Bulgaria

Bulgaria regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Bulgaria implemented ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme from 2012 until 2017. Bulgaria also took part in ODIHR's project on "Building a Comprehensive Criminal Justice Response to Hate Crime", helping to develop a joint training programme for police and prosecutors that was piloted in the country. Bulgaria has also made efforts to improve hate crime identification, recording and data collection through ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT) programme. ODIHR completed a review of Bulgaria’s hate crime legislation in 2018.  

Hate crime data collection in Bulgaria
Support for hate crime victims in Bulgaria

OFFICIAL DATA

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2021 18 384 303
2020 727 353 289
2019 22 432 155
2018 46 6 158
2017 22 9 9
2016 28 299 71
2015 704 752 135
2014 617 750 117
2013 651 300 239
2012 Not available Not available Not available
2011 29 41 10
2010 20 34 4
2009 20 22 9

About 2011 Data

    Figures include crimes of incitement to hatred and crimes of discrimination.
    The reported prosecuted cases were split on the basis of a Penal Code provision as follows: art. 162 - 21 cases, art. 163 - 4 cases, art. 164 - 15 cases, art. 172/1 - 1 case.

Hate crime recorded by police

National developments

Bulgarian legislation was amended to increase the applicable penalty range for the specific crimes of homicide and bodily harm when committed due to racist or xenophobic motives. The criminal code already contains some hate crime provisions that prohibit the use of violence against a person or his or her property, as well as participating in a group attack against a person, because of his or her “race”, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or political conviction. These provisions were also amended to increase the applicable penalty range.

The Prosecutor General issued guidelines on investigation and prosecution of crimes against the equality of citizens.

KEY OBSERVATION

No information is available.

Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See

Reports

Anti-Muslim hate crime

The Office of the Grand Mufti reported seven cases of graffiti, including four against mosques and three against the offices of the Grand Mufti; five cases of property damage, including four against mosques and one against graves; and nine physical assaults, three of which resulted in serious injury.

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INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Anti-Roma hate crime

During the Universal Periodic Review, the Human Rights Council encouraged increased efforts to combat violence and discrimination against Roma in Bulgaria.

Anti-Muslim hate crime

The Human Rights Committee, overseeing implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, noted recent manifestations of intolerance against religious minorities, especially Muslims, in Bulgaria. The Committee further recommended that Bulgaria take measures to promote the prevention, prosecution and punishment of hate crimes, including against Muslims, and to conduct awareness-raising campaigns targeting both affected communities and society at large.