"The local government does not implement the decisions, we do not have an agreement with the Parliament"/ Gajda: Hate speech leads to crimes

2025-10-08 12:14:00, Aktualitet CNA

"The local government does not implement the decisions, we do not have an

The Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, Robert Gajda, has presented the annual report for 2024 to the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Public Media.

Gajda said that hate speech in traditional and digital media remains problematic, as the institution does not have the human capacity to track the latter.

"We experience difficulties with hate speech on digital media because we lack capacity and ignorance. They still remain unregulated by law."

We can't find them even though we've been monitoring. The most discriminated groups are the most targeted, we don't have the capacity for comments.

"The law is not related to personal aspects, we monitor the public moment and the negative comparisons that are made in the media ," Gajda told the commission.

Gajda said that hate speech is problematic because it leads to crimes caused by it, and for this reason, a working group has been established in cooperation with the AMA and the Media Council.

"Hate speech is a cause of hate crimes. We have a joint working group with the AP, the AMA and the Media Council"|.

The Commissioner said that the focus is on the most targeted groups:

"Not all social groups are discriminated against. The focus remains on women, the LGBTQ group, Roma, Egyptians."

Gajda raised the issues of the lack of cooperation between the Assembly and local government.

"There has never been an agreement between the Commissioner and the Assembly on what will be considered adjudicated, the 56% figure you refer to is less. We have been exposed in local government and we have no other form than a fine to force local government to implement the decision."

Commissioner Gajda also said that the decisions remain unimplemented because they go to court and require time for review.

"The majority of decisions remain unimplemented because they are reviewed in the courts, and when they go to the Court of Appeal, it takes years for decisions to be made.

We have approached the Assembly for legal changes and they have not been considered nor has a hearing been held, we do not have frequent requests but when we have identified discrimination we have requested changes. Implementation remains a technical problem.

A lot can be done here because we are in the monitoring process, we have a big challenge because we are not a body that issues recommendations but are quasi-courts, a decision that is not appealed is considered adjudicated.

"We do not have a plan of measures with the AMA, but decisions on hate speech in the media are sent with decisions," Gajda said in his speech./ CNA