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Greece

Hate Crimes (in progress)

The following overview of hate crimes legislation is based on information submitted directly to the ODIHR by Greece during the course of 2004-2005. While, in some instances, the wording of the legislation may appear unclear, it has not been changed from its original form.

On the basis of this structure, ODIHR enourages pS to submit relevant information to fill in any gaps.

Legislation is constantly updated, and therefore the provisions cited are subject to change. The term racist is illustrative and does not exclude other bias types. The use of "Article", "Section", or § refers to parts of the respective Criminal Code.

International crimes [1]
Incitement to hatred / Dissemination of racist ideas [2]	Law 927/1979 “on punishing acts or activities aiming at racial discrimination” penalizes: (a) to willfully and publicly, either orally or by the press or by written texts or through pictures or any other means, incite to acts or activities which may result in discrimination, hatred or violence against individuals or groups of individuals on the sole grounds of the latter’s racial or national origin or [by virtue of article 24 of Law 1419/1984] religion; (c) to express publicly, either orally or by the press or by written texts or through pictures or any other means offensive ideas against any individual or group of individuals on the grounds of the latter’s racial or national origin or religion.
Holocaust denial [3]
Personal violence
Destruction of property
Civil rights violations	Law 927/1979 “on punishing acts or activities aiming at racial discrimination” penalizes: (d) to refuse, in the exercise of one’s occupation, to provide goods or supply services on the sole grounds of racial or national origin or religion or to subject the aforementioned activities to conditions related to racial or national origin or religion.
Racist organizations [4]	Law 927/1979 “on punishing acts or activities aiming at racial discrimination” penalizes: (b) to form or participate in organizations with intent to organize propaganda or any kind of activities tending to racial discrimination;
Racist cyber-crime
Aggravating circumstances	The motives of the crime are taken into account when determining the sentence so racist motives can be considered as aggravating circumstances.
Bias types [5]	Race, national origin, religion.

[1] Relevant international crimes include genocide, apartheid, slavery and persecution.

[2] Includes (public) incitement to racial discrimination, violence or hatred; (public) dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred; (public) insults and threats.

[3] Includes public denial or gross trivialization of international crimes, especially genocide/the Holocaust.

[4] Includes creation, support, participation.

[5] Includes bias types referred to in definitions of crimes and as aggravating factors, but excludes crimes based on denying equality of citizens, which tend to encompass broader grounds for discrimination.

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