Rising hate speech in Europe could breed violence, UN rights chief warns
Rights chief points to electoral gains by far right as she says politicians' xenophobia, racism and religious intolerance could breed violence
The recent rise in xenophobic rhetoric from European Union politicians could pave the way for violence and human rights violations, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay warned in Geneva.
At the opening of the UN Human Rights Council's summer session on Tuesday, Pillay said the xenophobic, racist and religiously intolerant discourse could undermine Europe's fight against discrimination.
"There is a road to perpetration of human rights violations. And hate speech, particularly by political leaders, is on that road," she said.
Pillay added that the recent deadly attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels was connected to this climate of extremism.
The suspect in the shooting is 29-year-old Mehdi Nemmouche, who is believed to have trained with jihadists in Syria.
The UN rights chief pointed out that the newly elected European Parliament would include several extremists, including the former chief of the German National Democratic Party, Udo Voigt, who has said that "Europe is the continent of white people and it should remain that way".
She also mentioned French National Front chief Marine Le Pen, who was re-elected in last months' EU polls and who has compared Muslims praying in public with France's occupation by Nazi Germany.