Bulgaria
Bulgaria regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Bulgaria's hate crime laws are a combination of specific penalty enhancements and substantive offences. The data reported to ODIHR do not present separately cases of hate crime, incitement to hatred and discrimination. The authorities responsible for collecting hate crime data are the Interior Ministry's Co-ordination, Information and Analysis Directorate; the Supreme Judicial Council's Commission on Professional qualification, IT and statistics; the Supreme Court of Cassation's Criminal College; the Supreme Prosecutor of Cassation's Analysis Unit; and the National Statistical Institute.
OFFICIAL DATA
Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
---|---|---|---|
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 2014 Data
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Prosecution figure includes crimes committed with "hooligan" motive in addition to bias motivation.
Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See
INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bulgaria implemented a television, print and online media campaign against xenophobic attitudes.
Anti-LGBTI hate crime
In its fifth report, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recommended that the Bulgarian authorities include sexual orientation and gender identity in all the articles of the criminal code addressing hate speech and hate crime. It also recommended the collection of data on hate speech and hate crime against LGBT people, including on the number of cases reported, investigated and prosecuted.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR observes that the law enforcement agencies of Bulgaria have not recorded the bias motivations of hate crimes.