[huridocs-tech] Council of Europe members sign Additional Protocol against racism in cyberspace

Strasbourg, 28.01.2003 - Eleven member States of the Council of Europe (*)
today signed the Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime,
concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature,
committed through the use of computer systems. More states are expected to
sign the Protocol in the weeks to come.

The Austrian President, Thomas Klestil, will sign the Protocol on Thursday
30 January, during his visit to the Council of Europe.

This Protocol widens the scope of the Cybercrime Convention, to cover
offences of racist or xenophobic propaganda and aims at facilitating the
Parties' use of means of international co-operation in this area, as set out
in the Convention. In particular, the Protocol defines racist and xenophobic
material and calls on states to criminalise its distribution via computer,
racist and xenophobic threats and insults, as well as denial of, gross
understatement of, approval or justification of genocide and crimes against
humanity.

The Protocol was adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of
Europe on 7 November 2002.

---------------
(*) Armenia, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg,
Malta, the Netherlands and Sweden.

       Press Release
Council of Europe Spokesperson and Press Division
Ref: 048a03
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
pressunit@coe.int
internet: www.coe.int/press

A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops common
responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 44 member states.




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