ABSTRACT

In Chapter 7 it is argued that the exercise of freedom of expression in post-communist countries is peculiar because of its historical absence. The immediate period after the fall of the Berlin Wall presented Czechoslovakia with challenges concerning the process of democratization and the affirmation of democratic values and principles. The end of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and the establishment of two new independent democratic countries in 1993 posed a problem regarding the correct application of human rights standards. Despite the identical regulation of legal goods enshrined within the constitutional framework or other legal documents, their implementation differed greatly. The chapter shows how different political developments in the early years of democratization influenced understanding of democracy, freedom of expression and minority-majority relationships by the key stakeholders and what it means for the hate speech regulation and respect of human rights.