EU: MEPs URGE ADOPTION OF LAWS TO CURB RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA

[DigitaL VampirE]

Brussels, 21 June (AKI) - European Union parliamentarians on Thursday adopted a report backing a legal framework to take effective action against racism and xenophobia in the 27-nation bloc and ensure comparable criminal sanctions in all member states for any public incitement to violence and hatred against persons of a different race, colour, religion, nationality or ethnicity. A decision to draft legislation is expected to be approved by EU justice ministers and leaders at summits during the Portuguese presidency - from 1 July-31 December.

The draft legislation contained within the report would impose prison sentences in EU member states of one to three years for dissemination of writings inciting racism or xenophobia, public approval, denial or gross trivialisation of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The proposals do not forbid specific symbols such as swastikas and do not mention specific historic events.

The European Parliament's report is intended to send a strong political message on the need to pass framework legislation and urges EU heads of state and government to "recognise" in the final text of such legislation the fact that "some member states have criminalised the denial or flagrant trivialisation of genocide"

Holocaust denial is a crime in a dozen European countries, including Germany and Austria, where British historian David Irving spent 13 months behind bars after being jailed in February 2006 for three years for denying the Holocaust. He subsequently won an appeal cutting his sentence.

Criminal sanctions should be more severe in the case of public figures and officials, as their status forms aggravating circumstance, MEPs stressed in the text. Other recommendations focused on fixing common definitions on terms such as "racist and xenophobic offences" or "public order offence."

The report also requests EU governments to report on the framework legislation by at latest three years after it enters into force.