Australia Passes Hate Crime Law, Nazi-style Respect Imprisoned For 12 Months

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Joe Gratz)

JAKARTA - Australia passed a strict anti-crime hate law on Thursday, including mandatory minimum sentences for terrorism offenses and displaying symbols of hatred, in a bid to tackle the recent spike in antisemitism.

The law will impose a minimum prison sentence of between 12 months for less serious hate crimes, such as respecting Nazi in public, and six years for those found guilty of committing acts of terrorism.

"I want people involved in antisemitism to be held accountable, charged and imprisoned," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who initially opposed mandatory minimum sentences for hate crimes, told Sky News.

The government's hate crime bill was first introduced to parliament last year, which creates new offenses to threaten with violence or violence against people based on race, religion, nationality, national or ethnic origin, political opinion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status.

In recent months, there has been an increase in attacks on sinagoges, buildings and cars belonging to Jewish community residents across the country, including the discovery of explosives with a list of Jewish targets in Sydney.

PM Albanese has been criticized by the right-right opposition party for being weak in dealing with crime and failing to address the increasing antisemitism.

The Liberal-Nasional Coalition began calling for mandatory minimum penalties to be added to the hate crime bill last month.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Tony Burke, who introduced the amendments allowing the provision late Wednesday, said the change was "the toughest law Australia has ever had to fight hate crimes".

Separately, the State of New South Wales, where most anti-semite attacks occurred, said on Wednesday it would also strengthen hate speech laws to reflect already applicable laws in Western Australia and Victoria.