Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina has reported hate crime data to ODIHR. The three criminal codes applicable in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and the Brčko District contain identical or very similar hate crime provisions. These provisions include a definition of hate crime, penalty enhancements for specific offences and a mandatory general penalty enhancement for offences committed out of hatred. Hate crime data are provided by the Ministry of Interior but an institutional system for recording and collecting data has not been established. Victimization surveys have not been conducted.
How hate crime data is collected
The territorial administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina means there are several police agencies responsible for data collection, including the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), two Ministries of Interior, ten Cantonal Ministries of Interior and the Brčko District Police.
The different entities collect crime data based on the legal qualification of an offence provided in the respective criminal codes. Mechanisms to record hate crimes have not been put in place.
Official Data
Hate crimes recorded by police
The data below consists of records reported by the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the Ministries of the Interior of the Republika Srpska, Central Bosnia Canton, Zenica-Doboj Canton and Sarajevo Canton. The breakdown consists of the following bias motivations: racism and xenophobia, bias against Muslims, bias against members of other religions (including offences with a bias against Orthodox Christians) and sexual orientation.
National developments
In 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina reported hate crime data to ODIHR for the first time since 2016.
International reports
No information is available.
Key observation
ODIHR observes that Bosnia and Herzegovina has not reported on cases of hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech.
