The Helsinki Committee reacts to the booing of the Macedonian language at the state commemoration of the anniversary of the Framework Agreement

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights stated that it noted with concern that the state celebration of the anniversary of the signing of the Ohrid Agreement organized by the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, instead of having a unifying character, was another occasion for spreading hatred and inter-ethnic intolerance. They believe that public condemnation is the least that the political structures can do and call on the Government to condemn the outbursts of hatred and essentially dedicate itself to social cohesion in the country

- Whistling the announcement of the host in the Macedonian language directly contradicts the idea of ​​a multicultural festival and causes hatred between the ethnic communities in the country. Even more worrying is the absence of condemnation by the Government, which further affects the polarization in society, the statement from the Helsinki Committee states.

They point out that they continuously monitor and react to hate speech, which is one of the main factors that lead to hate crimes.

- At the same time, ethnicity has dominated for years as the most common basis for hateful speech and acts, and the most numerous perpetrators and victims are young people. That is why we believe that public condemnation is the least that political structures can do, especially in a situation where other mechanisms for dealing with this phenomenon are practically non-functional. Without a clear and unequivocal condemnation of the people who inflame inter-ethnic relations, the celebration of the Ohrid Agreement, whose spirit contains coexistence, peace and inclusiveness in society, is undoubtedly meaningless, says the statement from the Helsinki Committee.

The Helsinki Committee points out that politicians must not normalize hate speech, because that way they themselves contribute to fueling the atmosphere of divisions, tensions and destabilization.

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