the right to freely practice his
or her religion through words, prints, or images, either individually or with others.
(2) The right to practice a religion shall not be restricted
by the state unless it is:
1. directed against national security, public order, national healthy ethics, or rights and freedoms of other
citizens;
2. used for political ends;
3. used for the incitement of racial, ethic or religious hatred and hostility
Religious Denominations Act (1949), Article 15 (1).
The status of religious organization may be granted when the
faith and the liturgical practice on the basis of which the religious
institution has been founded are not directed against national security, public
order, national health, ethics, the
rights and freedoms of other citizens, the achievement of political goals, or the incitement of racial, ethnic or religious hatred and hostility.
Religious Denominations Act (1949), Article 38 (1). The
status of religious institution may be withdrawn:
1. when the public practice of religion performed by the institution is directed
against national security, public order, national health, ethics, rights
and freedoms of other citizen, or when the institution uses the faith or its liturgical and ritual practice
for political goals, or for the incitement of racial, ethnic or religious hatred and hostility.
Cyprus
Constitution,
Article 18 – Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
1. Every person
has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
2. All religions whose doctrines or rites
are not secret are free.
3. All religions are equal before the law.
Without prejudice to the competence of the Communal Chambers under this
Constitution, no legislative, executive or administrative act of the Republic
shall discriminate against any religious institution or religion.
4. Every person is free and has the right
to profess his faith and to manifest his religion or belief, in worship,
teaching, practice or observance, either individually or collectively, in
private or in public, and to change his religion or belief.
5. The use of physical or moral compulsion
for the purpose of making a person change or preventing him from changing his
religion is prohibited.
6. Freedom to
manifest one's religion or belief shall be subject only to such limitations as
are prescribed by law and are necessary in the interests of the security of the
Republic or the constitutional order or the public safety or the public order
or the public health or the public morals or for the protection of the rights
and liberties guaranteed by this Constitution to any person.
7. Until a
person attains the age of sixteen the decision as to the religion to be
professed by him shall be taken by the person having the lawful guardianship of
such person.
8. No person
shall be compelled to pay any tax or duty the proceeds of which are specially
allocated in whole or in part for the purposes of a religion other than his
own.
Constitution, Article 19
1. Every
person has the right to freedom of speech and expression in any form.
2. This
right includes freedom to hold opinions and receive and impart information and
ideas without interference by any public authority and regardless of frontiers.
3. The
exercise of the rights provided in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article may be
subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or criminalties as are
prescribed by law and are necessary only in the interests of the security of
the Republic or the constitutional order or the public safety or the public
order or the public health or the public morals or for the protection of the
reputation or rights of others or for preventing the disclosure of information
received in confidence or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the
judiciary.
Criminal
Code, Section 47 (2), Cap. 154
Whoever enters into an act publicly with the intention to promote
feelings of ill will and hostility between different communities or religious groups by reason of his racial or ethnic origin or his religion
is guilty of an offence and may be convicted to a maximum sentence of
imprisonment for up to five years.
Criminal Code, Section 51(Α), Cap. 154
Whoever publicly in any manner and
in any way procures the inhabitants to acts of violence against each other; or
promotes feelings of ill will and enmity between different classes or
communities or persons in the Republic, is guilty of misdemeanour and is liable
to imprisonment for twelve months or to a fine of 1000 pounds or both and in
case of a legal entity a fine of 3000 thousand pounds may be imposed.
Criminal
code, Sections 138, 139, 140, 141 and 142,
provide for offences relating to religion:
• Insult
to religions (section 138),
• Disruption
of religious gatherings (section 139),
• Unlawful
entrance to burial places (section 140)
• Offending
religious sentiments by words or conduct (section 141)
• Publications
insulting religion (section 142)
Amending Laws 11/92, 6(III)/95 and 28(III/99) amending the
law ratifying the CERD establish as criminal offences:
- To
incite acts which are likely to cause discrimination, hatred, or violence against any
person or group of persons on account of their racial or ethnic origin, or their religion. The offence is committed when a person
incites as above in public either orally or through the press or by means of any
document or picture or any other means. The criminalty is that of imprisonment not exceeding
two years, or a fine not exceeding one thousand pounds, or both.
- To
express ideas insulting to any person or group of persons by
reason of their racial or ethnic origin, or their religion. The offence is committed when a person acts
as above in public either orally or through the press or by means of any
documents or pictures or any other means. The criminalty is that of imprisonment not
exceeding one year, or a fine not exceeding
five hundred pounds, or both.
In conformity with a recommendation
of the Committee for the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination, the 1999 amendments mean that it is no longer necessary
that the incitement to racial hatred be intentional for the corresponding offence to be
committed.
Croatia
Constitution (as amended on 28 March 2001), Article
39
Any call for or
incitement to war, or
resort to
violence, national, racial, or
religious hatred, or
any form
of intolerance is prohibited and punishable.
Criminal Code (as amended on 1 October 2004), Article
174
(3) Anyone
who publicly speaks and expresses ideas of supremacy of one race over another,
of one ethnic or religious group over another, of one gender
over another, of one nation over another
or one skin
colour over another, with the aim of inciting racial, religious, gender,
national, ethnic hatred or hatred based on the
skin colour, or with the aim of belittling, shall be punished
by a term of imprisonment of between 3 months and 3 years.
Czech Republic
Criminal Code, § 198 - Vilification of the nation, race and
conviction
(1) A person who
publicly defames :
1. any
nation, its language or any race, or
2. a group of
inhabitants for their political conviction, religion or lack of religious faith, shall be
punished by imprisonment for a term of up to one year.
(2) A person who
commits a crime stated in section 1 together with at least two more persons shall be sentenced to
imprisonment for a term of up to three years.
Criminal Code, §198a- Incitement to a national and racial hatred
(1) Whoever
publicly incites hatred of another nation or race or calls for restriction of the rights and
freedoms of other nationals or their members, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of up to two years.
(2) The same
sentence shall apply to a person, who aids and abets an offender to commit an
act mentioned in subsection 1.
Criminal Code, §260 Support and
propagation of movement aiming at suppressing the rights and freedoms of the
citizens
(1) A person who
supports or propagates movement demonstrably
aiming at oppressing the rights and freedoms of citizens or declares national, racial, class or religious hatred, shall be punished
by a custodial sentence from one up to five years.
(2) A person
shall be punished by custodial sentence up to three years in following case:
1. if he/she
commits the act stated in section1 by means of press, film, radio, television or by similar efficient means,
2. if he/she
commits such act as a member of an organized group, or
3. if he/she
commits such act during military preparedness of the state.
Criminal Code, § 261
Whoever publicly shows sympathy for fascism or other similar movements stated in §
260, shall be punished by custodial sentence from six months up to three years.
Statute No. 40/1995
The advertisement must not contain material which would be
in dissention with morality, especially elements insulting national or religious feeling, menacing morality in general or propagating violence. It must not
contain elements belittling human dignity or use a motive of fear.
Denmark
Criminal Code (Consolidated Act No. 1000 of 10. May
2006, the Criminal Code (Lovbekendtgørelse 2006-10-05 nr. 1000 ) Entry into
force: 1. July 2006), § 140
Any person who, in public, mocks or scorns the
religious doctrines or acts of worship of any lawfully existing religious
community in this country shall be liable to imprisonment for any term not
exceeding four months.
Criminal Code, § 266b
1. Any person who, publicly or with the intention of wider
dissemination, makes a statement or imparts other information by which a group
of people are threatened, scorned or degraded on account of their race, colour,
national or ethnic origin, religion, or sexual inclination shall be liable to a
fine or to imprisonment for any term not exceeding two years.
2. It shall
be considered an aggravating circumstance if the conduct can be characterised
as propaganda.
(This provision was inserted in the Criminal Code in 1971 in
connection with Denmark's ratification of the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to ensure full compliance
with article 4 of ICERD).
Une loi du 9 juin1988 a abrogé
l'article 239 du code pénal qui disposait: "Celui qui a blasphémé par
écrit ou de manière publique ou par des paroles ou des actes qui ont produit un
grave scandale public sera puni d'une peine d'emprisonnement majeure et d'une
amende de 30.000 à 50.000 pesetas ').
Code pénal, Artícle 22.
Sont considérées
comme circonstances aggravantes :
4. Commettre un
délit motivé par le racisme, l’antisémitisme ou tout autre type de
discrimination liée à l’idéologie, la religion, ou les croyances de la victime,
sa race ou sa nation d’origine, son sexe ou orientation sexuelle, sa maladie ou
son handicap.
Code pénal, Artícle 510.
1. Ceux qui provoquent la discrimination,
la haine ou la violence contre tout groupe ou association pour des motifs à
caractère raciste, antisémite, ou tout autre [motif] en se référant à
l’idéologie, la religion ou les croyances, la situation familiale,
l’appartenance de ses membres à une ethnie ou une race, une origine nationale,
le sexe, l’orientation sexuelle, une maladie ou un handicap, seront puni d’une
peine de prison d’un à trois ans, et une amende de six à douze mois.
2. Seront passibles de la même peine tous
ceux qui étant conscients du caractère faux des informations ou de mépris de la
vérité qui en résulte, divulguent des informations injurieuses envers les
groupes ou associations, leur idéologie, leurs religion ou croyance,
l’appartenance de leurs membres à une race ou ethnie, leur appartenance
nationale, leur sexe, leur orientation sexuelle, leur maladie ou handicap.
Code pénal, Artícle 515.
Toute association
illicite sera passible d’une peine en prenant en considération :
5. celles promouvant
la discrimination, la haine ou la violence contre les autres personnes, groupes
en association en raison de leur idéologie ou croyances, l’appartenance de
leurs membres ou de certains d’entre eux à une ethnie, race ou nation, leur
sexe, leur orientation sexuelle, leur situation familiale, leur maladie ou
handicap ; ou toutes celles qui incitent à le faire.
Code pénal, Article 522. –
Sont passibles d'une peine de 4
à 10 mois:
1 - ceux qui, par la violence, l'intimidation,
la force ou tout
autre contrainte illégitime, empêcheraient un ou plusieurs membres d'une
Confession Religieuse d'exercer les actes propres aux croyances qu'il professe
ou d'assister à ces mêmes actes.
2 - ceux qui, par les mêmes
moyens forceraient,
un ou plusieurs autres à pratiquer ou à assister à des actes de culte ou de
rites ou à réaliser des actes révélateurs de profession ou non profession d'une
religion, ou encore à en
changer.
Code pénal, Article 523. –
Celui qui, par la violence, la
menace, le tumulte ou la voie de fait, empêcherait, interromprait ou
perturberait les actes, les fonctions, les cérémonies ou les manifestations des
confessions religieuses inscrites au Registre Public correspondant
du Ministère de la Justice et de l'Intérieur, sera puni par une peine de prison
pouvant aller de 6 mois à 6 ans, si le fait a été commis dans un endroit
destiné au culte et par une peine de 4 à 10 mois si le fait est commis
ailleurs.
Code pénal, Article 524. –
Celui qui, dans un temple, un
lieu de culte ou pendant des cérémonies religieuses exécuterait des actes de
profanation, offensant les sentiments religieux légalement sous tutelle, sera
puni par une peine de prison de 6 mois à 1 an ou par une amende de 4 à 10 mois.
Code pénal, Article 525. –
1. Seront passibles d'une peine
de 8 à 12 mois ceux qui, pour offenser les sentiments des membres d'une
confession religieuse, feraient, publiquement, oralement,
par écrit ou dans un document quelconque outrageraient leur dogme, croyance,
rites ou cérémonies, ou vexeraient, en public, ceux qui les professent ou
pratiquent. 2. Seront passibles des mêmes peines ceux qui outrageront en
public, oralement
ou par écrit, ceux qui ne professent aucune religion ou croyance.
Code pénal, Article 526. –
Celui qui, manquant au respect
dû à la mémoire des morts
violerait les sépulcres ou sépultures, profanerait un cadavre ou ses cendres,
ou qui, pour outrager, détruirait, altèrerait, endommagerait les urnes
funéraires, les panthéons, pierres tombales ou niches, sera puni par une peine
d'arrêt de 12 à 24 week-end et une amende de 3 à 6 mois.
Code pénal, Artículo 607.
1. Ceux qui visent à
la destruction totale ou partielle d’un groupe national ethnique, racial ou
religieux ou sont coupables de tout autre acte faisant partie de la liste
ci-dessous, seront passibles :
- de réclusion de 15 à 20 ans s’ils commettent
un meurtre d’un de ses membres. Si dans les faits on compte deux ou plus
de circonstances aggravantes, la peine sera graduellement supérieure ;
- de réclusion de 25 à 30 ans s’ils sont
coupables d’une agression sexuelle contre un de ces membres ou provoquent
des lésions répertoriés dans l’article 149 ;
- de réclusion de 8 à 15 ans, s’ils soumettent
le groupe ou tout individu en faisant partie à des conditions d’existence
qui mettraient en danger sa vie ou perturberaient gravement sa santé ;
s’ils infligent un des lésions prévues dans l’article 150 ;
- de la même peine de réclusion allant de 4 à 8
ans s’ils infligent toute autre lésion différente de celles énumérées dans
les alinéas 2 et 3 de ce paragraphe.
2. La diffusion par tout moyen de la ou
des doctrines qui nient ou justifient les délits énumérés dans le paragraphe
antérieur de cet article, ou qui prétendent réhabiliter tout régimes ou
institution qui favorisent les pratiques semblables (à celles décrites dans les
paragraphes intérieurs), seront passibles d’une peine de réclusion allant de 1
à 2 ans.
Estonia
Constitution, article 12
The incitement of national, racial, religious or political hatred,
violence or discrimination shall be prohibited and
punishable by law. The incitement of hatred, violence or discrimination between
social strata shall equally be prohibited and punishable by law.
Criminal code (2000), §151
incite to hatred or violence on the basis of
nationality, race, colour, sex, language, origin, religion,
political opinion, financial or social status : Up
to three years’ imprisonment
Criminal code (2000), §154
A person who
interferes with the religious affiliation or
religious practices of a person, unless the religious affiliation or
practices are detrimental to the morals,
rights or
health of other people or
violate public order,
shall be punished by a pecuniary punishment or
up to one year of imprisonment.
Criminal Code (2000), § 201
Violation of
public order
or attacks
against person or
his or her rights
in course of exercise of one’s religion
(1) Forming
or leading a
grouping whose activities in the course of proclamation of religious doctrine or
a religious ceremony are related to violation of public order,
damaging the health of persons or
other attacks to the life or
rights of persons, or
inducing a person to refuse to perform
his or her civil
duties, is punishable by a fine or
detention or
up to five years’ imprisonment.
(2) Active
participation in the activities of a grouping specified in subsection (1) of
this section, or
promotion of the commission of acts prescribed by the religious doctrines or
ceremonies of such grouping, is punishable by a fine or
detention or
up to three years’ imprisonment.
