Tuesday, 19 April 2016
In the last of its annual progress reports on accession countries, the European Parliament evaluated the situation in Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, including the situation of LGBTI people.
Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Parliament calls for a country-wide anti-discrimination strategy and for the inclusion of a clear definition of gender identity, sexual orientation in the country’s anti-discrimination law.
Furthermore, the parliament expresses its concerns over hate violence, hate speech targeting LGBTI persons, and accordingly calls on the government to undertake awareness-raising actions on the rights of LGBTI people among the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and the general public.
Tanja Fajon MEP, Vice-President of the Intergroup on LGBTI Rights, commented: “While truly positive developments are happening on LGBTI rights in the Western Balkans, hate speech and hate violence remain problematic and are in many cases not addressed.” “Politicians should show more courage to condemn hatred and prevent abuse. It’s time for equal rights for all.”