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
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:
a. by using force or threatening to use force;
a. by a person by using his or her official position;
c. by an organized group shall be punishable by imprisonment
for a term of three to five years.
Belgique
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.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
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)
(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.
Criminal Code of the
Republika Srpska, article 390 : Inciting National, Racial or
Religious Hatred, Discord or Hostility
1)
Whoever incites and inflames
national, racial or religious hatred, discord or hostility, or spreads ideas of
superiority of one race or nation over another, shall be punished by a fine or
imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.
2)
Whoever
commits the offence referred to in Paragraph 1 of this Article by employing
coercion, abuse, endangering the safety, exposing national, ethnic or religious
symbols to derision, damaging other people’s belongings, desecrating monuments
or graves,
shall
be punished by imprisonment for a term between six months and five years.
3)
If
the offence referred to in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article resulted in
riots, violence or any other serious consequence to the joined life of the
constituent peoples and others who live in Republika Srpska, the perpetrator
shall be punished by imprisonment for a term between one and eight years.
4)
Materials
and items containing messages referred to in Paragraph 1 of this Article and
equipment for their production, duplication or distribution shall be forfeited.
1)
A person who publicly
incites or fans national, racial or religious hatred, discord or hostility
between constitutional nations and other residents of the Brcko District, shall
be sentenced to prison from one to five years.
2)
If the criminal
offence 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, memorials or graves, the perpetrator shall be sentenced
to prison from one to eight years.
3)
A person who commits
the criminal offence referred to in paragraph 1 of this Code through the abuse
of his position or authority or if these offences resulted in disorder,
violence, or other grave consequences for the joint life of constitutional
nations and others living in the Brcko District, shall be punished by the
sentence referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, shall be sentenced to
prison from one to ten years.
Bulgaria
Criminal Code, §162
– Crimes against the National and Racial Equality
Art. 162.
1)
Whoever propagates or incites racial or national hostility or
hatred or racial discrimination shall be punished by imprisonment of up to
three years and by public reprobation.
2)
Whoever applies violence against another or damages his property
because of his nationality, race, religion or his political conviction shall be
punished by imprisonment of up to three years and by public reprobation.
3)
Whoever forms or heads an organisation or a group whose goal is
the perpetration of the act under the preceding paras shall be punished by
imprisonment of one to six years and by public reprobation.
4)
A member of such an organisation or a group shall be punished by
imprisonment of up to three years and by a public reprobation.
5)
(New, SG 28/82) The court can also rule mandatory settlement for
the crimes under the preceding paras.
Criminal Code, §164 - Crimes
against Religious Denominations
Whoever 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, hinders the citizens from professing their faith or carrying 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.
1)
The
same punishment shall be imposed on those who, in the same way, compel another
to participate in religious rituals and services.
2)
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 f or 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:
a)
directed
against national security, public order, national healthy ethics, or rights and freedoms of other citizens;
b)
used
for political ends;
c)
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.
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.
Cyprus
Constitution, Article 18 – Freedom of thought,
conscience and religion
2)
Every
person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
3)
All
religions whose doctrines or rites are not secret are free.
4)
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.
5)
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.
6)
The
use of physical or moral compulsion for the purpose of making a person change
or preventing him from changing his religion is prohibited.
7)
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.
8)
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.
9)
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 penalties 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.
Czech Republic
Criminal Code, § 198 - Vilification of the nation,
race and conviction
A person who publicly defames : any
nation, its language or any race, or 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.
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 ofender 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:
a)
if
he/she commits the act stated in section1 by means of press, film, radio,
television or by similar efficient means,
b)
if
he/she commits such act as a member of an organized group, or
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. It shall be considered an
aggravating circumstance if the conduct can be characterised as propaganda.
2)
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 juin 1988 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, Article 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 :
i.
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 ;
ii.
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 ;
iii.
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 ;
iv.
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.
France
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 :
a) 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 ;
b) 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 :
a) 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 :
a) 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.