(19.05.93
entered into force
27.06.93 - RT I 1993, 33, 539)
Finland
Criminal Code of Finland as amended by
law 563/1998, S. 10 Breach of the sanctity of religion
A person who
(1) publicly blasphemes against God or, for the purpose of
offending, publicly defames or desecrates what is
otherwise held to be sacred by a church or religious community, as
referred to in the Act on the Freedom of Religion (267/1998), or
(2) by making noise, acting threateningly or otherwise, disturbs worship, ecclesiastical
proceedings, other similar religious proceedings or a funeral, shall be
sentenced for a breach of the sanctity of religion to a fine or to imprisonment for at most six months.
Criminal Code of Finland as amended by
law 563/1998, S. 11 - Prevention of worship
(1) A
person who employs or threatens violence, so
as to unlawfully prevent worship, ecclesiastical
proceedings or other similar religious proceedings arranged by
a church of religious community, as referred to in the Act on the Sanctity of
Religion, shall be sentenced for prevention of worship to a fine or to imprisonment for at most two years.
(2) An attempt is punishable.
Criminal Code, Section 8 of Chapter 11
covers
ethnic agitation and criminalises the spreading of statements or
other information
among the public where a certain “race”, a national, ethnic or
religious group or
a comparable group is threatened, defamed or
insulted.
« The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia »
Criminal Code (23
July 1996), Article 319 - Causing national, racial or religious hate,
discord and intolerance
(1) A
person who by force, mistreatment, endangering the security,
ridicule of the national, ethnic or religious symbols, by
damaging other people's objects, by desecration of monuments, graves, or in some other manner
causes or excites national, racial or religious hate, discord or intolerance, shall be
punished with imprisonment of one to five years.
(2) A person, who commits the crime from item 1
by misusing his position or authorization, or if because of these
crimes, riots and violence were caused among people, or a property damage with
a large extent was caused, shall be punished with imprisonment of one to ten
years.
Criminal Code, 23
July 1996, Article 399 - Hindering a religious ceremony
A person who unlawfully hinders the performance of a religious
ceremony shall be punished with a fine, or with imprisonment of up
to one year.
Law on Religious Communities and Religious Groups (Official
Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, No. 35/1997), Article 18
Religious
activities and religious rituals are performed
in churches, mosques, and other temples, as well as in yards that are part of
these facilities, on cemeteries and
other
facilities of the religious community or
group. Performing
religious activities and religious rituals cited in Paragraph 1 of this Article
cannot break the public order
and peace, as well as the religious feelings and other freedoms and rights of
the citizens who do not belong to the religious community or
group.
Law on Religious Communities and Religious Groups (Official
Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, No. 35/1997), Article 30
With a fine
of the amount of 30.000-50.000 denars will be fined:
- Person who
forces or
thwarts a citizen to give contributions intended for
religious and humanitarian aims (Article 16 Paragraph 2);
- Person who
performs religious
ritual or
activities outside the facilities from Article 18 Paragraph 1;
- Person who
performing
religious rituals or
activities violates the public order
and peace, as well as the religious feelings and other freedoms and rights of
the citizens (Article 18 Paragraph 2), and
- Person who
performs religious
ritual without request of a citizen in his residence, of underage without
appropriate agreement and in hospitals, homes for
old people and alike institutions, contrary to the house rules (Article 20
Paragraph 1, 2 and 3).
Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté
de la presse, article 24
Seront punis de cinq ans
d'emprisonnement et de 300 000 F d'amende ceux qui, par l'un des moyens énoncés
à l'article précédent, auront directement provoqué, dans le cas où cette
provocation n'aurait pas été suivie d'effet, à commettre l'une des infractions
suivantes :
(…)
Ceux qui, par l'un des moyens énoncés à
l'article 23, auront provoqué à la discrimination, à la haine ou à la violence à
l'égard d'une personne ou d'un groupe de personnes à raison de leur origine ou de leur
appartenance ou de leur non appartenance à une ethnie, une nation, une race ou
une religion déterminée, seront punis d'un an d'emprisonnement et de 300000 F
d'amende ou de l'une de ces deux peines seulement .
En cas de condamnation pour l'un des faits
prévus par l'alinéa précédent, le tribunal pourra en outre ordonner :
1° Sauf lorsque la responsabilité de
l'auteur de l'infraction est retenue sur le fondement de l'article 42 et du
premier alinéa de l'article 43 de la présente loi ou des trois premiers alinéas
de l'article 93-3 de la loi n° 82-652 du 29 juillet 1982 sur la communication
audiovisuelle, la privation des droits énumérés aux 2° et 3° de l'article
131-26 du code pénal pour une durée de cinq ans au plus ;
2° L'affichage ou la diffusion de la
décision prononcée dans les conditions prévues par l'article 131-35 du code
pénal.
Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse, Article 29§2
Toute expression outrageante,
termes de mépris ou invective qui ne renferme l'imputation d'aucun fait est une
injure .
Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté
de la presse, Article 31
Sera punie de la même peine , la
diffamation commise par les mêmes moyens, à raison de leurs fonctions ou de
leur qualité, envers un ou plusieurs membres du ministère, un ou plusieurs
membres de l'une ou de l'autre Chambre , un fonctionnaire public, un
dépositaire ou agent de l'autorité
publique, un ministre de l'un des cultes salariés par l'Etat, un citoyen chargé
d'un service ou d'un mandat public temporaire ou
permanent, un juré ou un témoin, à raison de sa déposition.
La diffamation contre les mêmes
personnes concernant la vie privée relève de l'article 32 ci-après.
Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté
de la presse, Article 32
La diffamation commise envers les
particuliers par l'un des moyens énoncés en l'article 23 sera punie d'une
amende de 80.000 F.
La diffamation commise par les mêmes moyens
envers une personne ou un groupe de personnes à raison de leur origine
ou de leur appartenance ou de leur non appartenance à une ethnie, une nation,
une race ou une religion déterminée sera punie d'un an d'emprisonnement et de
300000 F d'amende ou de l'une de ces deux peines seulement .
En cas de condamnation pour l'un des faits
prévus par l'alinéa précédent, le tribunal pourra en outre ordonner
:
1° L'affichage ou la diffusion de la
décision prononcée dans les conditions prévues par l'article 131-35 du code
pénal.
Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté
de la presse, Article 33
L'injure commise par les mêmes
moyens envers les corps ou
les personnes désignés par les articles 30 et 31 de la présente loi sera punie
d'une amende de 80.000 F.
L'injure commise de la même manière envers
les particuliers, lorsqu'elle
n'aura pas été précédée de provocations, sera punie d'une amende de 80.000 F.
Sera punie de six mois d'emprisonnement et
de 150.000 F d'amende l'injure commise, dans les conditions prévues à l'alinéa
précédent, envers une personne ou un groupe de personnes à raison de leur origine
ou de leur appartenance ou de leur non appartenance à une ethnie, une nation,
une race ou une religion déterminée
En cas de condamnation pour l'un des faits
prévus par l'alinéa précédent, le tribunal pourra en outre ordonner
:
1° L'affichage ou la diffusion de la
décision prononcée dans les conditions prévues par l'article 131-35 du code
pénal.
Loi du 9 décembre 1905, Article 31
Sont punis de la peine d'amende
prévue pour les contraventions de la 5ème classe et d'un emprisonnement de six
jours à deux mois ou de l'une de ces deux peines seulement ceux qui, soit par
voies de fait, violences ou menaces contre un individu, soit en lui faisant
craindre de perdre son emploi ou d'exposer à un dommage sa personne, sa famille
ou sa fortune, l'auront
déterminé à exercer ou à s'abstenir d'exercer un culte, à faire partie ou à
cesser de faire partie d'une association cultuelle, à contribuer ou à
s'abstenir de contribuer aux frais d'un culte.
Loi du 9 décembre 1905, Article 32
Seront punis des mêmes peines
ceux qui auront empêché, retardé ou interrompu les exercices d'un culte par des
troubles ou désordres
causés dans le local servant à ces exercices.
Loi du 9 décembre 1905, Article 33
Les dispositions des deux
articles précédents ne s'appliquent qu'aux troubles, outrages ou voies de fait,
dont la nature ou les circonstances ne donneront pas lieu à de plus fortes
peines d'après les dispositions du Code pénal.
Code pénal, Article 132-76
Dans les cas prévus
par la loi, les peines encourues pour un crime ou un délit sont aggravées lorsque l'infraction est
commise à raison de l'appartenance ou de la non appartenance, vraie ou
supposée, de la victime à une ethnie, une nation, une race ou une religion
déterminée.
La circonstance
aggravante définie au premier alinéa est constituée lorsque l'infraction est
précédée, accompagnée ou suivie de propos, écrits, images, objets ou actes de
toute nature portant atteinte à l'honneur ou à la considération de la victime ou d'un
groupe de personnes dont fait partie la victime à raison de leur appartenance
ou de leur non appartenance, vraie ou supposée, à une ethnie, une nation, une
race ou une religion déterminée.
Code pénal, Article R. 624-3 Diffamation discriminatoire
La diffamation non publique
commise envers une personne ou un groupe de personnes à raison de leur origine
ou de leur appartenance ou de leur non appartenance, vraie ou supposée, à une
ethnie, une nation, une race ou une religion déterminée est punie de l'amende
prévue pour les contraventions de la 4e classe.
Code pénal, Article R. 624-4 Injure discriminatoire
L'injure non publique commise
envers une personne ou un groupe de personnes à raison de leur origine
ou de leur appartenance ou de leur non appartenance, vraie ou supposée, à une
ethnie, une nation, une race ou une religion déterminée est punie de l'amende
prévue pour les contraventions de la 4e classe.
Code pénal, article
R. 625-7 (Décret n° 2005-284 du 25 mars 2005)
"La provocation
non publique à la discrimination, à la haine ou à la violence à l'égard d'une
personne ou d'un groupe de personnes à raison de leur origine ou de leur
appartenance ou de leur non appartenance, vraie ou supposée, à une ethnie, une
nation, une race ou une religion déterminée est punie de l'amende prévue pour
les contraventions de la 5e classe. (1.500 euros au plus -qui peut être porté au double, dans certains
cas de récidive-, et éventuelles peines complémentaires) " (…)
Loi n° 90-615 du 13 juillet
1990 tendant à réprimer tout acte raciste, antisémite ou xénophobe
J.O. du 14/07/1990, Art. 14
Possibilité, pour les
associations oeuvrant contre les discriminations raciales et religieuses,
d'exercer le droit de réponse en matière audiovisuelle - Modification de l'art.
6 de la loi n° 82-652 du 29 juillet 1982)
Code pénal d'Alsace et Moselle, article
166
Celui qui aura causé un scandale
en blasphémant publiquement Dieu par des propos outrageants ou aura
publiquement outragé un des cultes chrétiens ou une communauté religieuse
établie sur le territoire de la Confédération et reconnue comme corporation,
ou les institutions ou cérémonies de ces cultes ou qui, dans une église ou un
autre lieu consacré à des assemblées religieuses, aura commis des actes
injurieux et scandaleux, sqera puni d'un emprisonnement de trois ans au
plus"
Code pénal d'Alsace et Moselle, article
167
Celui qui, par voie
de fait ou menaces, aura empêché une personne d’exercer le culte d’une
communauté religieuse établie dans l’Etat [...], ou qui, dans une église, aura
par tapage ou désordre volontairement empêché ou troublé le culte ou certaines cérémonies du
culte [...] sera puni d’un emprisonnement de trois au plus.
Georgia
Constitution (1995), Article 9
The state recognizes
the special importance
of the Georgian
Orthodox Church in Georgian
history but
simultaneously declares complete freedom of religious belief and confessions,
as well as independence of the church from the state.
Constitution (1995), Article 19.1
Every
individual has the right to freedom of speech, thought, conscience, religion
and belief.2. The persecution of an individual for
his thoughts, beliefs or
religion is prohibited as is compulsion to express opinions about them.3. These
rights may not be restricted unless the exercise of these rights infringes upon
the rights of other individuals.
Criminal
Code, Article 59 – Aggravating circumstances of a crime
Aggravating
circumstances of a punishment are […] f. Commission of a crime with a motive of
national, ethnic, racial and religious hatred or hostility;[…]
Criminal
Code, Article 114 - Premeditated murder
in aggravating circumstances
l. premeditated
murder based on racial, religious, national or ethnic hatred;
Art.
122. Premeditated severe injury to health
is aggravated if based on racial, religious,
national or ethnic hatred;
Article
131 – Torture
Is
aggravated if committed due to national, racial or religious intolerance
Art.
158. Illegal Interference with the Implementation of a Religious Ceremony
Interference
with the implementation of a religious ceremony violently or by threat, or by
abusing a believer or the representative of the church shall be punished by a
penalty equal to from 50 to 100 times the daily salary, or by labor in a
penalty for a period up to one year, or by the deprivation of liberty for a
period up to two years.
The same
action committed by the use of a weapon shall be punished by a penalty from
hundred to two hundred and fifty times the daily salary, or by the deprivation
of liberty for a period of from one to five years with or without dispossession
of the right to work for a period of up to five years.
Art.
169. Illegal Interference with the Creation or Activities of a Political,
Public or Religious Union
Illegal
interference with the creation or the activities of a political, public or
religious union by violence or threat, or by abuse of authority shall be
punished by a penalty equal to from fifty to hundred times the daily salary, or
by labor in a penalty for a period up to one year, or by the restriction of
liberty for a period up to two years, or by the deprivation of liberty for a
period up to two years.
Germany
Criminal Code (1998), Section 166 -
Insulting of Faiths, Religious Societies and Organizations Dedicated to
a Philosophy of Life
Section 130
Agitation of the People
(1) Whoever,
in a manner that is capable of disturbing the public peace:
1. incites
hatred against segments of the population or calls for violent or arbitrary
measures against them; or
2. assaults
the human dignity of others by insulting, maliciously maligning, or defaming
segments of the population,
shall be
punished with imprisonment from three months to five years.
(2) Whoever:
1. with
respect to writings (Section 11 subsection (3)), which incite hatred against
segments of the population or a national, racial or religious group, or one
characterized by its folk customs, which call for violent or arbitrary measures
against them, or which assault the human dignity of others by insulting,
maliciously maligning or defaming segments of the population or a previously
indicated group:
a)
disseminates them;
b) publicly
displays, posts, presents, or otherwise makes them accessible;
c) offers,
gives or makes accessible to a person under eighteen years; or
(d)
produces, obtains, supplies, stocks, offers, announces, commends, undertakes to
import or export them, in order to use them or copies obtained from them within
the meaning of numbers a through c or facilitate such use by another; or
2.
disseminates a presentation of the content indicated in number 1 by radio,
shall be
punished with imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine.
(3) Whoever
publicly or in a meeting approves of, denies or renders harmless an act
committed under the rule of National Socialism of the type indicated in Section
220a subsection (1), in a manner capable of disturbing the public peace shall
be punished with imprisonment for not more than five years or a fine.
