ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces the study on hate speech and human rights. It sets the scene for hate speech regulation in two post-communist democracies that have common political and legal history. Studying hate speech regulation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia presents a unique opportunity to emphasize challenges related to the application of human rights principles such as the freedom of expression and the protection of minorities against violence and discrimination in the Central-Eastern Europe. It postulates the theory that hate speech regulation reflects apprehension of public goods by key public stakeholders. It explains the structure of the book and argues that its outcomes will be beneficial to members of democratic society who would like to understand better the reasons for the criminalization of speech, the consequences of extremism and the means of protection of human dignity which can only be beneficial for building stronger social cohesion.