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:
a). incites hatred against segments of the population or
calls for violent or arbitrary measures against them; or
b) 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:
a). 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:
i) disseminates them;
ii) publicly displays, posts, presents, or otherwise makes
them accessible;
iii) offers, gives or makes accessible to a person under
eighteen years; or
iv) 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
b) 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).
6) 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:
a) 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
b) 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.
4)
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.
5)
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.
6)
The manner in which full retraction shall be made in cases of
inaccurate publications shall be determined by law.
7)
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.
8)
Press offences shall be subject to immediate court hearing and
shall be tried as provided by law.
9)
The conditions and qualifications requisite for the practice of the profession of journalist shall be specified by law.
10)
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;
(…)
b) 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 »
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.
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
Penalty for printing or publishing
blasphemous or obscene libel.
13.—(1) Every person who composes, prints
or publishes any blasphemous or obscene libel shall, on conviction thereof on
indictment, be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred pounds or
imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both fine and
imprisonment or to penal servitude for a term not exceeding seven years.
(a) In every case in which a person is
convicted of composing, printing or publishing a blasphemous libel, the court
may make an order for the seizure and carrying away and detaining in safe
custody, in such manner as shall be directed in the order, of all copies of
the, libel in the possession of such person or of any other person named in the
order for his use, evidence upon oath having been previously given to the
satisfaction of the court that copies of the said libel are in the possession
of such other person for the use of the person convicted.
(b) Upon the making of an order under
paragraph (a)of this subsection, any member of the Garda Síochána acting under
such order may enter, if necessary by the use of force, and search for any
copies of the said libel any building, house or other place belonging to the
person convicted or to such other person named in the order and may seize and
carry away and detain in the manner directed in such order all copies of the
libel found therein.
(c) If, in any such case, the conviction
is quashed on appeal, any copies of the libel seized under an order under
paragraph (a)of this subsection shall be returned free of charge to the person
or persons from whom they were seized.
(d) Where, in any such case, an appeal is
not lodged or the conviction is confirmed on appeal, any copies of the libel
seized under an order under paragraph (a)of this subsection shall, on the
application of a member of the Garda Síochána to the court which made such
order, be disposed of in such manner as such court may direct.
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
Italie
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.
Article 3
(Circonstance aggravante) - Pour les délits punis avec une peine autre que la
condamnation à perpétuité qui ont été commis à des fins de discrimination ou
haine ethnique, nationale, raciale ou religieuse, ou dans le but de faciliter
l'activité d'organisations, associations, mouvements ou groupes qui poursuivent
les mêmes finalités, la peine est augmentée de moitié. »
Latvia
Criminal Code (1998) Section 78 - Violation of
National or Racial Equality and Restriction of Human Rights
For a person who commits acts
knowingly directed towards instigating national or racial hatred or enmity, or
knowingly commits the restricting, directly or indirectly, of economic,
political, or social rights of individuals or the creating, directly or
indirectly, of privileges for individuals based on their racial or national
origin, the applicable sentence is deprivation of liberty for a term not
exceeding three years or a fine not exceeding sixty times the minimum monthly
wage.
For a person who commits the same
acts, if they are associated with violence, fraud or threats, or where they are
committed by a group of persons, a State official, or a responsible employee of
an undertaking (company) or organisation, the applicable sentence is
deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding ten years.
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.
Liechtenstein
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, Section 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, Section 191 - Wilful 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, Section 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
5)
discrimination, the dissemination of slander, or misinformation.
6)
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 Disc ord
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.”
Luxembourg
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, Art. 454 (L. 28
novembre 2006)
Constitue une
discrimination toute distinction opérée entre les personnes physiques à raison
de leur origine, de leur couleur de peau, de leur sexe, de leur orientation
sexuelle, de leur situation de famille, de leur âge, de leur état de santé, de
leur handicap, de leurs moeurs, de leurs opinions politiques ou philosophiques,
de leurs activités syndicales, de leur appartenance ou de leur non
appartenance, vrai ou supposée, à une ethnie, une nation, une race ou une religion
déterminée.