(4) Whoever
publicly or in a meeting, violating the dignity of the victims, approves of the
National Socialist rule by force and arbitrariness in a manner capable of
disturbing the public peace shall be punished with imprisonment for not more
than three years or a fine.
(5)Subsection
(2) shall also apply to writings (Section 11 subsection (3)) with content such
as is indicated in subsections (3) and (4).
(5) In cases
under subsection (2), also in conjunction with subsection (5), and in cases of
subsections (3) and (4), Section 86 subsection (3), shall apply correspondingly.
Criminal
Code (1998), Section 166 - Insulting of Faiths, Religious Societies and
Organizations Dedicated to a Philosophy of Life
(1)
Whoever publicly or through dissemination
of writings (Section 11 subsection (3)) insults the content of others'
religious faith or faith related to a
philosophy of life in a manner that is capable of disturbing the public peace,
shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine.
(2) Whoever publicly or through dissemination
of writings (Section 11 subsection (3)) insults a church, other religious
society, or organization dedicated to
a philosophy of life located in Germany, or their institutions or customs in a manner
that is capable of disturbing the public peace, shall be similarly punished.
Criminal Code (1998) Section 167
Disturbing the Practice of Religion
(1) Whoever:
1. intentionally and in a gross manner disturbs
a religious service or an act of a religious
service of a church or other religious society
located in Germany; or
2. commits insulting mischief at a place
dedicated to the religious services of such a religious society,
shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine.
(2) Corresponding celebrations
of an organization dedicated to a philosophy of life
located in Germany shall be the equivalent
of religious services.
Criminal Code (1998) Section 167a
Disturbing a Funeral Service
Whoever intentionally or knowingly disturbs a
funeral service shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine.
Greece
Constitution, article 14
1. Every person may express and propagate his
thoughts orally, in writing and through the press in
compliance with the laws of the State.
2. The press is free. Censorship and all other
preventive measures are prohibited.
3. The seizure of newspapers and other
publications before or after circulation is
prohibited.
Seizure by order of the public
prosecutor shall be allowed exceptionally after
circulation and in case of:
* a)
an offence against the Christian or any other known
religion.
* b)
an insult against the person of the President of the Republic.
* c) a
publication which discloses information on the
composition, equipment and set-up of the armed forces or the fortifications of
the country, or which aims at the violent overthrow of the
regime or is directed against the territorial integrity of the
State.
* d)
an obscene publication which is obviously offensive to public decency, in the
cases stipulated by law.
4. In all the cases specified under the
preceding paragraph, the public prosecutor must, within
twenty-four hours from the seizure, submit the case to the judicial council
which, within the next twenty-four hours, must rule whether the seizure is to
be maintained or lifted; otherwise it shall be lifted ipso iure.
An appeal may be lodged with the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Civil and
Criminal Court by the publisher of the newspaper or other printed matter
seized and by the public prosecutor.
5. The manner in which full retraction shall be
made in cases of inaccurate publications shall be determined by law.
6. After at least three convictions within five
years for the criminal acts defined under paragraph 3,
the court shall order the definitive ban or the temporary suspension of the
publication of the paper and, in severe cases, shall prohibit the convicted
person from practising the profession of journalist as specified by law. The
ban or suspension of publication shall be effective as
of the date the court order becomes irrevocable.
7. Press offences shall be subject to immediate
court hearing and shall be tried as provided by law.
8. The conditions and qualifications requisite for the practice of the
profession of journalist shall be specified by law.
9. The law may specify that the means of
financing newspapers and periodicals should be disclosed.
Code pénal, Art.198 (Blasphème malveillant)
1. Toute personne qui, de quelque manière que
ce soit et dans une intention malveillante, offenserait Dieu Publiquement,
encourt une peine d'emprisonnement pouvant aller jusqu'à deux ans. 2. Celui
qui, en dehors du
cas spécifié au par. 1, blasphèmerait en public, témoignant ainsi son manque de
respect envers Dieu, encourt une peine d'emprisonnement pouvant aller jusqu'à
trois mois.
Code pénal, Article 199. (Outrage à la
religion).
Celui qui, de quelque manière
que ce soit et dans une mauvaise intention, offenserait en public l'Église orthodoxe
d'Orient ou toute autre religion reconnue en Grèce, encourt une peine
d'emprisonnement pouvant aller jusqu'à deux ans.
Code pénal, Article 200. (Perturbation
d'une assemblée religieuse). –
1. Celui qui, par malveillance,
essaierait délibérément d'empêcher ou de perturber une assemblée religieuse,
reconnue par l'État, pendant un office ou une cérémonie, encourt une peine
d'emprisonnement pouvant aller jusqu'à deux ans. 2. La même peine est
applicable à celui qui, dans une église ou un lieu consacré à des assemblées
religieuses, reconnues par l'État, se livrerait à des actes inconvenants et
offensants.
Code pénal, Article 201. (Outrage aux morts). –
Celui qui, de son propre chef,
soit violerait une sépulture pour en retirer un mort,
l'amputer de ses membres ou subtiliser ses cendres - en dehors de
ceux qui y sont autorisés -
soit se livrerait à des actes inconvenants et outrageants à l'égard des morts ou
de leur sépulture, encourt une peine d'emprisonnement pouvant aller jusqu'à
deux ans.
Law 927/1979 “on punishing acts or activities
aiming at racial discrimination” criminalizes:
(a) to wilfully and publicly, either orally or by the press or by written texts or through pictures or any other means, incite
to acts or activities which may result in discrimination,
hatred or violence against individuals or groups of individuals
on the sole grounds of the latter’s racial or national origin or [by virtue of article
24 of Law 1419/1984] religion;
(…)
(c) to express publicly, either orally or by the press or by written texts or through pictures or any other means
offensive ideas against any individual or group of individuals on
the grounds of the latter’s racial or national origin or religion.
Hungary
Criminal Code §174/A
« Whoever a) restricts another person by violence or by threats in his freedom of
conscience b) prevents another person from freely exercising his religion by violence or threats, commits a crime, and is
punishable by imprisonment extending to three years »
Criminal Code §174/B
punishes violence against a member of a national, ethnic,
racial or religious group (and presumption of
membership of such a group) with imprisonment
(1) The person who assaults somebody else because he belongs
or is believed to belong to a
national, ethnic, racial or religious group, or coerces him with violence or menace into doing or not doing or into enduring something, commits a
felony and shall be punishable with imprisonment up to five years.
(2) lists aggravating factors such as use of arms.
Criminal Code §269:
incitement against a community: A person who incites to
hatred before the general public against (a) the Hungarian nation; (b) any national,
ethnic, racial group or certain groups of the population, shall be punishable for a felony offence with imprisonment
up to three years. Proposed amendment to
§269 to ensure punishment of racial expression – adopted by Hungarian
Parliament, but judged unconstitutional by Constitutional Court in May 2004 -
unamended article still valid.
Criminal Code §269B:
detailed list of symbols which are connected to ideas and
events relating to the forceful seizure and dictatorial keeping of power, and therefore represent violence, hate against
certain national, ethnic, or religious groups
Law on misdemeanor, § 150 (Act
LXIX.1999)
« A fine not exceeding HUF 100.000 may be imposed on
whoever causes a public scandal on premises designated for the purposes of the ceremonies of a
registered church or desecrates the object of religious worship or an object used for conducting the ceremonies on or outside the premises designated for the purposes of ceremonies »
Ireland
Constitution, article 40, 6, 1°, i.
40. 6. 1° The State guarantees liberty for the exercise of the
following rights, subject
to public order and morality:-
i. The right of the citizens to express freely
their convictions and opinions.
The education of public opinion being, however,
a matter of such grave import to the common good,
the State shall endeavour to ensure that organs of public opinion,
such as the radio, the press, the cinema, while preserving their rightful
liberty of expression, including criticism of Government policy, shall not be
used to undermine public order or morality or the authority of the State.
The publication or utterance of
blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an
offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law.
Defamation act. 1961, n°40
II partie : Sanctions pour l'impression ou la
publication d'écrits obscènes ou blasphématoires: " 13.1 Toute personne
qui compose, imprime ou publie un écrit blasphématoire ou obscène sera, en cas
de condamnation de cela lors de la
mise en accusation, passible d'une amende qui n'excèdera pas 500 livres ou d'un
emprisonnement ou des travaux forcés
pendant un temps qui n'excèdent pas sept ans. 13-2a - Dans tous les cas où une
personne est condamnée pour avoir composé, publié ou imprimé un écrit blasphématoire,
la Cour peut donner l'ordre de
saisie et de transport et de
conservation sous bonne garde, de la manière qui sera imposée pal' l'ordre, de
toutes les copies de l'écrit en possession de cette personne ou de toute autre
personne nommée dans cet ordre
pour son application, la preuve sous serment ayant été préalablement fournie à
la satisfaction de la Cour qui les copies dudit écrit sont en possession d'une
telle personne au profit de la personne condamnée, 13.2b -En ce qui concerne
l'exécution de l'ordre
dont il est question au § a de cet article, tout membre de la Carda Séochana
agissant au nom d'un tel ordre
peut entrer, si nécessaire par la force, et
chercher toutes les copies dudit écrit, dans chaque immeuble, maison ou tout
autre endroit appartenant à la personne condamnée ou à toute autre personne
nommée dans l'ordre et
peut saisir et emporter et
garder de la manière décrite dans un tel ordre
toutes les copies de l'écrit qui y sont trouvées. 13.2c Si, dans n'importe quel
cas de ce type, le verdict est cassé en appel, toutes les copies de l'écrit
saisies conformément
à un ordre tel que décrit
au § a de cet article, sont rendues sans frais à la personne ou aux personnes à
qui elles ont été prises. 13-2d - Quand, dans un tel cas il n'a pas été interjeté
appel ou si la sentence est confirmée en appel, toutes les copies saisies en
vertu d'un ordre tel
que décrit au § a de cet article seront, sur demande d'un membre de la Garda
Séocbana à la Cour qui a donné un tel ordre,
détruites de manière telle qu'une telle Cour pourra indiquer
Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred
Act, 1989, act to prohibit incitement to hatred on account of race, religion,
nationality or sexual orientation, Section 2
It shall be
an offence for
a person –
to publish or
distribute written material,
to use words,
behave or
display written material –
in any place other than inside a private
residence, or
(ii) inside a private residence so that the words,
behaviour or
material are heard or
seen by persons outside the residence,
or
to distribute, show or
play a recording
of visual images or
sounds,
if the written material, words,
behaviour, visual images or
sounds, as the case may be, are threatening, abusive or
insulting and are intended or,
having regard to all the circumstances, are likely to stir up hatred.
In
proceedings for
an offence under subsection (1), if the accused person is not shown to the have
intended to stir up hatred, it shall be a defence for
him to prove that he was not aware of the content of the material or
recording
concerned and did not suspect, and had no reason to suspect, that the material or
recording was
threatening, abusive or
insulting.
In
proceedings for
an offence under subsection (1)(b), it shall be a defence for
the accused person –
to prove
that he was inside a private residence at the relevant time and had no reason
to believe that the words,
behaviour or
material concerned would be heard or
seen by a person outside the residence, or
if he is not
shown to have intended to stir up hatred, to prove that he did not intend the words,
behaviour or
material concerned to be, and was not aware that they might be, threatening,
abusive or
insulting.
The Censorship of Films Act 1923
provides for
the withholding of a certificate from a blasphemous film
Iceland
General Criminal Code, Article 124
In case anyone disturbs the sanctity of
cemeteries or becomes guilty of indecorous treatment of a corpse this will be subject
to fines … 1) or imprisonment for up to 6 months.
The same penalty shall be applied to the indecorous treatment of objects
belonging to churches and to be used for ecclesiastical
ceremonies.
1) Act 82/1998, Article 47.
General Criminal Code, Article 125
Anyone officially ridiculing or insulting the dogmas or worship of a lawfully
existing religious community in this Country shall be subject to fines or [imprisonment for up to 3 months.] 1)
Lawsuits shall not be brought except upon the instructions of the Public Prosecutor.
1) Act 82/1998, Article 48.
General Criminal Code, Article 233a
Anyone who does by means of ridicule,
calumniation, insult, threat or otherwise assault [a
person or group of persons] 1) on account of their
nationality, colour, [race, religion or sexual inclination] 1)
shall be subject to fines … 2) or imprisonment for up to 2 years.] 3)
1) Act 135/1996, Article 2. 2) Act 82/1998,
Article 126. 3) Act 96/1973, Article 1.
Code pénal, Article 402* (Offense à la
religion de l'État)
*[Invalidé par la Cour
constitutionnelle par arrêt du 20 novembre 2000, n. 508.]
Quiconque offense publiquement
la religion de l’Etat est puni d’un emprisonnement jusqu’à un an»
Code pénal, Article 403 (Offense à la religion de l'État
par outrage aux personnes)
Toute personne qui offense la
religion de l'État en public, par outrage à celui qui la professe, est punie
d'une peine d'un emprisonnement pouvant aller jusqu'à deux ans. Celui qui
offense la religion de l'État par outrage envers un ministre du culte
catholique est puni d'un emprisonnement de un à trois ans.
**(invalidé par la Cour
constitutionnelle par arrêt du 18 avril 2005, n° 168, « dans la mesure ou
il prévoit pour les insultes à la religion catholique par outrage à celui qui
la professe ou à un ministre du culte la peine de l’emprisonnement jusqu’à deux
ans et de un à trois ans respectivement, au lieu d’une peine réduite aux termes
de l’article 406 du même code »).
Code pénal, Article 404 (Offenses à la religion de l'État
par outrage aux biens).)
Toute personne qui, dans un lieu
affecté au culte, ou dans un lieu public ou ouvert au public, offense la
religion de l'État, par outrage aux biens cultuels, ou consacrés au culte, ou
nécessairement destinés à l'exercice du culte, est punie d'une peine
d'emprisonnement de un à trois ans. Quiconque commet ce délit durant des offices
religieux célébrés par un ministre du culte catholique dans un lieu privé est
puni de la même peine.
***(Le premier alinéa a été
invalidé par la Cour constitutionnelle par arrêt n° 329 de 1997, « dans la
mesure où il prévoit la peine de l’emprisonnement de un à trois ans au lieu
d’une peine diminuée prévue à l’article 406 du code pénal»).
Code pénal, Article 405 (Perturbations de cérémonies
religieuses du culte catholique)
Toute personne qui empêche ou
trouble le déroulement d'offices, de cérémonies ou de pratiques religieuses du
culte catholique, accomplis grâce à l'assistance d'un ministre de ce culte soit
dans un lieu destiné au culte, soit dans un lieu public ouvert au public, est
punie d'une peine d'emprisonnement pouvant atteindre deux ans. ' Si des actes
de violence aux personnes ou de menace s'y ajoutent, la peine d'emprisonnement
est de un à trois ans.
