Cyprus

Cyprus has reported hate crime data to ODIHR since 2019. Cyprus' law includes a general enhancement provision and substantive offences. The data reported to ODIHR do not present cases of hate crime and incitement to hatred separately. Data are collected by the Cyprus Police and its Office for Combating Discrimination, and are published online.

How hate crime data is collected in Cyprus

How hate crime data is collected in Cyprus

The Cyprus Police records as hate crimes (racial or racially motivated crime) any offence or incident reported or perceived as such by (i) the victim, (ii) a person acting on behalf of the victim, (iii) a person who was present and witnessed the incident, (iv) a member of the police or (v) the Ombudsman. Hate crimes are recorded when bias motivation on the following grounds has been identified: race, community, language, colour, religion, political or other beliefs, ethnic origin, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender.

An internal police system for recording racial or racially motivated incidents/offences has been in place since 2005. It communicates and is partly integrated within the national electronic Crime Report Registry. The system is regulated by Police Standing Order 3/38, and is administered by the Police Office for Combating Discrimination.

In addition to formally recorded hate crimes, the Office gathers data from additional official and non-official channels, such as police station logbooks, civil society organizations or other non-police agencies, media reports and direct disclosures by victims. "Unofficial" information about incidents is cross-checked with other sources and, where relevant, formally recorded and processed as hate crimes.

Police recording and statistics are based on the incident/offence/case approach. Therefore, multiple charges and/or offenders and/or victims are counted as a single incident. Statistics are available on the Cyprus Police website in English and Greek.

Access more information at the Legislation Online website Legislationline TANDIS Access more information at the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Information System (TANDIS) website

OFFICIAL DATA

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2019 40 6 0
2018 30 3 0
2017 Not available Not available Not available
2016 Not available Not available Not available
2015 Not available Not available Not available
2014 Not available Not available Not available
2013 Not available Not available Not available
2012 12 7 0
2011 15 13 2
2010 34 32 18
2009 8 16 3

About 2019 Data

    The numbers presented here include hate speech offences, which fall outside of the OSCE's definition of hate crime. The prosecution and sentencing figures relate to hate crimes recorded by police in 2018. Additionally, courts have processed cases recorded in previous years but these are not presented here.

Hate crime recorded by police

The below breakdown presents the bias motivations recorded. As more than one motivation can be recorded for a single incident, the number below exceeds that of the recorded incidents presented above.

INCIDENTS REPORTED BY OTHER SOURCES

No information is available.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

No information is available.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Cyprus has not reported on cases of hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech or discrimination.