Every Monday, the Research Trainees of the CERESE assess the news of the previous week. You can read their opinions below:

I like…

…that the European Commission is trying to send a strong message against hate speech online. In light of the rapid increase in hate crimes in Europe, particularly following the 7 October Hamas terrorist attack in Israel and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza, it is considering expanding the list of what constitutes a criminal act under the European treaties for both hate speech and related crimes, as well as strengthening cooperation with social media platforms. The Commission tightened the relevant rules, based on the code of conduct that the platforms in question have signed since 2016 and that operates in addition to the already applicable legislation, the Digital Services Act.

…the fact that Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed to exchange prisoners and work on a peace agreement. In particular, both sides confirm that the time has come for the normalization of relations between them in public statements. The involvement of the two nations in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict had made diplomatic relations between them difficult. However, the latest revelation about the prisoner exchanges and the normalization of relations have been a major positive development. 

I dislike…

…the announcement by the World Food Program on Tuesday 5 December of a general suspension of food distribution in northern Yemen. This is due to limited funding and disagreement with local authorities on how to focus on the poorest, while ration restrictions had already started since the Russian invasion of Ukraine for economic reasons. Although both school feeding programs and general food distribution to the needy in the southern regions, which are controlled by the Saudi-backed government, will continue, there is concern for the north of the country in what has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

…the news about Pakistan, where a religious group remains largely without voting rights. On the road to the national parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2024, several discriminatory provisions in Pakistan’s electoral law effectively exclude members of the Ahmadiyyah community because of their religious beliefs. To register as voters, the Ahmadiyyah must either renounce their faith or agree to be placed on a separate electoral list that categorizes them as ‘non-Muslims’. However, self-identification as Muslim is a cornerstone of the Ahmadiyyah religious faith. Due to this, this religious group, which has more than 500,000 in Pakistan, is effectively disenfranchised in local, provincial, and national elections.