Betting shop employees seek protection from discrimination, defamation, and hate speech by Novalić

Betting shop employees and their families have sent a letter to multiple addresses of the FBiH Government and Prime Minister Fadil Novalić, as well as other executive and legislative authorities, human rights ombudsmen, and the media, Patria reports.

We are addressing you on behalf of betting shop employees in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, hoping that you will take the necessary measures to stop the discrimination, defamation, and hate speech directed at betting shop employees by the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Fadil Novalić.

Namely, speaking at a press conference on September 16, 2016, after a session of the FBiH Government, Prime Minister Novalić stated, among other things: 'We would prefer if there were no games of chance at all, despite the fact that they employ more than 4,000 workers. We think it is a shame for society. In terms of the number of betting shops, we are the largest in Europe. And betting shops are a scourge, just like drugs and prostitution.'

In addition to the fact that it is completely unacceptable for the Prime Minister of FBiH, Mr. Novalić, to equate the legal activity of games of chance with illegal activities such as drug dealing and consumption, and prostitution, by comparing our jobs to drugs and prostitution, Prime Minister Novalić has directly insulted us, the betting shop employees, who earn our living in what we repeat is a legal activity of organizing games of chance.

On this occasion, we will remind you that according to the 'Law on Prohibition of Discrimination', Article 2, paragraph 1, discrimination is defined as 'any differential treatment, including any exclusion, restriction or preference based on actual or presumed grounds against any person or group of persons on the basis of their race, color, language, religion, ethnic affiliation, national or social origin, association with a national minority, political or other opinion, property status, membership in a trade union or other association, education, social status and gender, sexual expression or orientation, as well as any other circumstance which has the purpose or consequence of preventing or jeopardizing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of rights and freedoms on an equal footing in all areas of public life.'

The same law, Article 1, paragraph 2, states that the prohibition of discrimination applies 'to all public bodies, as well as to all natural or legal persons in both the public and private sectors, in all areas, such as, in particular: employment, membership in professional associations, education, training, housing, healthcare, social welfare, goods and services intended for the public and public places, conducting economic activities and public services.'

Prime Minister Novalić is also responsible for defamation, as Article 4 of the 'Law on Protection from Defamation of the Federation of BiH' defines defamation as 'an act of damaging the reputation of a natural or legal person by stating or disseminating untrue facts, identifying that natural or legal person to a third party, and the same law, Article 6, paragraph 1, states: 'Any person who causes damage to the reputation of a natural or legal person by stating or disseminating untrue facts, identifying that legal or natural person to a third party, is responsible for defamation.'

We will also recall that on May 24, 2016, the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH, at its 30th session, adopted the 'Declaration on Condemnation of Hate Speech', which condemns hate speech and expresses readiness for further engagement in the fight against hate speech, calls on members of legislative bodies at all levels of government to follow the example of condemning hate speech, and calls on all BiH institutions to implement laws on preventing and sanctioning all forms of hate speech.

Given all of the above, allow us to emphasize once again that the Prime Minister of FBiH, Fadil Novalić, equated the legal activity of organizing games of chance with illegal activities of consuming and dealing drugs and prostitution, thereby equating betting shop employees with drug addicts and prostitutes.

In this way, Prime Minister Novalić has insulted and humiliated betting shop employees, violated our human dignity and our constitutionally guaranteed right to work, as evidenced by the 2922 signed petitions that we are submitting to you, in which we, the betting shop employees and members of our families, demand a public apology and withdrawal of the statement from September 16, 2016, from the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Fadil Novalić: 'We would prefer if there were no games of chance at all, despite the fact that they employ more than 4,000 workers. We think it is a shame for society. In terms of the number of betting shops, we are the largest in Europe. And betting shops are a scourge, just like drugs and prostitution.'

We hope that you will take the necessary measures to stop discrimination, defamation, and hate speech against betting shop employees in public, and that the Prime Minister of FBiH, Fadil Novalić, will apologize for the insults he has inflicted on betting shop employees with his statement of September 16, 2016 – the letter states.