****(Article invalidé par la
Cour constitutionnelle par arrêt du 9 juillet 2002 n° 327 « dans la mesure
où pour les troubles au déroulement des offices religieux catholiques prévoit
des peines plus lourdes que celles réduites prévues à l’article 406 du code
pénal pour les mêmes actes commis contre d’autres religions»).
Code pénal, Article 406 (Délits contre
les cultes reconnus par l'État)
Toute personne qui commet un des
délits prévus aux articles 403, 404 et 405 contre un culte reconnu par l'Etat
est punie, conformément
aux articles précités, mais la peine est diminuée.
Code pénal, Article 724 (Blasphème et
manifestations outrageantes à l'encontre des défunts)
Toute personne qui, en public,
blasphème, par des invective ou des injures, la Divinité, est punie d'une
sanction administrative pécuniaire de cent mille à six cent mille lires. La
même sanction est appliquée à celui qui manifeste publiquement par outrage à
l'encontre des défunts
Décret-loi n° 122 du 26 avril 1993
converti en loi n° 205 du 25 juin 1993 portant «Mesures urgentes en matière de discrimination raciale, ethnique et
religieuse»
Article 1. (Discrimination,
haine ou violence pour motifs raciaux, ethniques, nationaux ou religieux). - 1.
L'article 3 de la loi n° 654 du 13 octobre 1975 est remplacé par les
dispositions suivantes: « Article 3. 1. Sauf si l'infraction constitue un délit
plus grave et aux fins de la mise en oeuvre de l'article 4 de la convention,
est punie: a) de trois ans d'emprisonnement maximum toute personne qui de
quelque façon que ce soit, diffuse des idées fondées sur la supériorité ou
la haine raciale ou ethnique, ou incite à commettre ou commet des actes de discrimination
pour motifs raciaux, ethniques, nationaux ou religieux; b) d'un emprisonnement
de six mois à quatre ans toute personne qui, de quelque façon que ce soit,
incite à commettre ou commet des actes de violence ou de provocation à la
violence pour des motifs racistes, ethniques, nationaux ou religieux; 2.
(Supprimé par la loi). 3. Toute organisation,
association, mouvement ou groupe ayant notamment pour finalités l'incitation à
la discrimination ou à la violence pour motifs raciaux, ethniques, nationaux ou
religieux est interdite. Toute personne qui participe à de telles organisations,
associations, mouvements ou groupes, ou prête assistance à leur activité, est
punie, du seul fait de sa participation ou de son assistance, d'un
emprisonnement de six mois à quatre ans. Les personnes qui encouragent ou
dirigent de telles organisations,
associations, mouvements ou groupes sont punies, de ce seul fait, d'un
emprisonnement d'un an à six ans.».
Latvia
Criminal Code (1998) Section 150 - Violation of Equality Rights
of Persons on the Basis of their Attitudes Towards Religion
For a person who commits direct or indirect restriction of the rights
of persons or creation of whatsoever preferences for persons, on the basis of the
attitudes of such persons towards religion, excepting activities in the
institutions of a religious denomination, or commits violation of religious
sensibilities of persons or incitement of hatred in connection with the attitudes of
such persons towards religion or atheism, the applicable sentence is deprivation of
liberty for a term not exceeding two years, or community service, or a fine not exceeding forty times the minimum monthly wage.
Criminal Code (1998) Section 151 - Interference with
Religious Ritual)
For a person who commits
intentional interference with religious rituals, if such are not in violation
of law and are not associated with violation of personal rights, the applicable
sentence is community service, or a fine not exceeding
ten times the minimum monthly wage.
Criminal Code (1998) Section 227 - Causing Danger to Public
Safety, Order and the Health of Individuals While Performing Religious
Activities
For a person who commits organisation or leadership of such
group as the activities of which, manifested as the preaching of religious
doctrine and performing of religious
rituals, are associated with causing of harm to public safety and order, to the health of
persons, or to the rights and interests protected by law of
a person, or who commits participation in such acts,
the applicable sentence is deprivation of
liberty for a term not exceeding five years or a fine not exceeding
one hundred times the minimum monthly wage.
Criminal Code, § 126 Aggravated criminal damage
1) a person
is liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or to a fine of up
to 360 days, if he or she has committed aggravated criminal damage against:
1. an
object, which is used for a service or worship in a church or by a religious
society located on the territory;
2. a grave,
any other burial place, a tombstone or a memorial to the dead, which is in a
cemetery or in a place of worship (…)
Criminal code para.128 Aggravated theft
1) a person
will be liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years, if he or
she committed theft:
1. during a
fire, an inundation or in general, during a victim’s distress, taking advantage
of the victim’s state of helplessness;
2. in a
place of worship or of an object that is used for a service or worship in a
church or by a religious society located on the territory (…)
Criminal
Code, Section 188 - disparaging of religious precepts
Whoever publicly disparages or mocks a person or a thing,
respectively, being object of worship or a dogma, a legally permitted rite, or
a legally permitted institution of a church or religious society located on the
territory in a manner capable of giving rise to a justified annoyance is liable
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine of up to 360
days.
Criminal
Code, Section 189 - disturbance of the practice of religion
1. Whoever forcibly or threatening with force precludes or disturbs divine service
or an act of divine service of a church or religious society located on the
territory is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years
2. Whoever is up to mischief at a place destined for a legally permitted
practice of religion or on the occasion of a legally permitted public divine
service or a legally permitted act of divine service or with an object directly
destined for a legally permitted divine service of a church or religious
society located on the territory in a manner capable of giving rise to a
justified annoyance is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six
months or to a fine of up to 360 days.
Criminal code para. 190 Desecration of graves
1) Whoever
removes a body or any portion of human remains or the ashes of a deceased
person from a place of burial or from any internment space, or whoever has
abused or has altered the body or the ashes of a deceased person or has
desecrated a deceased person’s grave, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding six
months or to a fine of up to 360 days.
2) Whoever removes any
ornamentation from a place of burial or from any internment space or memorial
of a deceased person shall be liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding
three months or to a fine of up to 180 days.
Criminal code para. 191 Willful
interference in a funeral
Whoever willingly disturbs a
funeral service by making noise that causes distress or by other unsuitable
behaviour shall be liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months
or to a fine of up to 180 days.
Criminal Code, § 283 - Racial
Discrimination
I. A person shall be punished with imprisonment of up to two
years if he or she
1) publicly incites hatred or discrimination against a
person or a group of persons on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion;
2)publicly disseminates ideologies aimed at the systematic
disparagement or defamation of members of a race, ethnicity or religion;
3) organizes, promotes, or participates in propaganda
actions with the same objective;
4) publicly disparages or discriminates against a person or
a group of persons on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion in a manner
violating human dignity, by means of spoken words, writing, images,
electronically transmitted symbols, gestures, physical violence or any other
means;
5) publicly denies, grossly plays down the harm or attempts
to justify genocide or other crimes against humanity, by means of spoken words,
writing, images, electronically transmitted symbols, gestures, physical
violence or any other means;
6) denies a service he or she provides that is meant for the
general public to a person or a group of persons on the basis of race,
ethnicity or religion;
7) participates as a member in an association whose
activities consist of promoting and inciting racial discrimination.
II. A person shall be punished in the same manner, if the
person
1) manufactures, imports, stores or distributes, for the
purposes of further dissemination, documents, sound or image recordings,
electronically transmitted symbols, depictions or other objects of this sort
whose content is a racial discrimination within the meaning of paragraph I.
2) publicly recommends, exhibits, offers or presents them.
III. Paragraphs I and II do not apply if the propaganda
material or the act serves the purpose of art or science, research or
education, appropriate reporting on current events or history, or similar
purposes.
Lithuania
Constitution, Article 25
(1) Individuals shall have the right to have
their own convictions and freely express them.
(2) Individuals must not be hindered from
seeking, obtaining, or disseminating information or ideas.
(3) Freedom to express convictions, as well as
to obtain and disseminate information, may not be
restricted in any way other than as established by law, when it is necessary for the safeguard of the
health, honour and dignity, private life, or morals of a person, or for the protection of
constitutional order.
(4) Freedom to express convictions or impart information shall be
incompatible with criminal actions - the instigation of national, racial,
religious, or social hatred, violence, or
discrimination, the dissemination of slander, or misinformation.
(5) Citizens shall have the right to obtain any
available information which concerns them from State agencies
in the manner established by law.
Constitution, Article 26
(1) Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
shall not be restricted.
(2) Every person shall have the right to freely
choose any religion or faith and, either
individually or with others, in public or in private, to manifest
his or her religion or faith in worship, observance,
practice or teaching.
(3) No person may coerce another person or be subject to coercion
to adopt or profess any religion or faith.
(4) A person's freedom to profess and propagate
his or her religion or faith may be subject
only to those limitations prescribed by law and only when such restrictions are
necessary to protect the safety of society, public order, a person's health or morals, or the fundamental rights
and freedoms of others.
(5) Parents and legal guardians shall have the
liberty to ensure the religious and moral education of their
children in conformity with their own
convictions.
Constitution, Article 27
A person's convictions, professed religion or faith may justify
neither the commission of a crime nor the violation of law.
Constitution, Article 43
(1) The State shall recognize traditional
Lithuanian churches and religious organizations, as well as
other churches and religious organizations provided
that they have a basis in society and their teaching and rituals do not
contradict morality or the law.
(2) Churches and religious organizations recognized
by the State shall have the rights of legal persons.
(3) Churches and religious organizations shall freely
proclaim the teaching of their faith, perform the rituals of their
belief, and have houses of prayer, charity institutions, and educational
institutions for the training of priests of their faith.
(4) Churches and religious organizations shall
function freely according to their canons and
statutes.
(5) The status of churches and other religious organizations in the State
shall be established by agreement or by law.
(6) The teachings proclaimed by churches and
other religious organizations, other
religious activities, and houses of prayer may not be used for purposes which
contradict the Constitution and the law.
(7) There shall not be a State religion in Lithuania.
Criminal Code, § 170
“Any
person who by public statements orally, in writing or through mass media
mocks, expresses contempt, incites hatred or discrimination against
a group of people or an individual belonging
to such group on account of their sex, sexual orientation, race,
nationality, language, origin, social status,
religion, conviction or belief, shall be
punished by fine or restriction of freedom,
or arrest, or imprisonment up to 2 years.
Any person who publicly incites violence or use of deadly physical
force against a group of people or an individual belonging
to such group on account of their sex, sexual orientation, race,
nationality, language, origin, social status,
religion, conviction or belief, or provides financial or other kind of material
support for such acts, shall be
punished by a fine or restriction of freedom,
or arrest, or imprisonment up to 3
years.”
Criminal code, § 171
prohibition of disturbance of religious services
or celebrations of state-recognised religious
communities or associations; provides for punishment by public works, fine, restriction of
freedom or arrest.
The Law of the Republic of Lithuania of 18th November 1997
on the Supplementation of the Code of Administrative Violations by Articles
214(12), 214(13), the Abolition of Article 214(1) and Amendment of Articles
224, 259(1), 32033 introduced definitions of unlawful conduct related to public
advocacy of national, racial or religious discord
Article
214(12). The Production, Storage or Distribution of Information Products Which Advocate National,
Racial or Religious Discord
The production or storage with a purpose of distribution
and distribution of printed, visual, audio or other products, which advocate
national, racial or religious discord, incurs a fine from 1000 to 10000
Litas either with confiscation of such products being produced, stored or distributed and of the means
essentially used for production of such products, or without confiscation of the means
of production.
Article
214(13). The establishment of an organisation which advocates national, racial or religious discord or participation in activities of such an organisation
The establishment of an organisation which advocates national,
racial or religious discord or participation in activities of such
an organisation, incurs a fine of between
3000 and 10000 Litas.
The same conduct performed by a person who had previously
been punished by an administrative fine for the offences foreseen in Part 1 of this Article,
incurs a fine from 10000 to 20000 Litas.”
Code pénal, Article 144.
Toute personne qui,
par faits, paroles, gestes ou menaces, aura outragé les objets d'un culte, soit
dans les lieux destinés ou servant habituellement à son exercice, soit dans des
cérémonies publiques de ce culte, sera punie d'un emprisonnement de quinze
jours à six mois et d'une amende de vingt-six francs à cinq cents francs.
Code pénal, Article 145.
Sera puni des mêmes
peines celui qui, par faits paroles, gestes ou menaces, aura outragé le
ministre d'un culte, dans l'exercice de son ministère.
S'il l'a frappé, il
sera puni d'un emprisonnement de deux mois à deux ans et d'une amende de
cinquante francs à cinq cents francs.
Malta
Constitution, Section 2 [State Religion]
(1) The
religion of Malta
is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion. (2) The authorities
of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church have the duty and the right to teach
which principles are right and which are wrong. (3) Religious teaching of the
Roman Catholic Apostolic Faith shall be provided in all State schools as part
of compulsory
education.
Criminal Code, §82A(1)
Whosoever
uses any threatening, abusive or
insulting words
or behaviour, or
displays any written or
printed material which is threatening, abusive or
insulting, or
otherwise conducts himself in such a manner, with intent thereby to stir up
racial hatred or
whereby racial hatred is likely, having regard to all the circumstances, to be
stirred up shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for
a term from six to eighteen months. Racial hatred is defined in (2) as
hatred against a group of persons in Malta
defined by reference to colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or
ethnic or
national origins.
Press Act 1974, Article 6
Whosoever by
means of the publication or
distribution in Malta of printed matter, or
by means of any broadcast shall threaten, insult, or
expose to hatred, persecution or
contempt, a person or
group of persons because of their race, creed, colour, nationality, sex,
disability or
national or
ethnic origin
shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for
a term not exceeding three months and to a fine.
Moldova
Constitution (1994), Article 31 - Freedom of Conscience
(1) The
freedom of conscience is guaranteed, and its manifestations should be in spirit
of tolerance and mutual respect.
(2) The
freedom of religious worship
is guaranteed and religious bodies are free organize
themselves according
to their own statutes under the rule of law.
(3) In their
mutual relationships religious cults are forbidden
to use, express or
incite to hatred or
enmity.
(4)
Religious cults are autonomous vis-a-vis the State and shall enjoy the latter’s
support, including
that aimed at providing religious assistance in the army, in hospitals,
prisons, homes for
the elderly and orphanages.
Constitution (1994), Article 32 - Freedom of Opinion and
Expression
1) All
citizens are guaranteed the freedom of opinion as well as the freedom of
publicly expressing their thoughts and opinions by way of word,
image or
any other means possible.
2) The freedom
of expression may not harm the honor,
dignity or
the rights of other people to have and express their own opinions or
judgments.
3) The law
shall forbid
and prosecute all actions aimed at denying and slandering the State or
the people. Likewise shall be forbidden
and prosecuted the instigations to sedition, war, aggression, ethnic, racial or
religious hatred, the incitement to discrimination, territorial
separatism, public violence, or
other actions threatening constitutional order.
