“Hate does not start with violence. It starts with words”, said the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, on Wednesday 18 June, to mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.
“Hate speech and hate crime are not separate problems — they exist on a continuum”, continued the Secretary General, noting the two recommendations of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers devoted to these issues.
For him, one of the most pressing threats is “the...