Slovakia / Specialized Criminal Court/2T/7/2020 ECLI:SK:SSPK:2020:9520100042.1
Country
Slovakia
Year
Decision/ruling/judgment date
Incident(s) concerned/related
Related Bias motivation
Groups affected
Court/Body type
Court/Body
Key facts of the case
The case concerns online hate speech published on perpetrator´s Facebook profile. Hate speech targeted mainly Roma, but also migrants (it seems migrants of dark complexion or African origin) and Muslims. Perpetrator´s posts on Facebook also spreaded extremist materials referring to Nazi symbolics and symbolics of the Slovak state that existed during the WW II. The Prosecution did not address hate speech and incitement to violence and hatred. The perpetrator was only accussed and based on evidence from his Facebook also convicted of dissemination of extremist materials and posession of extremist materials.
Main reasoning/argumentation
The case does not contain any ellaborate argumentation, only presentation of evidence from the perpetrator´s Facebook profile. The case listed all Facebook posts that were subject of indictment. Most of them constituted hate speech or incitement to violence and hatred against Roma, Black people, migrants, marginally also Muslims. Some of the posts disseminated extremist materials (Nazi symbolics, etc).
Is the case related to the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia, the Racial Equality Directive?
Key issues (concepts, interpretations) clarified by the case
The case did not bring any new clarifications or interpretations.
Results (sanctions, outcome) and key consequences or implications of the case
The accused was sentenced to 2 years in prison with probation of 2 years.
Key quotation in original language and its unofficial translation into English with reference details
"Obvinený je vinný, že 1. z miesta svojho trvalého pobytu a miesta svojho prechodného pobytu (...) prostredníctvom internetu, na tzv. sociálnej sieti FACEBOOK (...) postupne zdieľal alebo zverejnil na časovej osi svojho profilu viaceré rasovo motivované a nenávistné príspevky (...) - dňa 05.11.2019 zverejnil obrázok, na ktorom bola zobrazená silueta mapy Európy, nad ktorou bol v hornej časti nápis "European Ultras United", pod tým "Defend Europe Against Islamism", v spodnej časti boli prečiarknuté symboly islamu, ISIS a mešity"
"The accused has been found guilty of using internet, and the so called social network FACEBOOK from his places of both permanent and temporary residence (...) for sharing and publishing racially motivated hate speech (...) - on 05 November 2019 he published a picture of a silhoutte of the map of Europes with inscriptions "European Ultras United" and "Defend Europe Against Islamism" and with crossed out symbols of islam, ISIS and a mosque."