Code Pénal, Article 346. Actions
intentionnelles visant à alimenter la discorde ou la haine nationale, raciale ou religieuse
Les actions intentionnelles, les
appels publics lancés au moyen d’un mass-média écrit ou électronique, visant à
alimenter la discorde ou
la haine nationale, raciale ou religieuse, à porter
atteinte à l’honneur et à la dignité nationale, ainsi que la restriction,
directe ou indirecte, des droits des citoyens ou la création d’avantages,
directs ou indirects, en faveur de certains citoyens en fonction de leur
appartenance nationale, raciale ou religieuse, sont punis d’une amende de 250
unités conventionnelles au plus ou de 3 ans d’emprisonnement au maximum.
Press law, Article 4 The Freedom of Expression and the
Limitation of Publicity
(1)
Periodicals and press agencies can publish, according
to their own appreciation, any kind of materials and information,
except:
a) materials
that contains disrespect and defamation against the state and people, urge on
war of aggression, national, racial or
religious hatred, inciting discrimination, territorial
separatism, public violence, as well as other manifestations that violate the
present constitutional regime; (…)
Code pénal, article 238
Toute personne qui aura, par
parole ou gestes, outragé les objets d’un culte, soit dans les lieux destinés
ou servant actuellement à son exercice, soit hors de
ces lieux, mais à l’occasion des cérémonies religieuses, ou les ministres de ce
culte dans leurs fonctions, sera puni d’une amende de 2400 francs à 75000
francs, et d’un emprisonnement de quinze jours à six mois.
Loi n° 1.299 du 15 juillet
2005 sur la liberté d'expression publique. Bulletin officiel, 2005-07-22, n° 7713, pp. 1426-1436,
article 16
Sont punis de cinq
ans d'emprisonnement et de l'amende prévue au chiffre 4 de l'article 26 du code
pénal, ou de l'une de ces deux peines seulement, ceux qui, par l'un des moyens
énoncés à l'article précédent, ont directement provoqué, dans le cas où cette
provocation n'aurait pas été suivie d'effet, à commettre l'une des infractions
suivantes :
1° les atteintes
volontaires à la vie, les atteintes volontaires à l'intégrité de la personne et
les agressions sexuelles ;
2° les vols, les extorsions et les destructions,
dégradations et détériorations volontaires dangereuses pour les personnes ;
3° les actes de terrorisme ou l'apologie de tels
actes.
Sont punis des mêmes
peines ceux qui, par l'un des moyens énoncés à l'article 15, provoquent à la
haine ou à la violence à l'égard d'une personne ou d'un groupe de personnes à
raison de leur origine, de leur appartenance ou de leur non appartenance à une ethnie, une
nation, une race ou une religion déterminée, ou à raison de leur orientation sexuelle, réelle
ou supposée.
En cas de
condamnation pour l'un des faits prévus au précédent alinéa, peut en outre être
ordonné
l'affichage ou la diffusion, aux frais du condamné, de la décision prononcée,
en tout ou partie ou sous la forme d'un communiqué. Cet affichage ou cette diffusion ne peut comporter l'identité de la
victime qu'avec son accord ou celui de son représentant légal ou de ses ayants droit.
Loi n° 1.299 du 15 juillet
2005 sur la liberté d'expression publique. Bulletin officiel, 2005-07-22, n° 7713, pp. 1426-1436,
article 24
La diffamation
commise envers les particuliers, par les mêmes moyens, est punie d'un
emprisonnement d'un mois à un an et de l'amende prévue au chiffre 3 de
l'article 26 du code pénal, ou de l'une de ces deux peines seulement.
La diffamation
commise par les mêmes moyens envers une personne ou un groupe de personnes à
raison de leur appartenance, réelle ou supposée, ou de leur non appartenance à
une ethnie, une nation, une race ou une religion déterminée, ou à raison de
leur orientation sexuelle, réelle ou supposée, est punie d'un emprisonnement d'un
mois à un an et de l'amende prévue au chiffre 3 de l'article 26 du code pénal,
ou de l'une de ces deux peines seulement.
En cas de
condamnation pour l'un des faits prévus au présent article, peut en outre être ordonné, dans les conditions
prévues à l'article 16, l'affichage ou la diffusion, aux frais du condamné, de
la décision prononcée, en tout ou partie ou sous la forme d'un communiqué.
Loi n° 1.299 du 15 juillet
2005 sur la liberté d'expression publique. Bulletin officiel, 2005-07-22, n° 7713, pp. 1426-1436,
article 25
L'injure commise,
par les mêmes moyens, envers les corps ou les personnes désignées par les articles 22 et 23 de la présente loi,
est punie d'un emprisonnement de six jours à six mois et de l'amende prévue au
chiffre 3 de l'article 26 du code pénal, ou de l'une de ces deux peines
seulement.
L'injure commise de
la même manière envers les particuliers, lorsqu'elle n'a pas été précédée de provocation, est punie d'un emprisonnement
de six jours à deux mois et de l'amende prévue au chiffre 2 de l'article 26 du
code pénal, ou de l'une de ces deux peines seulement.
L'injure commise,
par les mêmes moyens, envers une personne ou un groupe de personnes à raison de
leur origine ou de leur appartenance, réelle ou supposée, ou de leur non appartenance
à une ethnie, une nation, une race ou une religion déterminée, ou à raison de
leur orientation sexuelle, réelle ou supposée, est punie d'un emprisonnement de
six jours à six mois et de l'amende prévue au chiffre 3 de l'article 26 du code
pénal, ou de l'une de ces deux peines seulement.
En cas de
condamnation pour l'un des faits prévus au présent article, peut en outre être ordonné, dans les conditions
prévues à l'article 16, l'affichage ou la diffusion, aux frais du condamné, de
la décision prononcée, en tout ou partie ou sous la forme d'un communiqué.
Loi n° 1.299 du 15 juillet
2005 sur la liberté d'expression publique. Bulletin officiel, 2005-07-22, n° 7713, pp. 1426-1436,
article 43
Les diffamations ou
injures envers un fonctionnaire public, un dépositaire ou agent de l'autorité publique, un citoyen
chargé d'un service ou d'un mandat public, temporaire ou permanent, un
ministre d'un culte rémunéré par l'Etat, ou un témoin à raison de sa
déposition, ne sont poursuivies que sur sa plainte ou sur la plainte, suivant
les cas, du Ministre d'Etat, de l'Archevêque, du Directeur des Services
Judiciaires ou du Maire.
Loi n° 1.299 du 15 juillet
2005 sur la liberté d'expression publique. Bulletin officiel, 2005-07-22, n° 7713, pp. 1426-1436,
article 44
Dans le cas de
diffamation ou d'injure envers les particuliers, la poursuite n'a lieu que sur
la plainte de la personne diffamée ou injuriée.
Toutefois, la
poursuite peut être exercée d'office par le ministère public lorsque la diffamation ou
l'injure a été commise envers une personne ou un groupe de personnes à raison
de leur origine ou de leur appartenance ou de leur non appartenance à une ethnie, une
nation, une race ou une religion déterminée, ou à raison de leur orientation sexuelle réelle
ou supposée.
Montenegro
Constitution, article 43
Any
incitement or
encouragement of national, racial, religious and other inequality and
incitement and fomenting of national, racial, religious and other hatred or
intolerance shall be unconstitutional and punishable.
Criminal
Code, Article 161 - Infringement of freedom of confession of religion and
performance of religious rites
(1) Anyone who prevents or restricts freedom of
confession or performance of religion, shall be sentenced to a fine or
imprisonment not exceeding two years.
(2) Sentenced to the punishment referred to in
Paragraph 1 of this Article shall also be anyone who prevents or disturbs
performance of religious rites.
(3) Anyone who coerces others to declare their
religious beliefs shall be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding
one year.
(4) A person acting in an official capacity who
commits the act referred to in Paragraphs 1 to 3 of this Article shall be
sentenced to imprisonment not exceeding three years.
The Netherlands
Criminal Code, article 137c
1. Any person who
verbally or by means of written or pictorial material gives intentional public
expression to views insulting to a group of persons on account of their race,
religion or convictions, their heterosexual or homosexual preferences or
physical, mental or intellectual disability, shall be liable to a term of
imprisonment not exceeding one year or to a fine of the third category.
2. If the offence is
committed by a person who acts in a professional or habitual manner or by two
or more persons who act in unison, a term of imprisonment of not more than two
years will be imposed or a fine of the fourth category.
This provision
entered into force on the
16th of July 1934. It has not been
changed since November 2003. The renewed provision entered into force on the 1st of February 2004.
Criminal Code, article 137d
1. Any person who verbally or by means of written or
pictorial material publicly incites hatred against or discriminating of other
persons or violence against the person or the property of others on account of
their race, religion, convictions, sex, heterosexual or homosexual preference
or physical, mental or intellectual disability, shall be liable to a term of
imprisonment not exceeding one year or to a fine of the third category.
2. If the offence is committed by a person who acts in a
professional or habitual manner or by two or more persons who act in unison, a
term of imprisonment of not more than two years will be imposed or a fine of
the fourth category.
This provision entered into force on the
16th of July 1934. It has not been changed since November 2003. The renewed provision
entered into force on the 1st of February 2004.
Criminal Code, article 137e
1. Any person who for reasons other than the
provision of factual information:
a. makes public an utterance which he knows or
can reasonably be expected to know is insulting to a group of persons on
account of their race, religion or convictions, heterosexual or homosexual
preference, or physical, mental or intellectual disability, or which incites
hatred against or discrimination of other persons or violence against the
person or property of others on account of their race, religion or convictions,
heterosexual or homosexual preference or physical, mental or intellectual
disability;
b. distributes any object which he knows or can
reasonably be expected to know contains an utterance, or has in his possession
any such object with the intention of distributing it or making the said
utterance public;
shall be liable to a term of imprisonment not
exceeding six months or to a third-category fine. (i)
2. If the offence is committed by a person who
acts in a professional or habitual manner or by two or more persons who act in
unison, a term of imprisonment of not more than one year will be imposed or a
fine of the fourth category.
3. If the offender commits any of the offences
defined in this Article in the course of his profession within five years of a
previous conviction for such an offence having become final, he may be
disqualified from pursuing that profession.
This provision entered into force on the 16th of July 1934. It has not been changed since November
2003. The renewed provision entered into force on the 1st of February 2004.1.
Criminal Code, Article 146
A person by whom, by creating disorder or by making noise,
either a lawful public gathering intended to profess a religion or a belief, or
a lawful ceremony for the professing of a religion or a belief, or a lawful
funeral service is intentionally disturbed, is liable to a term of imprisonment
of not more than two months or a fine of the second category.
This
provision entered into force on the 1st of September 1886. It has not been changed since
1984.
Criminal Code, Article 147
A
term of imprisonment of not more than three months or a fine of the second
category shall be imposed upon:
(1)
a person who publicly, either orally or in writing or by image, offends
religious sensibilities by malign blasphemies;
(2)
a person who ridicules a minister of religion in the lawful execution of his
duties;
(3)
a person who makes derogatory statements about objects used for religious
celebration at a time and place at which such celebration is lawful. (v)
Criminal Code, article 147a
1. A person
who disseminates, publicly displays or posts written matter or an image
containing statements that offend religious sensibilities by reason of their
malign and blasphemous nature, or who has such in stock to be disseminated,
publicly displayed or posted, is liable to a term of imprisonment of not more than
two months or a fine of the second category, where he knows or has serious
reason to suspect that the written matter or the image contains such
statements.
2. The
punishment in section 1 is also applicable to a person who, with like knowledge
or like reason to suspect, publicly utters the contents of such written matter.
This
provision entered into force on the
16th of July 1934. It has not been changed since
1984.
Criminal Code, Article 429bis
A person
who, in a place visible from a public road, places or fails to remove words or
images that offend religious sensibilities by reason of their malign and
blasphemous nature is liable to a term of detention of not more than one month
or a fine of the second category.
This
provision entered into force on the
1st of December 1932. It has not been changed since
1984.
Additional
information
|
Fine of the 1st
category
|
€ 335,-
|
|
Fine of the 2nd
category
|
€ 3350,-
|
|
Fine of the 3rd
category
|
€ 6700,-
|
|
Fine of the 4th
category
|
€ 16750,-
|
|
Fine of the 5th
category
|
€ 67000,-
|
|
Fine of the 6th
category
|
€ 670000,-
|
(Article 23, 4th
paragraph, Penal Code)
Norway
Criminal Code, §135a
Any person who wilfully or through gross
negligence publicly utters a discriminatory or hateful expression
shall be liable to fines or imprisonment for a term not exceeding
three years. An expression that is uttered in such a way that is likely to
reach a large number of persons shall be deemed equivalent to a publicly
uttered expression, cf. section 7, n°2. The use of symbols shall also be deemed
to be an expression. Any person who aids and abets such an offence shall be
liable to the same penalty.
A discriminatory or hateful expression here
means threatening or insulting anyone, or inciting hatred or persecution of or contempt for anyone because of his or her
a) skin colour or national or ethnic origin,
b) religion or life stance, or
c) homosexuality, lifestyle or orientation »
Criminal Code, §138
Any person who causes or is accessory to causing the
unlawful prevention or interruption of a public
function, public religious meeting, ecclesiastical act, public instruction or teaching in schools, an
auction or a public meeting called for a common purpose, shall
be liable to fines or imprisonment for a term not exceeding
six months.
Criminal Code, § 142
Any person who by word or deed publicly insults or in an offensive or injurious manner shows
contempt for any creed whose practice is permitted in the
realm or for the doctrines or worship of any religious
community lawfully existing here, or who is accessory thereto, shall be
liable to fines or to detention or imprisonment for a term not exceeding
six months.
A prosecution will only be instituted when the
public interest so requires.
Poland
Constitution,
Article 13 - Political pluralism
Political parties and
other organisations whose programmes are based upon totalitarian methods and
the modes of activity of nazism, fascism and communism, as well as those whose
programmes or activities sanction racial or national hatred, (….) shall be
forbidden.
Constitution
- Article 35 - Identity of national and ethnic minorities
The Republic
of Poland
shall secure to Polish citizens belonging to national or ethnic minorities the
freedom to maintain and develop their own language, to maintain customs and
traditions and to develop their own culture. National and ethnic minorities
shall have the right to establish educational and cultural institutions,
institutions designed to protect religious identity, as well as to participate
in the resolution of matters connected with their cultural identity.
Criminal Code (1997) Article 194. Offences against Freedom
of Conscience and Religion
Whoever restricts another person from exercising
the rights vested in the latter, for the reason of this
person affiliation to a certain faith or their religious
indifference shall be subject to a fine, the criminalty of restriction of
liberty or the criminalty of deprivation of liberty for up to 2 years.
Criminal Code (1997)
Article 195.
§ 1. Whoever maliciously interferes with a the public
performance of a religious ceremony of a church or another religious
association with regulated legal status shall be subject to a fine, the criminalty
of restriction of liberty or the criminalty of
deprivation of liberty for up to 2 years.
