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.

SELECT YEAR

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 2014 Data

Prosecution figure includes crimes committed with "hooligan" motive in addition to bias motivation.

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National developments

In 2014, the National Institute of Justice began discussions with ODIHR which will lead to implementation of the PAHCT programme in Bulgaria. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2015.

ODIHR and the Bulgarian Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD) began discussing possible improvements to hate crime recording in Bulgaria, with a view to organizing a series of workshops on the issue in 2015.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that the law enforcement agencies of Bulgaria have not recorded the bias motivations of hate crimes.

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

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Reports

Anti-Roma hate crime

The Grand Mufti's Office reported two incidents of anti-Roma graffiti on a mosque.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The Grand Mufti's Office reported three incidents of graffiti on a mosque. The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee reported one threat made against the organization and two serious physical assaults, both carried out by a group: one against a woman of African descent, and the other against a man of African descent, his Bulgarian girlfriend and her daughter. Amnesty International reported two physical attacks carried out by groups.

Anti-Muslim hate crime

The Grand Mufti's Office, Amnesty International and the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee reported an incident of damage to property in which stones, rocks and fireworks were thrown at a mosque; and seven cases of graffiti on mosques. Amnesty International reported one additional incident in which stones and fireworks were thrown at a mosque.

Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions

Jehovah's Witnesses – Bulgaria reported seven incidents of physical assault, one of which involved an attack by a large group against participants in a religious ceremony, five incidents of damage to property, two incidents of graffiti on places of worship and seven incidents of threats, one of which involved a firearm.

Anti-Semitic hate crime

World Without Nazism reported one incident of graffiti.

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.