It is high time for the Parliament of FBiH’s House of Peoples to adopt the Law on amendments to the Criminal Code of FBiH

Coalition for combat against hate speech and hate crime has invited Parliament of FBiH’s House of Peoples to adopt the draft Law on amendments to the Criminal Code of FBiH on their session on the 3^rd of March. This draft Law was already adopted at the session of the Parliament of FBiH’s House of Representatives on the 23^rd of February.

Members of the Coalition support this draft Law and feel it is necessary for Federation of BiH to adopt it in order to regulate criminal acts such as hate crimes, trafficking and incitement to prostitution. These amendments are of great importance for combat against these crimes as well as for the harmonisation of the criminal codes of FBiH, Republika Srpska and Brčko District. Federation of BiH has been urged to adopt regulation to combat hate crimes since 2010, when Republika Srpska and Brčko District adopted it, and it is high time to do so.

Member of the Coalition hope that the delegates of the House of Peoples will see the importance of this draft Law and adopt it in order to adequately egulate and combat these crimes.

Coalition for combat against hate speech and hate crime was formed in 2013 to raise the awareness of the public on the consequences of hate crimes and hate speech, to advocate for better advanced regulation of incitement to violence and hate and hate crimes, as well as the implementation of the existing legal provisions in this field. Members of the Coalition are ten civil society organisations active in the field of human rights protection and promotion, these organisations are: Association for Democratic Initiatives, Centre for youth KVART, Civil Rights Defenders, Foundation CURE, Foundation Mediacentre Sarajevo, Foundation Truth, Justice, Reconciliation, Youth Initiative for Human Rights BiH, Otaharin, Youth News Association in BiH (ONA), Sarajevo Open Centre, Association BH journalists and Press Council in BiH.