We Need to Understand Which Parts of Hate Speech Should Be Criminalized - Zohrapyan

Today, hate speech has transitioned from the virtual realm into reality. The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (CEPA) has been searching for ways to address the issue on social media for two years now, but it has not been able to find the right balance that won't infringe on freedom of speech, said Naira Zohrapyan, the chair of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights Protection and Public Affairs during a committee meeting.

Addressing fake news, she noted that they pose a serious challenge to professional media outlets.

Committee member and National Assembly deputy Sargis Khandanian, for his part, pointed out the desire to create a working group to combat the spread of hate speech. “This group will involve lawmakers, but it will also be an open platform where we will invite representatives from NGOs and the government, as well as independent experts. We will attempt to study international practices to see what solutions they have proposed for regulating this issue. We need to understand which parts of hate speech should be criminalized and which parts should simply be worthy of public condemnation. We plan for this working group to operate for six months,” Khandanian informed.