Constitue également une discrimination toute distinction opérée entre
les personnes morales, les groupes ou communautés de personnes, à raison de
l'origine, de la couleur de peau, du sexe, de l'orientation sexuelle, de la
situation de famille, de leur âge, de l'état de santé, du handicap, des moeurs,
des opinions politiques ou philosophiques, des activités syndicales, de
l'appartenance ou de la non-appartenance, vraie ou supposée, à une ethnie, une
nation, une race, ou une religion déterminée, des membres ou de certains
membres de ces personnes morales, groupes ou communautés.
Art. 455. (L. 19 juillet 1997)
Une discrimination visée à l'article 454, commise à
l'égard d'une personne physique ou morale, d'un groupe ou d'une communauté de
personnes, est punie d'un emprisonnement de huit jours à deux ans et d'une
amende de 251 euros à 25.000 euros ou de l'une de ces peines seulement,
lorsqu'elle consiste :
1) (L. 21 décembre 2007) à refuser la fourniture ou la
jouissance d'un bien et/ou l’accès à un bien ;
2) (L. 21 décembre 2007) à refuser la fourniture d'un
service et/ou l’accès à un service ;
3) (L. 21 décembre 2007) à subordonner la fourniture d'un bien ou
d'un service et/ou l’accès à un bien ou à un service à une condition fondée sur
l'un des éléments visés à l'article 454 ou à faire toute autre discrimination
lors de cette fourniture, en se fondant sur l'un des éléments visés à l'article
454 ;
4) à indiquer dans une publicité l'intention de
refuser un bien ou un service ou de pratiquer une discrimination lors de la
fourniture d'un bien ou d'un service, en se fondant sur l'un des éléments visés
à l'article 454 ;
5) à entraver l'exercice normal d'une activité
économique quelconque,
6) à refuser d'embaucher, à sanctionner ou à licencier
une personne ;
7) L. 28 novembre 2006) à subordonner l’accès au travail,
tous les types de formation professionnelle, ainsi que les conditions de
travail, l’affiliation et l’engagement dans une organisation de travailleurs ou
d’employeurs à l’un des éléments visés à l’article 454 du code pénal.
Art. 456. (L. 19 juillet 1997)
Une discrimination visée à l'article 454, commise à
l'égard d'une personne physique ou morale, d'un groupe ou d'une communauté de
personnes par une personne dépositaire de l'autorité publique ou chargée d'une
mission de service public, dans l'exercice ou à l'occasion de l'exercice de ses
fonctions ou de sa mission, est punie d'un emprisonnement d'un mois à trois ans
et d'une amende de 251 euros à 37.500 euros ou de l'une de ces peines
seulement, lorsqu'elle consiste :
1) à refuser le bénéfice d'un droit accordé par la loi
;
2) à entraver l'exercice normal d'une activité
économique quelconque.
Art. 457.