§ 2. The same punishment shall be imposed on
anyone who maliciously interferes with a funeral, mourning ceremonies or rites.
Criminal Code (1997)
Article 196.
Anyone found
guilty of offending religious feelings through public calumny of an object or
place of worship is liable to a fine, restriction of liberty or a maximum
two-year prison sentence.
Article 256
Criminal
Code (1997) Article 256 -Promotion of
fascism or other totalitarian system.
Offence is committed
by anyone who promotes fascist or other totalitarian system of state or incites
hatred based on national, ethnic, race or religious differences or for reason
of lack of any religious denomination
Criminal Code (1997)
Article 257 - Publicly insulting group of people or an individual person
by reason of their national, ethnic or racial affiliation..
Offence is committed by anyone who publicly
insults a group within the population or a particular person
because of his national, ethnic, race or religious affiliation or because of his lack of
any religious denomination or for these reasons breaches
the personal inviolability
of another individual : Imprisonment for up to 3 years.
Broadcasting
Act of December 29, 1992
Article 18 (par 2)
states that the Programmes or other broadcasts shall respect the religious
beliefs of the public and especially the Christian system of values.
Portugal
Criminal Code (Law n°65/98 of September 2,
1998), Article 240 – Racial or religious discrimination
2. Anyone
who, in a public assembly, in a writing purported to be divulged or by any
means of mass communication
a) provokes
acts of violence against a person or a group of persons because of his race,
colour, ethnic or national origin or religion; or
b) defames
or insults a person or group of persons because of his race or ethnic or
national origin or religion, specially through the negation of war crimes or of
crimes against peace and humanity;
intending to
incite to racial or religious discrimination or to encourage it, is punishable
with imprisonment from 6 months to 5 years.
Criminal Code, Article 251 – slander because of religious
belief
1
Anyone who publicly offends or derides a person because of his religious belief
or function, in a way adequate to breach the peace, is punishable with
imprisonment up to 1 year or a fine up to 120 days.
2
The same penalty applies to anyone who desecrates a place or object of cult of
religious veneration in a way adequate to breach the peace.
Criminal Code, Article 252 – impeachment, perturbation or
slander of an act of cult
Anyone
who publicly vilifies or derides an act of cult or religion is punishable with
imprionment up to 1 year or with a fine up to 120 days.
Romania
Constitution, article 30
(1) Freedom of expression of thoughts, opinions or beliefs and freedom of any creation
by words, in writing, in pictures, by
sounds or other means of communication in
public are inviolable.
(2) Any defamation of the country and the nation, any
instigation to a war of aggression, to national, racial, class or religious hatred, any incitement to
discrimination, territorial separatism or public violence, as well as any
obscene conduct contrary to morality shall be prohibited by law .
Criminal Code,
article 246
(1) The hindrance or the disruption of the freedom of
exercising of any religion that is organised and functions according to the law is punished with one
to six months jail sentence or with day-fine.
(2) The same criminalty is given for the deed of forcing a person by constraint, to
participate in the religious service of any religions or to perform a religious act connected with the
exercise of a religion
Criminal Code, article 247
The desecration by any means of a grave, a monument or a funerary urn of a dead body is
punished with strict jail sentence from one to five years or with day-fines »
Law
no. 489/2006 regarding the religious freedom and the general regime of
religions in Romania
It guarantees, in
articles 1 and 2, the freedom of thought, conscience and religion, according to
the Constitution and the international treaties to which Romania is a party; it sets forth that no one can be prevented from gaining
or exercising rights recognized by the said law, nor can one be constrained,
followed or put into a state of inferiority due to one’s faith or affiliation
to a group, religious association or religion, for exercising the religious
freedom under the conditions provided by this law. It also provides that the
religious freedom includes the liberty of any person to manifest one’s faith
individually or collectively, private or in public, by religion, education,
religious practices and performance of rites, as well as the liberty of
changing one’s faith and that the freedom of displaying one’s faith cannot be
the object of any type of restraints other than those provided by law which constitute
as necessary measures in a democratic society for public security, order
protection, health, public morality or protection of the rights and fundamental
liberties of the human being.
Law n°48 16 January 2002 for approval of
Government Ordinance n.137/2000 regarding the prevention and punishment of
every form of discrimination,
article 17
Article 19 « According to this ordinance, it is a minor offence, unless the deed falls
under the criminalty of the criminal law, any conduct displayed in public, with
a character of nationalist-chauvinist propaganda, of investigation to racial or national hatred, or that type of behaviour with the
purpose or aiming for affecting the dignity or creating an atmosphere of
intimidation, hostile, degrading, humiliating or outrageous, directed against a
person, a group of people or a community and connected with their affiliation to a certain race, nationality, ethnic group,
religion, social or non-favoured category or their beliefs, sex or sexual orientation .
Emergency ordinance n.31
from 13 march 2002 regarding the ban of the organisations and
symbols with fascist, racist or xenophobe
character and of the promotion of the religion of the people guilty of
committing crimes against peace and humanity.
Article 1 For the prevention and control of the incitement to national, racial, or religious hatred, to discrimination
and the perpetration of crimes against peace and humanity, the present ordinance regulates the ban of the of
the organisations and symbols with
fascist, racist or xenophobe character and of the promotion of the religion of
the people guilty of committing crimes against peace and humanity.
It allows the
disseminating, selling or manufacturing (or depositing for the purpose of
disseminating) of the mentioned symbols, as well as their public use only if
these are for the purpose of art, science, research or education.
Law on Radio and Television Broadcasting (1992), Art. 2:
(1)
Prohibits broadcasts that are prejudicial to an individual’s “dignity, honour,
private life or
public image.” (2) Prohibits “defamation of the country and of the nation,
instigation to a war of aggression, national, racial, class or
religious hatred, incitement to discrimination, territorial
separatism, or
public violence.” Art. 39: Violations of Art. 2 (1) are punishable by up to
five years imprisonment and of Article 2(2) by up to seven years imprisonment.
Russian Federation
Constitution(Adopted 12 December 1993), Article 13
5. The establishment and activities of public associations
whose goals and activities are aimed at the forcible changing of the basis of
the constitutional order and at violating the integrity of the Russian Federation, at undermining its security, at
creating armed units, and at instigating social, racial, national and religious
strife shall be prohibited.
Constitution,
Article 19
2. The State guarantees the equality of human and civil
rights and freedoms regardless of sex, race, nationality, language, origin,
material an official status, place of residence, attitude to religion,
convictions, membership of public associations, or of other circumstances. All
forms of limitations of human rights on social, racial, national, language or
religious grounds shall be prohibited.
Constitution, Article 29
2. Propaganda or agitation, which arouses social, racial,
national or religious hatred and hostility shall be prohibited. Propaganda of
social, racial, national, religious or linguistic supremacy shall also be
prohibited.
Federal Law on the freedom of conscience and religious
associations (26 September 1997, as amended in
2002), Article 3(6)
6. The prevention of exercise of rights to the freedom of
conscience and faith, including that associated with violence against person,
the intentional hurting of feelings of citizens in connection with their
attitude to religion, the propaganda of religious supremacy, the destruction of
or damage to the property or a threat of committing such actions shall be
prohibited and prosecuted in accordance with the Federal Law. Conducting public
events, putting up texts and images that may hurt the religious feelings of
citizens close to projects of religious worship shall be prohibited.
Federal
Law on the basic guarantees of electoral rights and right to participate in
referendum of the citizens of the Russian Federation (12 June 2002, as amended in
2006) Article 56 - Limitations during conducting the election campaign and
agitation on the questions of referendum
… Agitation, which arouses social, racial, national or
religious hostility, humiliating national dignity, propagating exclusiveness,
superiority or deficiency of citizens on grounds of their attitude towards
religion, or on social, racial, national, religious or language grounds, and
also agitation, during the conduction of which there are propagated and
publicly demonstrated Nazi attributes or symbols, or attributes and symbols
which are similar to Nazi attributes and symbols to the extent where they may
be confused, shall be prohibited ...
Penal Code (16 June 1996, as amended in
2006) Article 148 - Obstruction of the exercise of the right of liberty of
conscience and religious liberty
Illegal obstruction of the activity of religious
organisations or of the performance of religious rites shall be punishable by a
fine in the amount of up to 200 minimum wages, or in the amount of the wage or
salary, or any other income of the convicted person for the period of up to one
year, compulsory works for a term of up to one year, or arrest for a term of up
to three months.
Penal code, Article 239 - Organisation of groups which
encroach on the person and the rights of citizens
penalises the setting up of a religious or voluntary
association whose activities involve violence against citizens or inducement to
commit other unlawful acts, specifically those linked to the incitement of
racial discord and enmity, and the leading of such a group, taking part in its
activities or propagating of aforementioned actions.
Criminal
Code, Article 282 Arousing hatred or hostility, and humiliating of the human
dignity
penalises any actions directed at instigating national,
racial or religious hatred, belittling national dignity, as well as the
propagation of exclusiveness, superiority or deficiency of citizens because of
their attitude to a religion, or their national or racial affiliation, if such
behaviour is committed in public or using mass media.
Criminal Code, Article 282.1 - Organisation of extremist
community
penalises the organisation of extremist community, i.e.
organised group for preparing or committing, on the grounds of ideological,
political, racial, national or religious hatred or hostility, or on the grounds
of hatred or hostility towards any social group, such crimes, in particular, as
illegal obstruction of the activity of religious organisations or of the
performance of religious rites, arousing racial, national or religious hatred
or hostility (articles 148 and 282 of the Penal Code), and penalises also the
leading of such a group and taking part in it.
Code on Administrative Violations (30 December 2001, as amended in 2006) Article
5.26 -Breach of the law on the freedom of conscience, freedom of religion and
religious associations
provides
administrative responsibility (fine) for obstruction of the exercise of the
right of freedom of conscience and religious freedom, including adoption of
religious or other beliefs or rejection of them, entry to a religious
association or secession from one; for hurting the religious feelings of
citizens or desecration of their venerated objects, signs and emblems of the
world-view nature.
Criminal Code (1974) Article 260 Vilipendio della religione
Chiunque profana i simboli, di
una religione non contraria al buon costume, ne profana gli oggetti di culto o
di venerazione ovvero pubblicamente ne schernisce gli atti di culto è puntio
con la prigionia di primo grado.
La stessa
pena si applica alle offese recate all'onore
ed al prestigio di un ministro di culto nell'esercizio o per causa
dell'esercizio delle sue funzioni.
Si applica
la prigionia di secondo grado a chi profana le sacre Reliquie di San Marino.
Criminal Code (1974) Article 261 Violazione della libertà religiosa
Chiunque con
violenza o minaccia impedisce a taluno di professare una fede religiosa, di
farne propaganda ovvero di partecipare al culto pubblico o privato di essa, è
punito con la prigionia di secondo grado.
Criminal Code (1974) Article 262 Turbativa di funzioni religiose
Chiunque
impedisce o turba l'esercizio di funzioni, cerimonie o processioni religiose
che si compiono con l'assistenza di un ministro del culto, è punito con la
prigionia di primo grado.
Se il fatto
è commesso con violenza o minaccia, la pena è aumentata di un grado.
Criminal Code (1974) Contravvenzione
: Art. 267 Bestemmia o oltraggio contro i
defunti
E' punito
con la riprensione o con la multa a giorni
di primo grado chiunque pubblicamente bestemmia.
Alla stessa pena soggiace chi
pubblicamente profferisce espressioni oltraggiose contro i defunti e si procede
a querela dei prossimi congiunti.
Ancien code pénal article 325 (abrogé
1974)
Chiunque con
parole o con gesti ponga in derisione, o vilipenda in qualsivoglia modo una
cerimonia della religione cattolica romana, è punito colla prigionia da uno a
tre mesi, o colla multa da 50 a 100 lire, salva la pena maggiore,
qualora il vilipendio
degenerasse nella perturbazione contemplata nell'articolo precedente, od in
altro piu' grave reato.
Serbia
Criminal Code Article 134:
Whoever provokes or fans national, racial or religious hatred, discord or intolerance among the nations and
national minorities living in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will be punished by imprisonment of
1 to 5 years. If such an offence has
been committed by coercion, maltreatment, threat to safety, exposure to
derision of national, ethnic or religious symbols, damage of belongings of others,
desecration of shrines, memorials and graves, the perpetrator will be punished by a prison term
of 1-8 years.
Whoever commits this offence by the abuse of official
position or powers or if, as a consequence of these offences,
disorders, violence or other serious consequences have
occurred for the life in common of nations and national minorities living in the FRY, the
perpetrator will be punished by imprisonment of
1 to 8 and/or 1 to 10 years.
Charter of human and minority rights and
civil liberties Article 51 Prohibition of Instigation to Racial National and
Religious Hatred
Any advocacy
and promotion of national, racial, religious or
other inequality as well as any incitement to and fomenting of national,
racial, religious and other hatred shall be prohibited and punishable.
UNMIK/Regulation n. 2000/4 on the prohibition against
inciting to national, racial, religious or ethnic hatred,
discord or intolerance; 1
February 2000, Section 1 – Inciting to National, Racial, Religious or Ethnic
Hatred, Discord or Intolerance
1.1 Whoever publicly incites or publicly spreads hatred,
discord or intolerance between national, racial, religious, ethnic or other
such groups living in Kosovo which acts are likely to disturb public order shall
be punished by a fine or by imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.
1.2 If the acts referred to in section 1.1 of the present
regulation were committed systematically or by taking advantage of one’s
position or authority or if disorder, violence or other grave consequences
resulted from those acts, the period of imprisonment may be extended to a term
not exceeding eight years.
1.3 Whoever publicly incites or publicly spreads hatred,
discord or intolerance between national, racial, religious, ethnic or other
such groups living in Kosovo which acts are likely to disturb public order
through coercion, jeopardizing of safety, exposing to derision of national,
racial, ethnic or religious symbols, damaging belongings of another, or
desecrating monuments or graves, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term
not exceeding eight years.
1.4 If the acts referred to in section 1.3 of the present
regulation were committed systematically or by taking advantage of one’s
position or authority or if disorder, violence or other grave consequences
resulted from those acts, the period of imprisonment may be extended to a term
not exceeding ten years.
Slovakia
New Criminal Code (L. 300/2005), § 423 - Defamation of the
nation, race and belief
(1) Whoever
publicly vilifies:
a) any
nation, its language, any race or
an ethnic group or
b) a group
of persons because of their belief or
that they are without belief,
is sentenced
of imprisonment up to one year.
(2)
Sentenced of imprisonment up to three years is offender if he/she commits an
act as stated in (1)
a) together
with 2 other persons at least,
b) in
connection of foreign
power or
a foreign actor,
c) as a
public authority
or
d) during a
crisis situation.
New Criminal Code (L. 300/2005), § 424 Incitement to
national, racial and ethnic hatred (≠ religious ?)
