Newspapers, books and magazines
A book calls for all homosexuals to be thrown from the roofs of tall buildings, an online article denies the existence of the Holocaust, a person interviewed in a magazine makes racist statements, readers post a series of Islamophobic comments under an online article, …
In Belgium, the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and press freedom: ideas, opinions and sentiments can be freely expressed without censorship. However, these freedoms are not absolute: they are limited by other human rights. It is therefore a crime to abuse the freedom of the press, in order, for example, to:
- incite racism or discrimination;
- deny, minimise, justify or express approval of the Holocaust;
- publicly disseminate ideas that are based on racial superiority or racial hatred.
More info about press offences
What is a press offence?
What is considered a press offence and how are they prosecuted? Read more about the laws.
Where to report a press offence?
You can contact Unia. We will investigate your report and determine whether a punishable offence is involved. You can also contact the editorial board of the publication in question, the Data Protection Authority, the Press Council or the Jury for Ethical Practices in Advertising. Read more.