Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina has reported hate crime data to ODIHR via the Ministry of Interior. There is no institutional system for recording and collecting hate crime data in the country. In co-operation with ODIHR and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the authorities of Republika Srpska have worked to improve hate crime recording and data collection through ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT) programme, including through a diagnostic workshop held in April 2022. Bosnia and Herzegovina has also co-operated with ODIHR and the OSCE Mission to train law enforcement officers and criminal justice professionals on hate crimes.
OFFICIAL DATA
Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | 42 | 8 | 6 |
2021 | 45 | 7 | 4 |
2020 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
2019 | 21 | 13 | 9 |
2018 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2017 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2016 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2015 | 24 | 12 | 3 |
2014 | 200 | 36 | 23 |
2013 | 350 | 77 | 88 |
2012 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2011 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2010 | 19 | Not available | Not available |
2009 | 15 | Not available | Not available |
About 2022 Data
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Data on recorded, prosecuted and sentenced cases include cases that fall outside of the OSCE's definition of a hate crime, but which could not be disaggregated from the total number.
Hate crime recorded by police
The data below were reported by the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the Interior Ministries of the Republika Srpska, Central Bosnia Canton, Zenica-Doboj Canton and Sarajevo Canton.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR recognizes Bosnia and Herzegovina's efforts to report hate crimes to ODIHR and improve hate crime recording and data collection. However, based on the available information, ODIHR observes that the country's mechanisms for recording hate crime data and statistics do not sufficiently distinguish hate crimes from other crimes, while the numbers of officially recorded hate crimes are low. In addition, ODIHR observes that Bosnia and Herzegovina would benefit from raising awareness among and building the capacity of criminal justice officials, in particular prosecutors and judges, to address hate crimes.
ODIHR recalls that in Ministerial Council Decisions 9/09 and 12/04, OSCE participating States committed to collect reliable data and statistics on hate crimes. States also committed to take appropriate measures to encourage victims to report hate crimes, including through co-operation with civil society, and to make use of all reliable information available. This can be addressed by introducing a robust system for recording hate crimes, as well as initiatives to encourage victims to report such crimes. ODIHR further recalls that in Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, participating States committed to introduce or further develop professional training and capacity-building activities for law enforcement, prosecution and judicial officials dealing with hate crimes. ODIHR stands ready to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in meeting the relevant commitments through its comprehensive resources and tailored assistance in the area of hate crime recording and data collection, as well as by providing further resources and tailored capacity-building assistance for police, prosecution, and judiciary.