(1) Any person who publicly
a. threatens an individual or a group of
individuals, because of their nation, nationality, race or ethnic group or for
colour of their skin of restricting their rights and freedoms, or any person
who makes such a restriction, or
b.incites to hatred against a nation or a race,
or to the restriction of rights and freedoms of the members of a nation or race
shall be liable to a term of imprisonment not
exceeding three years.
(2)
The same sentence as referred to in paragraph 1. shall be imposed on any person
who associates or assembles with others with a view to committing the offence
referred to in paragraph 1.
(3)
The offender shall be liable to a term of imprisonment if one year to three
years if he/She commits the offence referred to in paragraph 1 or 2
a)
in association with a foreign power or foreign official/agent;
b)
in the capacity as a public official, or
c) during a crisis situation.
Slovenia
Constitution, Article 63 Prohibition against Incitement to
Discrimination and to Intolerance and Prohibition against Incitement to
Violence and War
All
incitement to ethnic, racial, religious or
other discrimination, as well as the inflaming of ethnic, racial, religious or
other hatred or
intolerance, shall be unconstitutional.
All
incitement to violence or
to war shall be unconstitutional.
Religious
freedom act (adopted on 2 February 2007), Article 3 § 1
All
incitement to religious discrimination, inflaming of religious hatred and
intolerance is prohibited.
Criminal
Code, Article 300 – Stirring up hatred, Strife or
Intolerance based on Violation of the principle of equality
1. Whoever provokes or stirs up ethnic, racial or religious
hatred, strife or intolerance or disseminates ideas on the supremacy of one
race over another or provides aid in any manner for racist activity or denies,
diminishes the significance of , approves of or advocates genocide, shall be
punished by imprisonment of up to two years.
2. If the
offence under the preceding paragraph has been committed by coercion,
maltreatment, endangering of security, desecration of national, ethnic or
religious symbols, damaging of the movable property or another, desecration of
monuments or memorial stones or graves, the perpetrator shall be punished by
imprisonment of up to five years.
3. Materials
and objects bearing messages from the first paragraph of this Article and all
devices intended for their manufacture, multiplication and distribution shall
be confiscated or their use disabled in an appropriate manner.
Mass
media Act (entered into force on 26 May 2001), Article 8 § 1 – Prohibition of
incitement to inequality and intolerance
The dissemination of programming that encourages national,
racial, religious, sexual or any other inequality or violence and war, or
incites national, racial, religious, sexual or any other hatred and intolerance
shall be prohibited.
Mass
media Act, Article 47 § 3 – Advertisements
Advertising may not:
prejudice respect for human dignity;
incite discrimination on the grounds of race, sex or
ethnicity, or political or religious intolerance;
encourage behaviour damaging the public health or safety or the protection of the environment
and the cultural heritage;
give offence on the grounds of religious or political
beliefs
damage the consumers’ interests.
Mass
Media Act, Article 74 § 1
1. All publishers of radio and television stations shall
have under equal conditions the right to make a short report on all important
events and other events accessible to the public, with the exception of
religious ceremonies.
Mass
Media Act, Article 129, § 1.1 – penalty provisions
A fine ranging from 250.000 tolars to 20.000.000 tolars for
an infringement shall be imposed upon a publisher if
- through advertisements via its mass medium it harms human
dignity, incites discrimination on the grounds of race, sex or ethnicity, or
political or religious intolerance, encourages behaviour endangering public
health or safety or the protection of the environment and the cultural heritage,
gives offence on the grounds of religious or political beliefs or damage the
consumers’ interests
Sweden
The general law of blasphemy was abolished in 1949 and a
narrower crime of religious insult was abolished in 1970.
Criminal Code Chapter 29 Section 2
In assessing criminal value, the following aggravating
circumstances shall be given special consideration in addition to what is
applicable to each and every type of crime : (…) 7. “whether a motive for the crime was to aggrieve a person,
ethnic group or some other similar group of people by reason of race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religious belief or other similar circumstance.”
Criminal Code Chapter 16 Section 8
A person who, in a disseminated statement or communication, threatens or expresses contempt for a national, ethnic or other such group of persons with
allusion to race, colour, national or ethnic origin, or religious belief shall, be
sentenced for agitation against a national or ethnic group to imprisonment for two years or, if the crime is petty, to a fine
(L 1988 :835)
Code Pénal, Article 261 Atteinte
à la liberté de croyance et des cultes
Celui qui, publiquement et de
façon vile, aura offensé ou bafoué les convictions d’autrui en matière de
croyance, en particulier de croyance en Dieu, ou aura profané les objets de la
vénération religieuse,
celui qui aura méchamment
empêché de célébrer ou troublé ou publiquement bafoué un acte cultuel garanti
par la constitution,
celui qui, méchamment, aura
profané un lieu ou un objet destiné à un culte ou à un acte cultuel garantis
par la constitution,
sera puni de l’emprisonnement
pour six mois au plus ou de l’amende.
Code Pénal, Article 261bis - Discrimination
raciale
Celui qui, publiquement, aura
incité à la haine ou à la discrimination envers une personne ou un groupe de
personnes en raison de leur appartenance raciale, ethnique ou religieuse;
celui qui, publiquement, aura
propagé une idéologie visant à rabaisser ou à dénigrer de façon systématique
les membres d’une race, d’une ethnie ou d’une religion;
celui qui, dans le même dessein,
aura organisé ou
encouragé des actions de propagande ou y aura pris part;
celui qui aura publiquement, par
la parole, l’écriture, l’image, le geste, par des voies de fait ou de toute
autre manière, abaissé ou discriminé d’une façon qui porte
atteinte à la dignité humaine une personne ou un groupe de personnes en raison
de leur race, de leur appartenance ethnique ou de leur religion ou qui, pour la
même raison, niera, minimisera grossièrement ou cherchera à justifier un
génocide ou d’autres crimes contre l’humanité;
celui qui aura refusé à une
personne ou à un groupe de personnes, en raison de leur appartenance raciale,
ethnique ou religieuse, une prestation destinée à l’usage public,
sera puni de l’emprisonnement ou
de l’amende.
Cet article a été introduit par
l’article 1er de la LF du 18 juin 1993, en vigueur depuis le 1er janv. 1995 (RO
1994 2887 2889; FF 1992 III 265).
Constitution, article 24
« Chacun a droit à la
liberté de conscience, de croyance et de conviction religieuse. Les prières,
les rites et les cérémonies religieux sont libres à condition de ne pas violer
les dispositions de l'article 14. Nul ne peut être contraint de participer à
des prières ou à des cérémonies et rites religieux ni de divulguer ses
croyances et convictions religieuses ; nul ne peut être blâmé ni inculpé à
cause de ses croyances ou convictions religieuses (...) »
New Criminal Code (2004-2005), article 125
(1) A person who makes an allegation of an act or concrete fact about another
person’s honour, reputation, dignity or prestige shall be sentenced to
imprisonment for a term of three months to two years or a judicial fine will be imposed. In
order to punish the insults in the
absence of the victim the act should have been witnessed by at least three
persons.
(2) If the act is committed by means of a voiced, written or visual message addressing the
victim, the perpetrator shall be sentenced to the criminalties set out above.
(3) If the offence of defamation is committed:
a) Against a public official or a person performing a public service and the
allegation is connected with his public status or the public service he provides
b) due to expression, changing, efforts for expansion of one’s religious,
political, social, philosophical beliefs, thoughts and opinions, one’s
compliance with the rules and prohibitions of his religion,
c) Through mentioning the holy values of the religion the
person is a member of, the minimum length of the criminalty cannot be less than
one year.
(4) Where the defamation is committed explicitly, the criminalty
shall be increased by one sixth; if it is committed through the press and
media, then the criminalty shall be increased by one third.
Code pénal, Article 216- De
l'incitation du peuple à la haine et à l'hostilité et de l'humiliation
(1) Quiconque incite publiquement une partie
de la population à la haine et à l'hostilité par le biais de discriminations
raciales, régionales, ou sur la base de l'appartenance religieuse ou de la
classe sociale, à l'encontre d'une autre partie du peuple, est puni d'une peine
d'emprisonnement d'un an jusqu'à trois ans, si l'acte cause un danger clair et
direct pour le public.
(2) Quiconque humilie une partie de la
population due aux différences sociales, religieuses, sexuelles ou régionales,
est passible de six mois à un an de prison.
(3) L'humiliation ouverte d'une personne en
raison de ses valeurs religieuses est passible de six mois à un an de prison si
le délit peut menacer la paix sociale.
Criminal Code (2004-2005), article 301
1. A
person who publicly denigrates Turkishness, the Republic or the Grand National
Assembly of Turkey, shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months
and three years.
2. A person
who publicly denigrates the Government of the Republic
of Turkey,
the judicial institutions of the State, the military or
security organizations
shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months and two years.
3. In
cases where denigration of Turkishness is committed by a Turkish citizen in
another country the punishment shall be increased by one third.
4.
Expressions of thought intended to criticize shall not constitute a crime.
Law on radio and television, n° 3984 (1994), Article 4
Radio and television broadcasting shall be made,
within the concept of a public utility, in Turkish. [...] Moreover, public and
private radio and television institutions may broadcast in various languages
and dialects traditionally used by Turkish citizens in their daily lives.
The following principles shall be observed:
b.) No broadcasting which leads the society to
violence, terror, ethic discrimination; or incites masses to
hatred and antagonism based on class, race, language, religion; or brings about feelings
of hatred in the society.
d.) Masses shall not be accused and offended on
grounds of language, race, color, gender, political
opinion, philosophical belief, religion, sect and the like.
s.) All elements of program services shall
respect the dignity of the human being and fundamental human rights.
v.) Broadcasts shall neither encourage the use of violence,
nor shall they be of a nature, which
provokes feelings of racist hatred.
Ukraine
Constitution, Article 37
The
establishment and activity of political parties and public associations are
prohibited if their programme goals or
actions are aimed at the liquidation of the independence of Ukraine, the change
of the constitutional order
by violent means, the violation of the sovereignty and territorial
indivisibility of the State, the undermining of its security, the unlawful
seizure of state power, the propaganda of war and of violence, the incitement
of inter-ethnic, racial, or
religious enmity, and the encroachments on human rights and freedoms and the
health of the population.
Political
parties and public associations shall not have paramilitary formations.
The creation
and activity of organizational structures of political parties shall not be
permitted within bodies of executive and judicial power and executive bodies of
local self-government, in military formations,
and also in state enterprises, educational establishments and other state
institutions and organisations.
The
prohibition of the activity of associations of citizens is exercised only
through judicial procedure.
Law on the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations
(1991) Article 4. Equal Rights of Citizens Regardless of Their Attitude towards
Religion
Citizens of Ukraine
shall be equal before
the law and shall enjoy equal rights in all spheres of economic, political,
social, and cultural life regardless of their attitude towards religion. A
citizen’s attitude towards religion shall not be indicated in official
documents.
Any direct or
indirect limitation of rights, any establishment of direct or
indirect preferences for
citizens depending on their attitude towards religion, as well as incitement of
enmity and hate related thereto, or
the offence of citizen’s feelings shall result in the liability established by
law.
No one may
evade the performance
of constitutional duties for
the reason of religious convictions. The substitution of one duty for
another duty for
the reason of convictions shall be allowed only in the cases provided for
by the legislation of Ukraine.
Criminal Code, Article 67.
Circumstances aggravating punishment
1. For
the purposes of imposing a punishment, the following circumstances shall be
deemed to be aggravating:
(1)
repetition of an offense or
recidivism;
(2)
the commission of an offense by a group of persons upon prior
conspiracy (paragraph 2 or
3 of Article 28);
(3)
the commission of an offense based on racial, national or
religious enmity and hostility;
(4)
the commission of an offense in connection with the discharge of official or
public duty by the victim;
(5)
grave consequences caused by the offense;
(6) the commission of an offense
against a minor,
an elderly or
helpless person;
(7)
the commission of an offense against a woman who, to the knowledge of the
culprit, was pregnant;
(8)
the commission of an offense against a person who was in a financial, official or
other dependence on the culprit;
(9)
the commission of an offense through the use of a minor,
a person of unsound mind or
mentally defective person;
(10)
the commission of an especially violent offense;
(11) the commission of an offense by
taking advantage of a martial law or
a state of emergency or
other extraordinary
events;
(12) the
commission of an offense by a generally dangerous method;
(13) the commission of an
offense by a person in a state of intoxication resulting from the use of
alcohol, narcotic, or
any other intoxicating substances;
2. Depending
on the nature of an offense committed, a court may find any of the
circumstances specified in paragraph 1 of this Article, other than those
defined in subparagraphs (2), (6), (7), (9), (10), and (12), not to be
aggravating, and should provide the reasons for
this decision in its judgment.
3. When
imposing a punishment, a court may not find any circumstances, other than those
defined in paragraph 1 of this Article, to be aggravating.
4. If any of
the aggravating circumstances is specified in an article of the Special Part of
this Code as an element of an offense, that affects its treatment, a court
shall not take it into consideration again as an aggravating circumstance when
imposing a punishment
Criminal Code,
article 161 Violation of citizens' equality
based on their race, nationality or religious
preferences
1. Wilful actions inciting national, racial or religious enmity and
hatred, humiliation of national honour and dignity, or the insult of citizens' feelings in respect
to their religious convictions, and also any direct or indirect restriction of
rights, or granting direct or indirect privileges to
citizens based on race, colour of skin, political, religious and other
convictions, sex, ethnic and social origin, property status,
place of residence, linguistic or other characteristics, –
shall be punishable by a fine up to 50 tax-free
minimum incomes, or correctional labour for a term up to two years,
or restraint of liberty for a term up to five
years, with or without the deprivation of the right to occupy
certain positions or engage in certain
activities for a term up to three years.
2. The same actions accompanied by violence,
deception or threats, and also committed by an official, –
shall be punishable by correctional labour for a term up to two years,
or imprisonment for a term up to five years.
3. Any such actions as provided for by paragraph 1 or 2 of this Article, if
committed by an organized group of
persons, or where they caused death of people or other grave consequences, –
shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of two to five
years.
Criminal Code, Article 178. Damage of religious architecture
or houses of worship
Damage or
destruction of a religious architecture or
a house of worship,
-
shall
be punishable by a fine up to 300 tax-free minimum incomes, or
imprisonment for
a term of one to three years.
Criminal Code, Article 179. Illegal retention, desecration or destruction of
religious sanctities
Illegal
retention, desecration or
destruction of religious sanctities, -
shall be punishable by a fine up to
200 tax-free minimum incomes, or
imprisonment for
a term up to three years.
Criminal Code, Article 180. Preclusion of religious
ceremonies
1. Illegal
preclusion of religious ceremonies, where it frustrated or
was likely to frustrate a religious ceremony, -
shall be punishable by a fine up to
50 tax-free minimum incomes, or
arrest for
a term up to six months, or
restraint of liberty for
a term up to two years.
