A conference on the protection of human rights and the rule of law was held on Wednesday on the occasion of 30 years of the institution of ombudsman, at which Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic warned about the danger of hate speech and said insulting rhetoric has increased in recent years.

“We know who the sponsor of that rhetoric is in Croatia, he’s not here today, but it’s a fact. Even more dangerous is that part of the public has agreed to that,” he said, adding that public discourse is full of insulting rhetoric.

In someone with a little less knowledge and more susceptibility to manipulation, hate speech turns into action, as we have seen in recent years, Plenkovic said, adding that freedom of expression is a human right and hate speech an abuse of it.

Despite considerable progress in Croatia, additional promotion and protection of human rights is still needed, notably when it comes to the rights of minorities, children, the oldest and those socially at risk as well as gender equality, he said.

Further strengthening and developing human rights as well as maintaining existing ones is becoming increasingly challenging both globally and nationally, Plenkovic said.

The crisis caused by the pandemic, the Russian aggression on Ukraine, illegal migration, and the spread of hate and fake news put Croatian society to new tests, he said, adding that climate change is another serious threat to human dignity because of poverty, insecure food and water supply, and environmental pollution.

“Globally, we have been witnessing the grossest violation of human rights since the start of the Russian aggression on Ukraine,” Plenkovic said, adding that Russia’s war on foreign territory is a global threat to peace and security.

The outcome will either reinforce democracy or authoritarian regimes and their territorial claims, which is why condemning Russia’s aggression and solidarity with Ukraine are important, he said, adding that this is the policy of most democracies, including Croatia.

As a victim of war itself, Croatia must be clear and leave no room for speculation about its stand on global security issues, Plenkovic said.

During his address, several activists displayed in front of him banners against fossil fuels and for climate justice.

Ombudswoman Tena Simonovic-Einwalter said the role of her institution was to act as a bridge which brought together, cooperated and communicated with officials, citizens, representatives of institutions, civil society organisations and the academic community.

Better cooperation is necessary in future challenges, while respecting independence and ensuring the conditions for effective work, as well as regular parliamentary discussions on the ombudsman’s reports and better implementation of their recommendations, she said.