The amendment to the Criminal Code concerning extremism-related crimes that has been drawn up by coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) MPs is irresponsible and short-sighted, Prosecutor-General Maroš Žilinka stated on Tuesday, adding that he sees no factual or reasonable grounds for the proposed changes, while adopting them would represent a major step backwards in the fight against extremism.
"The amendment envisages serious changes that have been proposed without any expert debate or analysis. Compared to corruption, I view extremism as an equally serious, if not more serious, threat to society. I see no factual or reasonable grounds for the proposed changes. Adopting them would represent a major step backwards in the fight against extremism, which would lead to the dismantling of democratic values. I consider the proposed legislation to be irresponsible and short-sighted," emphasised Žilinka in a video posted on social media.
Coalition member Hlas-SD announced that they would not support the amendment, as it finds the proposal to be in direct conflict with the values on which Slovakia is founded and rejects lowering the upper limits on sentences for extremist offences.
"At a time when the radicalisation of young people is increasing in Slovakia and across Europe, we can't send out a signal that society is becoming more tolerant of extremism. Our task isn't to legitimise hatred, downplay the denial of historical crimes or confuse the spreading of hatred with freedom of speech. Slovakia needs solidarity, humanity and responsibility, not the normalisation of ideologies that in the past brought suffering, fear and death. The state must stand firmly on the side of the individual and human dignity," the party declared.
According to Voice-SD, the proposal contradicts the values underpinning Slovakia, such as the anti-fascist legacy of the 1944 Slovak National Uprising. "This legacy isn't a historical memory but a moral commitment - to stand up to ideologies of hatred, violence and the suppression of freedoms. Reducing penalties for extremism would weaken this commitment and relativize the boundary between democracy and evil," reads the press release.
A group of SNS MPs has submitted a Criminal Code amendment to Parliament proposing adjustments to penalty ranges for extremist criminal offences. SNS wants to lower the upper limits of sentences for several of these, arguing that penalties need to be set in a more rational and differentiated way. In addition, provisions on the production, distribution and possession of extremist materials would be removed from the Criminal Code entirely. This would eliminate legally uncertain regulations, claimed SNS.
Source: TASR
