The problem of hate speech is not well known even by the professional public, let alone the lay public, and it is also problematic that in Montenegro there is no database in which all such cases will be registered.
Because of all this, there is no end to the occurrence of hate speech in our country, it was assessed yesterday during the panel discussion "Preventing hate speech in the public space of Montenegro - the role of institutions", which was held at the Faculty of Law of the University of Montenegro.
Protector of human rights and freedoms Siniša Bjeković he said that politicians have moved their influence into cyberspace, and that, he says, has influenced the spread of hate speech.
The institution of the Protector, he points out, is particularly concerned about problematic comments left on portals and other online platforms.
"Hate speech, through social networks, has no control. You can say whatever you want on social media, and the institutions pretend to be dead. Hate is not a healthy state of mind", Bjeković assessed, adding that "we are often asked to regulate lighter forms of hate speech".
Dean of the Faculty of Law Aneta Spaić she said that hate speech is any claim or information that promotes violence and intolerance.
She pointed out that "we have the announcement of the most important European acts" that will additionally deal with the issue of hate speech and other forms of discrimination in the media. Spaić said that "the Act on Digital Services itself stipulates that illegal content must be removed".
According to her, drawing the line between freedom of expression and hate speech is very problematic.
Spaić warned that if we have a large number of victims of hate speech in one system, the judicial system is not functioning properly.
Publicist and journalist Brano Mandic he said that he sees hate speech as a form of violence.
"It is about classic violence that we are only now aware of suffering, and it has always been a means of political discourse. Any violence is politically very easy to control and produce," explained Mandić.
According to him, we are currently living in a time of collapse of political systems, and this, he says, "conveniently coincided with the technological revolution".
He is of the opinion that "the situation with the media in Montenegro is much better than in Serbia".
"We must stand up against hate speech, and we must respond to it. That's why satire appears, which raises the threshold of tolerance so that in some way, in that already irritated system, words and attention can be reached...", Mandic said.
According to him, the journalist profession is devastated, and "journalists, in the form of the editorial circle, are condemned to fend for themselves."
Damir Nikocevic, from the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) assessed that unregistered portals are the most frequent source of hate speech in Montenegro. He is worried that their business will not be regulated even by the new legal norms.
He explained that monitoring in the Agency monitors programs that can produce hate speech.
"There are no significant violations when it comes to the Montenegrin media. Public expectations are quite high. We need to know that there is a certain level of hate speech, some of it deserves public condemnation, an institutional reaction, and some of it deserves criminal responsibility," said Nikočević.
He said that the Agency for Electronic Media reacted when it comes to reality shows that, he says, contain hate speech, and that is why they are aired at certain times.
Juventus program director Jovan Bojović he stated that "we oppose freedom of speech so that it does not escalate into something bigger".
He emphasizes that the work of non-governmental organizations is important and explained that Juventas works through educational workshops, lobbying and cooperation with institutions.
"Our activities are in addition to everything that state institutions and other entities do in this area," said Bojović.
He pointed out that "a significant number of young people who live in single-ethnic areas have not visited other parts of Montenegro or had the opportunity to learn about diversity."
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