On International Day for Countering Hate Speech, UN envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, urged Libyans “to recommit to stopping this toxic phenomenon.”
“Words should not be weaponized to incite discrimination, hostility and violence if Libya is to have free, inclusive elections and achieve lasting peace and stability,” Bathily tweeted.
“In the past 12 years, hate speech has fanned the flames of contention in Libya, amplified the persecution of vulnerable groups, and resulted in real-world harm, including the silencing of civil society and human rights defenders, disappearances, deaths, and the escalation of war,” UN envoy pointed out.