Written declaration No. 484 | Doc. 12663 | 22 June 2011

Homophobic speech by members of Moldova's Parliament

Signatories: Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Tina ACKETOFT, Sweden, ALDE ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Anne BRASSEUR, Luxembourg, ALDE ; Mr Guy COËME, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Ms Lydie ERR, Luxembourg, SOC ; Mr Paul FLYNN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Jonas GUNNARSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Carina HÄGG, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Håkon HAUGLI, Norway, SOC ; Mr Michael Aastrup JENSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Mr Mats JOHANSSON, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Francine JOHN-CALAME, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Sophie LØHDE, Denmark, ALDE ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Patrick MORIAU, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Christine MUTTONEN, Austria, SOC ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Oleksiy PLOTNIKOV, Ukraine, SOC ; Mr Jørgen POULSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Ms Doris STUMP, Switzerland, SOC ; Lord John E. TOMLINSON, United Kingdom, SOC

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Written Declaration No 480, "Unjustified damage to the image of the Moldovan Parliament", in responding to Written Declaration No. 474, "Homophobic speech by members of Moldova's parliament and intimidation of LGBT human rights defenders", asserted that "there have been no homophobic speeches by any member of the Moldovan Parliament", and argued that signatories of Written Declaration No. 474 had become misled into "spreading lies which damage unjustifiably the image of a member state of the Council of Europe".

A report documenting examples of the speech referred to in Written Declaration No. 474 is available on request at the office of the Danish delegation.

We repeat the call in Written Declaration No. 474 to Moldovan members of parliament, particularly those from the Communist, Liberal and Democratic parties, to accept, in accordance with Recommendation No. R (97) 20 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on "hate speech", that they have a particular responsibility to refrain from statements which are likely to produce the effect of legitimising, spreading or promoting discrimination or hatred based on intolerance, and to recognize particularly that such speech can endanger the safety and well-being of others.