(L. 19 juillet
1997) Les dispositions des articles 455 et 456 ne sont pas
applicables :
1) aux différenciations de traitement fondées sur
l'état de santé, lorsqu'elles consistent en des opérations ayant pour objet la
prévention et la couverture du risque décès, des risques portant atteinte à
l'intégrité physique de la personne ou des risques d'incapacité de travail ou
d'invalidité ;
2) aux différenciations de traitement fondées sur
l'état de santé ou le handicap, lorsqu'elles consistent en un refus d'embauche
ou un licenciement fondé sur l'inaptitude médicalement constatée de l'intéressé
;
3) aux différenciations de traitement fondées, en
matière d'embauche, sur la nationalité, lorsque l'appartenance à une
nationalité déterminée constitue, conformément aux dispositions statutaires relatives
à la fonction publique, aux réglementations relatives à l'exercice de certaines
professions et aux dispositions en matière de droit du travail, la condition
déterminante de l'exercice d'un emploi ou d'une activité professionnelle ;
4) aux différenciations de traitement fondées, en
matière d'entrée, de séjour et de droit de vote au pays, sur la nationalité,
lorsque l'appartenance à une nationalité déterminée constitue, conformément aux
dispositions légales et réglementaires relatives à l'entrée, au séjour et au
droit de vote au pays, la condition déterminante de l'entrée, du séjour et de
l'exercice du droit de vote au pays ;
5) abrogé (L. 28 novembre 2006)
Art. 457-1. (L. 19 juillet 1997)
Est puni d'un emprisonnement de huit jours à deux ans
et d'une amende de 251 euros à 25.000 euros ou de l'une de ces peines seulement
:
1) quiconque, soit par des discours, cris ou menaces
proférés dans des lieux ou réunions publics, soit par des écrits, imprimés,
dessins, gravures, peintures, emblèmes, images ou tout autre support de l'écrit,
de la parole ou de l'image vendus ou distribués, mis en vente ou exposés dans
des lieux ou réunions publics, soit par des placards ou des affiches exposés au
regard du public, soit par tout moyen de communication audiovisuelle, incite
aux actes prévus à l'article 455, à la haine ou à la violence à l'égard d'une
personne, physique ou morale, d'un groupe ou d'une communauté en se fondant sur
l'un des éléments visés à l'article 454 ;
2) quiconque appartient à une organisation dont les
objectifs ou les activités consistent à commettre l'un des actes prévus au
paragraphe 1) du présent article ;
3) quiconque imprime ou fait imprimer, fabrique,
détient, transporte, importe, exporte, fait fabriquer, importer, exporter ou
transporter, met en circulation sur le territoire luxembourgeois, envoie à
partir du territoire luxembourgeois, remet à la poste ou à un autre
professionnel chargé de la distribution du courrier sur le territoire
luxembourgeois, fait transiter par le territoire luxembourgeois, des écrits, imprimés,
dessins, gravures, peintures, affiches, photographies, films
cinématographiques, emblèmes, images ou tout autre support de l'écrit, de la
parole ou de l'image, de nature à inciter aux actes prévus à l'article 455, à
la haine ou à la violence à l'égard d'une personne, physique ou morale, d'un
groupe ou d'une communauté, en se fondant sur l'un des éléments visés à
l'article 454.
La confiscation des objets énumérés ci-avant sera prononcée dans tous
les cas.
Art. 457-2. (L. 19 juillet 1997)
Lorsque les infractions définies à l'article 453 ont
été commises à raison de l'appartenance ou de la non-appartenance, vraie ou
supposée, des personnes décédées à une ethnie, une nation, une race ou une
religion déterminées, les peines sont de six mois à trois ans et d'une amende
de 251 euros à 37.500 euros ou de l'une de ces peines seulement.
Art. 457-3. (L. 19 juillet 1997)
Est puni d'un emprisonnement de huit jours à six mois
et d'une amende de 251 euros à 25.000 euros ou de l'une de ces peines seulement
celui qui, soit par des discours, cris ou menaces proférés dans des lieux ou
réunions publics, soit par des écrits, imprimés, dessins, gravures, peintures,
emblèmes, images ou tout autre support de l'écrit, de la parole ou de l'image
vendus ou distribués, mis en vente ou exposés dans des lieux ou réunions
publics, soit par des placards ou des affiches exposés au regard du public,
soit par tout moyen de communication audiovisuelle, a contesté, minimisé,
justifié ou nié l'existence d'un ou de plusieurs crimes contre,l'humanité ou
crimes de guerre tels qu'ils sont définis par l'article 6 du statut du tribunal
militaire international annexé à l'accord de Londres du 8 août 1945 et qui ont
été commis soit par les membres d'une organisation déclarée criminelle en
application de l'article 9 dudit statut, soit par une personne reconnue
coupable de tels crimes par une juridiction luxembourgeoise, étrangère ou
internationale.
Est puni des mêmes peines ou de l'une de ces peines seulement celui
qui, par un des moyens énoncés au paragraphe précédent, a contesté, minimisé,
justifié ou nié l'existence d'un ou de plusieurs génocides tels qu'ils sont
définis par la loi du 8 août 1985 portant répression du génocide et reconnus par
une juridiction ou autorité luxembourgeoise ou internationale.
