Azerbaijan last reported hate crime data to ODIHR for the 2011 Hate Crime Report. Azerbaijan’s hate crime laws are a combination of a general penalty-enhancement provision and a substantive offence. Hate crime data are collected by the Ministry of Interior.
| Bias Motivation | Attacks Against People | Attacks Against Property | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Attacks | Threats | |||
| Bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Grand Total | 1 | |||
In its fourth report on Azerbaijan, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recommended that colour, language, citizenship and ethnic origin be included as protected characteristics in the criminal law provisions dealing with hate crimes. It also stated that LGBT people should be better protected in law and in practice. ECRI also highlighted the need for the police and prosecution services to thoroughly investigate all cases of hate crime and conduct outreach to groups likely to be targeted.
In its "Concluding observations on the combined seventh to ninth periodic reports of Azerbaijan", the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) expressed concern about the misuse of criminal code provisions on incitement to hatred and on instances of official condoning of hate crimes.
ODIHR observes that Azerbaijan has not periodically reported reliable information and statistics on hate crimes to ODIHR.