Australia’s parliament ratified a number of modifications to the country’s hate crime laws on Thursday, making hate symbols and terror offenses punishable by mandatory jail sentences of one to six years.
After a string of high-profile antisemitic incidents that have become a hot matter of discussion in the nation, the new legislation was passed.
The “toughest laws Australia has ever had against hate crimes” are how the government has characterized the proposal.
However, detractors claim that the ruling Labor Party is bucking the demands of the opposition and violating its own stance against mandatory prison terms.
Under the modifications, displaying hate symbols or making a Nazi salute is now criminal with at least one year in prison.