Art. 457-4. (L. 19 juillet 1997)
Dans les cas prévus aux articles 455, 456, 457-1,
457-2 et 457-3, les coupables pourront de plus être condamnés à l'interdiction
des droits conformément à l'article 24.
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-à-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; (…)
Monaco
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.
Criminal Code, article 370 - Causing
national, race and religious hatred, divisions and intolerance
Anyone who causes and
spreads national, religious or race hatred, divisions or intolerance among
people, national minorities or ethnic groups living in Montenegro, shall be
punished by imprisonment for a term of six months to five years.
If an act as of Paragraph
1 of this Article is done by coercion, maltreatment, endangering of safety,
exposure to mockery of national, ethic or religious symbols, by damaging other
person's goods, by desecration of monuments, memorial-tablets or tombs, the
offender shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of one to eight years.
Anyone who commits an act referred
to in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article by abusing his/her position or
authorities or if as the result of these acts riots, violence or other severe
consequences for the joint life of people, national minorities or ethnic groups
living in Montenegro occur, shall be punished for an act as of Paragraph 1 of
this Article by an imprisonment sentence for a term of one to eight years, and
for an act as of Paragraph 2 by imprisonment of two to ten 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.
3) 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)
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.
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 imprisonment 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.
San Marino
Criminal Code (1974), Article 260 - Religious insult
Whoever desecrates the symbols or the objects of cult or
worship of a religion which is not contrary to morals or publicly mocks the
acts of cult is liable to first degree imprisonment.
The same penalty is applicable to attacks on the honour or
prestige of a priest in or due to the exercise of his functions.
Whoever desecrated the sacred relics of San Marino is liable to second term imprisonment.
Criminal Code, Article 261 - Violation
of freedom of religion
Whoever by violence or threat prevents anyone from
practising or promoting their religious beliefs or from taking part in private
or public cult is liable to second degree imprisonment.
Criminal Code, Article 262 – Interference with religious
ceremonies
Whoever hinders or interferes with religious rituals,
ceremonies or processions which are being carried out with the assistance of a
priest is liable to first degree imprisonment.
If the offence is committed by violence or threat, the penalty
is increased by one degree.
Criminal Code, Fine : Art. 267, Blasphemy or
contempt for the deceased
Whoever publicly blasphemes is liable to reprehension or a
fine of days of first degree.
Whoever publicly expresses contempt for the deceased is
liable to the same penalty, at the request of the close relatives.
Former Criminal Code, Article 325 (repealed in 1974)
Whoever through words or acts mocks or scorns in any manner
a ceremony of the roman catholic church is liable to a term imprisonment from
one to three months, or to a fine of 50 to 100 liras, or to more severe penalty
should the contempt degenerate into interference foreseen in the previous article
or into a more serious offence.
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.
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 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)
Suisse
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).
« 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, 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 fo r old people and alike institutions, contrary to the house
rules (Article 20 Paragraph 1, 2 and 3).
Racial or other discrimination, Article 417
A person who based on the
difference in race, color of skin, nationality or ethnic belonging, violates
the basic human rights and freedoms, acknowledged by the international
community, shall be punished with imprisonment of six months to five years.
The punishment from item
1 shall apply also to a person who persecutes organizations or individuals
because of their efforts for equality of the people.
A person who spreads
ideas about the superiority of one race above some other, or who advocates
racial hate, or instigates to racial discrimination, shall be punished with
imprisonment of six months to three years.
Turkey
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 penalties 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, 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 f or 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 f or 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
On 5 March
2008, the House of Lords abolished the common law crimes of blasphemy and
blasphemous libel.
The Public Order Act, 1986
This Act 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 section
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;
3)
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.
4)
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.
5)
In
this section "play" and "public performance" have the same
meaning as in the Theatres Act 1968.
6)
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) ny 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 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. 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.
