Int'l Jurist Union calls for action against hate crimes

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - The International Jurist Union (UHUB) on Friday called on EU countries to take "emergency measures" following last month’s deadly, xenophobic, and Islamophobic terror attacks in the German city of Hanau.

In a statement, UHUB's Secretary-General Necati Ceylan conveyed condolences to the families of the victims of the "heinous attack," and called on "all countries, international communities and NGOs to fulfill their duties and take necessary measures so that these kinds of crimes would not happen again."

On Feb. 19, a German far-right extremist attacked two cafes, killing nine people with migratory backgrounds in Hanau. The gunman took his life after killing his mother at his home, according to police.

Noting that it was of "utmost importance to investigate the causes of hate crimes and to take necessary measures to eliminate them," Ceylan said earlier attacks in Norway, New Zealand and Germany were "planned, cold-blooded and felonious."

"The EU countries must take emergency measures," the secretary-general added.

Germany has witnessed growing racism and Islamophobia in recent years, fueled by propaganda of neo-Nazi groups and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

A country of over 80 million people, Germany has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. Among the country’s nearly 4.7 million Muslims, 3 million are of Turkish origin.