New decree from French Prime Minister forbids "hate speech" even in private discussions.
>Public concerned: persons prosecuted or convicted; magistrates.
>Subject: Strengthening the repression of provocations, defamation and non-public abuse of a racist or discriminatory nature.
>Entry into force: the text shall enter into force on the day following its publication.
>Notice: the decree improves the fight against manifestations of racism, sexism and homophobia that can occur in non-public places, such as in companies or schools. To this end, it strengthens the repression of non-public provocation, defamation and insult offenses of a racist, sexist, homophobic or handiphobic nature, under conditions similar to those provided for in the Act of 29 July 1881 on Freedom of the Press By Act No. 2017-86 of 27 January 2017 on equality and citizenship for offenses of provocation, defamation and racist or discriminatory insult committed in public.
>It provides that such non-public defamation and insulting will constitute, as provocations, fines of the fifth class, punishable by a maximum fine of € 1,500 or € 3,000 in the event of a second offense, instead of contraventions of the fourth class Punished with fines less than half.
>It extends these offenses to cases where they are committed because of the gender identity of the victim in order to better combat transphobia and replaces the notion of race which is not applicable to human beings. Of "alleged race" as was done in the legislative provisions of the Criminal Code by the Law of 27 January 2017.
>He adds for these offenses the additional penalty of probation of citizenship, which now exists for the offenses provided for by the law of 29 July 1881.
