- 2012/04/16
Another punishment for the comments.
District Court of the region Šiauliai issued a writ against one of the inhabitants of Šiauliai region Virgiljus Putramentas for inciting racial hatred calling for discrimination on the national origin grounds and humiliating commentary on the basis of the EFPCz motion directed to The General Prosecutor’s Office 3rd of August 2011. (click here to read about the first punishment: http://www.efhr.eu/2012/03/15/first-penalty-for-comments/?lang=en)
The author was punished for his first commentary on the article about the building work in Warsaw. ‘šūdlenkiams stato, tiem kurie nepajėgs išmokti lietuviškai.’ (transl. ‘they build for shitty-Poles, who cannot learn Lithuanian.’ The author was punished by a fine of 130 Lt.
The judge explained that the word ‘šūdlenkis’ (transl. shitty-Pole) means, according to the dictionary, ‘A Lithuanian who resembles a Pole and because of it he questions the origin of local Poles, and as a result, he insults a national minority.
The amount of a fine is quite symbolic because of extenuation which in Lithuanian penal law is an honest remorse for the crime.
This is the second punishment based on one of dozens of motions submitted by European Foundation of Human Rights (in 2011 the Foundation filed 25 motions to the General Prosecutor’s Office concerning the commentaries and in 2012 there are already 47 motions) filed to the prosecutor’s office as a part of the campaign, which has operated for several months, and is aimed at terminating the feeling of impunity in those who directly and with no restraints disturb people’s dignity, including calling for killing them. (http://www.efhr.eu/2011/08/18/europejska-fundacja-praw-człowieka-przeciwko-narastającej-fali-nienawiści-w-internecie-na-litwie/.)
Through filing motions to the prosecutors for the unlawful regulations, the Foundation would like to lead to the situation, in which the state’s authorities, responsible for abiding the law, could be aware of the seriousness of the situation and the threats connected to this. The state cannot just idly observe unprecedented and growing wave of hatred. The effects of such an attitude are visible, for instance, in the opinion polls. They explicitly show that the negative campaign against national minorities, which is run by the mass media, transferred itself to Lithuanian society. (http://www.efhr.eu/2012/01/06/europejska-fundacja-praw-człowieka-zaniepokojona-wynikami-sondażu/)
European Foundation of Human Rights would like to thank all the people who send us information about the unlawful entries. Our success would not be possible without your help. We encourage you to cooperate.
Translated by Adam Gałązka within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.
