Greece seems determined to impose tougher punishment for racist and xenophobic crimes and even forbid symbols like the Nazi salute if used by lawmakers. Exempted from the new anti-racism legislation are not even members of the Greek parliament, if they use it for such crimes. The government has prepared a draft legislation that will bring Greece in line with a European Union directive from 2008.
According to Greek media, the bill foresees anyone found guilty of racist behavior, even through the media and the Internet, will face imprisonment between three and six years, a fine of up to 20,000 euros and even deprivation of civil rights, if the person is member of the Greek Parliament. These penalties will also apply to acts of racist violence.
Faced with this crime offenses will be anyone who intentionally, publicly, orally or through the press or via the Internet or in other ways cause or instigate to violence against a group or person based on race, color, religion, origin and sexual orientation.
Bearing clear signs against the behavior of neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, the draft law emphasis is given to such crimes committed by a political party leader as well. Apart from the penalties incurred, the draft legislation provides also the automatic cut of state funding to the political party.
A legislation chapter provides punishment even for Nazi salute by a member of the Greek Parliament. If a lawmaker uses the Parliament to prompt or threaten for violence against persons associated with race, color and origin or if he praises the fascist or Nazi war criminals, uses their symbols or salutes as they did, then his immunity would be automatically removed and he will be taken to ordinary courts in order to accounts for his actions.
If the lawmaker is found irrevocably guilty, he will be deprived of civil rights and won’t be eligible to run for elections for as long as the sentence is valid.
This bill provides for the same penalties for those who deny or nullify the importance of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and fascism-Nazism.
“The Racist Violence Recording Network, a collection of 30 nongovernmental organizations initiated two years ago by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), said in a report last week that a total of 154 racist attacks were recorded in Greece in 2012. It warned that such attacks were becoming more frequent and violent.
In November 2008 the European Council adopted the “Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law.” EU countries were obliged to transpose it into their national laws by November 2010.”
The government is expected to table the draft legislation for public consultation in the coming week.
