Rwandans jailed for 'Hate Media'

[kat]

Three Rwandan media executives have been found guilty of inciting violence during the genocide of 1994. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3288267.stm) Two Rwandan media executives have been sentenced to life in prison for their part in the 1994 genocide. A third was given a 35-year jail term after a private radio told ethnic Hutus to kill members of the Tutsi minority, saying "exterminate the cockroaches". That was "Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines"

"...Hassan Ngeze, who was sentenced to life, was the editor of an extremist magazine called Kangura, which the prosecution said dehumanised the Tutsis...." "...They were all found guilty of using the media to incite violence by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda..."

What do you think? is this a good precedent? or blocking freedom of speach (even though it was genocidal)?

[Njorl]

Freedom of speech is an inaccurate phrase. There are plenty of limitations on speech here in the US. You are not free to threaten people, it is assault. You are not free to plan crimes, that is conspiracy. You are not free to slander.

If the media in Rwanda had merely disparaged Tutsis, or even made up maligning stories about them, that would be one thing. They actually told people to go out and commit genocide. That is crimminal in my opinion. It is certainly right that they are proscecuted.

Njorl

[Zero]

I'm not sure I agree with this...but I certainly understand it. If they had been leading the mob in person, the charges would be obvious, but over the radio makes them a bit less directly related to the specific incidences.

[kat]

Originally posted by Zero
I'm not sure I agree with this...but I certainly understand it. If they had been leading the mob in person, the charges would be obvious, but over the radio makes them a bit less directly related to the specific incidences.
Well, I'm glad to see it, but at the same time..as it is an international tribunal..it sets a precedent for future cases. It will be interesting to see how that impacts in the future. Also, it's important to note that it was not just radio but also the editor of Kangura magazine. What defines "guilty of using the media to incite violence"? how should it be limited?