Bulgaria

ODIHR’s insights

For 2024, ODIHR received reports of 11 incidents that took place in Bulgaria in the following bias motivation categories: anti-Christian, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, anti-Semitic and disability, and racist and xenophobic. In addition, a couple of incidents involved multiples bias motivations, such as racist and xenophobic and anti-Muslim, and racist and xenophobic and anti-Semitic. 

While only a low number of incidents were reported in Bulgaria, it can be noted that the anti-Semitic incidents were all threats and harassing behaviour, including one perpetrated by a hate group and one targeting a member of parliament of Jewish origin. In one incident, anti-Semitism intersected with a disability bias when a deaf Jewish man was targeted. In another incident, anti-Semitism intersected with a xenophobic bias motive when a group of Israeli tourists was targeted. An incident in which a Pomak Muslim man was targeted by a law enforcement officer was motivated by both anti-Muslim and racist bias. 

It should be noted that ODIHR did not receive any reporting relating to anti-Roma, anti-LGBTI, gender-based or disability hate incidents in Bulgaria. This indicates potential gaps in the information reported here.