Skopje, 8 November 2021 (MIA) – The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights called in a press release on Monday on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take action, in line with its legal competences and responsibilities, regarding extreme forms of hate speech caused by latest political developments in North Macedonia. The latest political crisis, read the release, has brought on a wave of hate based on ethnic origin and political affiliation expressed via threats of war, retaliation, hangings, rape and other types of violence against the “others.” “Ignoring hate speech and its consequences, lack of investigation into these cases and nearly non-existent case law in the area, allows its escalation in socially and politically sensitive moments ,” it noted. Moreover, the Helsinki Committee underlined that it monitors and reports hate speech and hate crimes to the Ministry of Interior. “However, from the responses we receive, we’ve concluded that cases get stuck at the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Therefore, we feel that institutions must respond to these concerning trends in public communication, having in mind past experiences and numerous crises our society faced in the past three decades,” the release stressed. Impunity, it added, destroys chances of prevention of hate crimes, which are always initiated or encouraged by violence, impatience and threat-filled rhetoric.