Cyprus/Cyprus Media Complaints Commission/ Racist discourse and discrimination, Complaint no. 12/2021, 29 June 2021.

Country

Cyprus

Title

Cyprus/Cyprus Media Complaints Commission/ Racist discourse and discrimination, Complaint no. 12/2021, 29 June 2021.

View full Case

Year

2021

Decision/ruling/judgment date

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Incident(s) concerned/related

Other forms of hate speech

Related Bias motivation

Race/Ethnicity

Groups affected

Muslims

Court/Body type

National Human Rights Body

Court/Body

Cyprus Media Complaints Commission

Key facts of the case

A teacher filed a complaint to the Cyprus Media Complaints Commission against the newspaper 'Alithia' for its front page article on 16.3.21 entitled 'Help us Minister, do as you did in Chloraka'. The article stated that in the village of Droushia the number of Syrian children exceeds that of Cypriot children and called on the Interior Minister to ban the settlement of more migrants in the area.

Main reasoning/argumentation

The article infringed the Journalist Code which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of colur, race or religion; failed to apply the necessary sensitivity; can foster negative sentiments especially in children. The statement contained in the letter towards the Interior Minister that 'our race is being eliminated' because of the migrant flows violates the Journalists' Code.

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 Cyprus Media Complaints Commission found that the reference to the numbers of Syrian children in schools by way of a threat to the local community amounted to racial hate speech and discrimination on the ground of race and religion, as it was likely to foster negative sentiments to children in particular.

Results (sanctions, outcome) and key consequences or implications of the case

The Cyprus Media Complaints Commission is an independent self-regulating body and a member of the Alliance of Independent Press Councils. Its mandate does not permit sanctions, except to ask the media outlet found guilty of violating the Journalists' Code to print the decision issued against it by the Cyprus Media Complaints Commission.

Key quotation in original language and its unofficial translation into English with reference details

«Ο λόγος που χρησιμοποιεί ο δημοσιογράφος στο ρεπορτάζ όπως η αναφορά του σε «δράμα που περνούν αρκετές περιοχές της Κύπρου», καθώς και η παράθεση αυτούσιων των επιστολών που επικαλείται ο δημοσιογράφος και που περιλαμβάνουν παρόμοιες αναφορές, παραβιάζει τη διάταξη 12 του Κώδικα Δημοσιογραφικής Δεοντολογίας περί δυσμενών διακρίσεων…[Η] παράθεση απόψεων όπως ότι «χάνεται η φυλή μας» λόγω των μεταναστών και των προσφύγων.. σαφώς και παραβιάζει τις προαναφερθείσες πρόνοιες του Κώδικα..»_ «The discourse used by the journalist in the report, such as his reference to the "drama that several areas of Cyprus are going through", as well as the quotation of the letters cited by the journalist that contain similar references, violates provision 12 of the Code of Journalistic Ethics on Discrimination... Citing views such as "our race is being lost" because of immigrants and refugees.. clearly violates the aforementioned provisions of the Code ..»

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