Hate speech Bill passed

Ethiopia's Parliament has passed a controversial law aimed at curbing hate speech and disinformation on mainstream and social media. A report on the News24 site notes that nearly 300 lawmakers voted in favour of the Bill, with 23 votes against and two abstentions. The new law defines hate speech as rhetoric that fuels discrimination ‘against individuals or groups based on their nationality, ethnic and religious affiliation, sex or disabilities’. Penalties for disseminating such speech include fines of up to $3 100 and prison terms of up to two years. However, when hate speech or ‘disinformation’ results in ‘an attack on individuals or groups’, jail terms can stretch to five years. Critics said the law could be used to suppress dissent ahead of a general election later this year. Human Rights Watch (HRW) in December warned that the law could be used to target people who share content on social media or private messaging apps. ‘Ethiopia should be removing legal provisions that restrict free expression, not adding more vague provisions that risk stifling critical public debate on important issues,’ said HRW spokesperson Laetitia Bader. However, BBC News reports that the authorities said the law was necessary to deal with a recent surge in violence across the country. It will be the first poll in Ethiopia since Nobel Peace Prize winner and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018.