Abstract:
The claim of preventing and suppressing hate speech and disinformation inextricably linked to
the roots of contemporary international human rights discourse. Article 19(2) of ICCPR
recognizes that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. However freedom of expression
can be limited on the grounds of hate speech and disinformation since they can cause harms to
other human rights. Accordingly, Ethiopia is under obligation by cumulatively looking at Article
13(2) of the FDRE constitution and Article 20(2) of ICCPR to confront any advocacy of national,
racial and religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence by
law. Ethiopia has no comprehensive law regarding hate speech and disinformation though there
are some provisions directly or indirectly related to them by analyzing the existing domestic
laws. Hence, she has enacted hate speech and disinformation prevention and suppression
proclamation No.1185/2020.But this proclamation must be with in strictly defined parameters
for limitation of freedom of expression as stated under article 19(3) of ICCPR. Accordingly, the
author by assessing the Ethiopia‟s existing laws and international human rights laws has found
that the above proclamation leads to a kind of double warning since some of its provisions are
already provided and is incompatible with international human right standards such as legality,
legitimacy, necessity and proportionality standards and the widely accepted international norm
the Rabat Plan of action.