2. Forcing
a clergyman, by violence or
psychological pressure, into officiating, shall be punishable by a fine up to
50 tax-free minimum incomes, or
arrest for
a term up to six months, or
restraint of liberty for
a term up to two years.
Criminal Code, Article 181. Trespass against health of
persons under pretence of preaching or ministering
1. Organizing or leading a group, which operates
under pretence of preaching or ministering accompanied with the impairment of health of
people or sexual dissipation, shall
be punishable by restraint of liberty for
a term up to three years, or
imprisonment for
the same term.
2. The same
actions accompanied with involvement of minors
in activities of the group, -
shall
be punishable by imprisonment of three to five years.
Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine On Mass Media
prohibits
using mass media for
rousing racial, national, religious hatred.
United Kingdom
SCOTLAND (HL- Law
Commission, 2003)
39. The
last reported
prosecution for
blasphemy in Scotland
was in 1843. Some writers have argued that blasphemy may no longer be a crime
in Scotland
(see, for
example, G. Gordon,
The Criminal Law of Scotland, W. Green (2nd ed., 1978) p. 998). In any
event, since Scottish law, unlike English law, requires a personal interest in
a matter before
there can be any private prosecution, and since the state is unlikely to want
to prosecute for
blasphemy, a prosecution, even if technically possible, is unlikely to occur.
At present Scotland
has no special provisions to deal with religious offences that are not found In
English law. Indeed some extant English provisions, such as section 2 of the
Ecclesiastical Courts Jurisdiction Act 1860, have no counterpart in Scotland.
However, concern over sectarianism in Scotland
has led to calls for
new legislation. On 20
February 2003 the Scottish parliament passed a
Criminal Justice (Scotland)
Bill which included a section on religious prejudice, originally
introduced by Donald Gorrie
MSP. The section reads as follows:
20 February
2003 Criminal Justice Act 59A Offences aggravated by religious
prejudice
(1) This section applies where it is -
(a) libelled in an indictment; or
(b) specified in a complaint,
· and, in
either case, proved that an offence has been aggravated by religious prejudice.
(2) For the purposes of this
section, an offence is aggravated by religious prejudice if -
(a) at the time of committing the offence or immediately before or after doing so, the
offender evinces towards the victim (if any) of the offence malice or ill-will based on the
victim's membership (or presumed membership) of
a religious group, or of a social or cultural group with a
perceived religious affiliation: or
(b) the
offence is motivated (wholly or partly) by malice and
ill-will towards members of a religious group, or of a social or cultural group with a
perceived religious affiliation, based on membership of that group.
(3) Where this section applies, the court must
take the aggravation into account in determining the appropriate sentence.
(4) Where the sentence or disposal in respect of the
offence is different from that which the court would have imposed had the
offence not been aggravated by religious prejudice, the court must state the
extent of and the reasons for that difference.
(5) For the purposes of this
section, evidence from a single source is sufficient to prove that an offence
is aggravated by religious prejudice.
(6) In subsection (2)(a)-
"membership" in relation to a group
includes association with members of that group: and
"presumed" means presumed by the offender.
(7) In this section, "religious group"
means a group of persons defined by reference to their-
(a)
religious belief or lack of religious
belief;
(b)
membership of or adherence to a church or religious organisation;
(c)
support for the culture and
traditions of a church or religious organisation; or
(d) participation
in activities associated with such a culture or such traditions"
ENGLAND AND WALES
Although there is no legislation by Parliament creating the
offence of blasphemy, it is under the common law in England and Wales an offence to utter or publish
blasphemous words and writings, but the scope of that offence has been narrowed
in the last 150 years.
Blasphemy – Common Law Offence – Law Commission (2002)
18. Blasphemy
(and blasphemous libel) is a common law offence with an unlimited criminalty.
The content of the current law is obscure, but in Appendix 3 we endeavor to set
it out in detail. In 1981 the Law Commission observed that it was "hardly
an exaggeration to say that whether or
not a publication is a blasphemous libel can only be judged ex post facto".[20] In 1985 it recommended its repeal.[21]
19. Two
elements of the law are clear. First, the offence is one of strict liability.
That is to say, intent to commit an act of blasphemy is irrelevant; all that matters
is whether the accused did in fact publish the material that is the subject of
prosecution. Secondly, the offence protects only the Church of England. It was
clear to us from the correspondence
we received, however, that the law is perceived by many to have a much wider
and more
general application.
20. No
blasphemy case has been prosecuted in England and Wales since the passage of
the Human Rights Act 1998 (incorporating
elements of the European Convention on Human Rights), but it is a reasonable speculation
that as a consequence of that legislation any prosecution for
blasphemy today—even one which met all the known criteria—would be likely to
fail or,
if a conviction were secured, would probably be overturned on appeal (if not by
the House of Lords
then by the European Court of Human Rights) on grounds either of
discrimination, of denial of the right to freedom of expression, or
of the absence of certainty. Such an outcome would, in effect, constitute the
demise of the law of blasphemy.
Other Common
Law Offences
21. The
Religious Offences Bill proposed the repeal of "any distinct offence of
disturbing a service" and "any religious offence of striking a person
in a church or
churchyard". These proposals replicate the wording
in the draft Bill proposed by the Law Commission in its 1985 report
(p3.4), which also summarizes the offences as follows: "The precise
breadth of the common law is difficult to gauge. There are very broad
statements in Hawkins' Pleas of the Crown to the effect that “all irreverent
behaviour” in churches and churchyards has been regarded as criminal. More
specifically there is authority,
by no means strong, for
the propositions that it is an offence at common law - (a) to disturb a priest
of the established Church in the performance
of divine worship,
and also, it seems, to disturb Methodists and Dissenters when engaged in their
"decent and quiet devotions"; and (b) to strike any person in a
church or
churchyard". The Law Commission recommended the repeal of these offences,
which have "not been used at all in modern times, and have been entirely
superseded by statutory
offences".
The
Public Order Act, 1986
This Act It defined
racial hatred as ‘hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to
colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national
origins’. By s 18 of the 1986 Act, it is
an offence for a person to use threatening, abusive or insulting words or
behaviour; it is also an offence to display any material which is threatening,
abusive or insulting if the defendant does so with intent to stir up racial
hatred or if in the circumstances racial hatred is likely to be stirred
up. Corresponding offences exist in
relation to publishing or distributing written material, theatrical
performances, and broadcasting. The 1986
Act did not extend to incitement to religious hatred.
Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 An Act to make
provision about offences involving stirring up hatred against persons on racial
or religious grounds.
The Racial and
Religious Hatred Act 2006 inserts a new part 3A into the 1986 Public Order Act;
part 3A is entitled ‘Hatred against persons on religious grounds’. Religious hatred means ‘hatred against a
group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or
lack of religious belief’ (s 29A). The
primary offence (s 29B) is to use threatening
words
or
behaviour or
to display any written material that is threatening, if the defendant
thereby intends to stir up religious hatred.
It is also an offence (s 29C) to publish or
distribute written material which is threatening, if the defendant thereby
intends to stir up religious hatred.
Offences of this kind have been created in respect of theatrical performances
(s 29D), broadcasting (s 29F) etc. There
is also an offence of possessing inflammatory
material (with a view to publication, distribution etc) which is threatening
if the defendant intends religious hatred to be stirred up thereby. An important
restriction on proceedings for
these offences is that no prosecution for
these offences may be instituted except with the consent of the Attorney-General
(s 29L(1)).
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, § 29B - Use of words or behaviour or display of written material
(1) A person who uses threatening words or behaviour, or displays any written material which
is threatening, is guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up
religious hatred.
(2) An offence under this section may be
committed in a public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where
the words or behaviour are used, or the written material is displayed,
by a person inside a dwelling and are not heard or seen except by other persons in
that or another dwelling.
(3) A constable may arrest without warrant
anyone he reasonably suspects is committing an offence under this section.
(4) In proceedings for an offence under this section it is
a defence for the accused to prove that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to
believe that the words or behaviour used, or the written material displayed,
would be heard or seen by a person outside that or any other dwelling.
(5) This section does not apply to words or behaviour used, or written material displayed, solely
for the purpose of being included in a
programme service.
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, § 29C - Publishing or distributing written material
(1) A person who publishes or distributes written material which
is threatening is guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up
religious hatred.
(2) References in this Part to the
publication or distribution of written material are to its publication or distribution to the public or a section of the public.
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, § 29D - Public performance of play
(1) If a public performance of a play is given which
involves the use of threatening words or behaviour, any person who presents or directs the performance is guilty of an offence if he
intends thereby to stir up religious hatred.
(2) This section does not apply to a performance given solely or primarily for one or more of the following purposes-
(a) rehearsal,
(b) making a recording of the performance, or
(c) enabling the performance to be included in a programme
service;
but if it is proved that the performance was attended by persons other
than those directly connected with the giving of the performance or the doing in relation to it of the
things mentioned in paragraph (b) or (c), the performance shall, unless the contrary is
shown, be taken not to have been given solely or primarily for the purpose mentioned above.
(3) For the purposes of this section-
(a) a person shall not be treated as presenting a performance of a play by reason only of
his taking part in it as a performer,
(b) a person taking part as a performer in a performance directed by another shall be
treated as a person who directed the performance if without reasonable excuse
he performs otherwise than in accordance with that person's direction,
and
(c) a person shall be taken to have directed a performance of a play given under his
direction notwithstanding that he was not present during the performance;
and a person shall not be treated as
aiding or abetting the commission of an
offence under this section by reason only of his taking part in a performance as a performer.
(4) In this section "play" and
"public performance" have the same meaning as in the Theatres Act
1968.
(5) The following provisions of the
Theatres Act 1968 apply in relation to an offence under this section as they
apply to an offence under section 2 of that Act-
section 9
(script as evidence of what was performed),
section 10
(power to make copies of script),
section 15
(powers of entry and inspection).
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, § 29E - Distributing, showing or playing a recording
(1) A person who distributes, or shows or plays, a recording of visual images or sounds which are threatening is
guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up religious hatred.
(2) In this Part "recording" means any record from which visual images or sounds may, by any means, be
reproduced; and references to the distribution, showing or playing of a recording are to its distribution,
showing or playing to the public or a section of the public.
(3) This section does not apply to the
showing or playing of a recording solely for the purpose of enabling the recording to be included in a programme
service.
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, 29F - Broadcasting
or including programme in programme service
(1) If a programme involving threatening visual images or sounds is included in a programme
service, each of the persons mentioned in subsection (2) is guilty of an
offence if he intends thereby to stir up religious hatred.
(2) The persons are-
(a) the person providing the programme service,
(b) any person by whom the programme is produced or directed, and
(c) any person by whom offending words or behaviour are used.
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, 29G - Possession
of inflammatory material
(1) A person who has in his possession
written material which is threatening, or a recording of visual images or sounds which are threatening, with
a view to-
(a) in the case of written material, its being displayed,
published, distributed, or included in a programme service whether by himself or another, or
(b) in the case of a recording, its being distributed, shown,
played, or included in a programme service,
whether by himself or another,
is guilty of an offence if he intends
religious hatred to be stirred up thereby.
(2) For this purpose regard shall be had to
such display, publication, distribution, showing, playing, or inclusion in a programme service as
he has, or it may be reasonably be inferred
that he has, in view.
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, § 29H - Powers of entry and search
(1) If in England and Wales a justice of
the peace is satisfied by information on oath laid by a constable that there are
reasonable grounds for suspecting that a person has possession of written material
or a recording in contravention of section
29G, the justice may issue a warrant under his hand authorising any constable to enter and
search the premises where it is suspected the material or recording is situated.
(2) If in Scotland a sheriff or justice of the peace is satisfied
by evidence on oath that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that a person has
possession of written material or a recording in contravention of section 29G, the sheriff or justice may issue a warrant authorising any constable to enter and
search the premises where it is suspected the material or recording is situated.
(3) A constable entering or searching premises in pursuance of
a warrant issued under this section may use reasonable force if necessary.
(4) In this section "premises"
means any place and, in particular, includes-
(a) any vehicle, vessel, aircraft or hovercraft,
(b) any offshore installation as defined in section 12 of the Mineral
Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971, and
(c) any tent or movable structure.
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, § 29I - Power to order forfeiture
(1) A court by or before which a person is convicted of-
(a) an offence under section 29B relating to the display of
written material, or
(b) an offence under section 29C, 29E or 29G,
shall order to be forfeited any written material or recording produced to the court and shown
to its satisfaction to be written material or a recording to which the offence relates.
(2) An order made under this section shall
not take effect-
(a) in the case of an order made in proceedings in England
and Wales, until the expiry of the ordinary time within which an appeal
may be instituted or, where an appeal is duly instituted, until it is finally
decided or abandoned;
(b) in the case of an order made in proceedings in Scotland, until the expiration of the time
within which, by virtue of any statute, an appeal may be instituted or, where such an appeal is duly
instituted, until the appeal is finally decided or abandoned.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)(a)-
(a) an application for a case stated or for leave to appeal shall be treated as
the institution of an appeal, and
(b) where a decision on appeal is subject to a further
appeal, the appeal is not finally determined until the expiry of the ordinary time within which a further
appeal may be instituted or, where a further appeal is duly instituted, until the
further appeal is finally decided or abandoned.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (2)(b)
the lodging of an application for a stated case or note of appeal against sentence
shall be treated as the institution of an appeal.
Racial
and Religious Hatred Act 2006, § 29J - Protection
of freedom of expression
Nothing in this Part shall be read or given effect in a way which
prohibits or restricts discussion, criticism or expressions of antipathy, dislike,
ridicule, insult or abuse of particular religions or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or of any other belief system or the beliefs or practices of its adherents, or proselytising or urging adherents of a different
religion or belief system to cease practising
their religion or belief system.
NORTHERN IRELAND (HL-Law
Commission, 2002)
38. Blasphemy
was part of the common law of Ireland.
In an 1842 judgment Sir Edward Sugden[157] refers to the successful prosecution in
1703 of Thomas Emlyn, a Unitarian mister who had written a book arguing that
Jesus Christ was not the equal of God the Father. This appears to have been the
first reported
blasphemy prosecution in Irish law. The law would seem to have protected the beliefs
of the Church
of Ireland[158]. It is therefore
arguable that the crime did not survive the disestablishment of the Church
of Ireland
by the Irish Church Act 1869. There was no reported
blasphemy prosecution in the period between 1855 and the creation of the
independent state of Ireland.
In Northern
Ireland, which
inherited Irish common law, there has, to date, been no prosecution for
blasphemy. However, in Northern
Ireland incitement
to religious hatred is a criminal offence under the Public Order (NI) Order
1987, although it is rarely prosecuted. From enquiries we made, it would seem
that this might be due to the fact that it was difficult to show the necessary
intention to incite religious hatred, a disinclination to prosecute sectarian
cases, or
a feeling that the number of cases that could potentially be prosecuted was so
large as to make individual prosecutions potentially invidious—or a
combination of all three.0.
