Comedian D. Klajum charged with incitement to hatred
The Prosecutor General's Office has confirmed that comedian Dominyk Klajum has been charged under the Criminal Code article concerning the disparagement of groups of people.
Comedian D. Klajum charged with incitement to hatred
On Monday, Rita Stundienė, a representative of the Prosecutor General's Office, confirmed that comedian Dominyk Klajum has been charged. The charges were filed under Article 170, Part 2 of the Criminal Code, which provides for penalties for incitement to hatred against different groups of people.
This legal provision applies in cases where there is incitement against nations, racial, ethnic, religious or other communities.
A pre-trial investigation was launched last summer. The reason was statements about short-statured individuals made in D. Klajum's podcast "Koks skirtumas". During the conversation, D. Klajum, along with screenwriter Andrius Zimaicius and comedian Anton Kisliak, mocked short-statured people who participated in the LRT programme "Ko nesakyti". Following public outrage, the trio claimed they were only joking and not mocking.
Law enforcement had previously charged A. Zimaicius and A. Kisliak in this case. The case is overseen by Vilnius District Prosecutor Edvinas Navickas. Six victims have been recognised in the case – all of them participated in the national broadcaster's social campaign about short-statured people. The Journalists' Ethics Inspector's Office evaluated these statements in September of last year as incitement to hatred, encouraging mockery and disparagement of a group of people.
In May, when A. Zimaicius and A. Kisliak were charged, disability rights expert Dovilė Juodkaitė told LRT.lt that she viewed the situation positively. In her opinion, it is important that persons harmed by potentially harmful content have used legal remedies. In Lithuania, criminal liability for incitement to hatred applies, so everyone has the right to file a complaint regarding a potential crime.
The lawyer noted that in Lithuania, hate crimes related to disability are still rarely documented, although people with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable sections of society. Therefore, according to her, it is especially important to take such cases seriously and ensure that victims can use legal protection measures.
Based on: LRT.lt
Source: LRT