Cyprus
Cyprus has regularly reported hate crime data to ODIHR since 2018. In February 2022, the Cyprus Police and Ministry of Interior organized a workshop on understanding and improving hate crime recording and data collection in co-operation with ODIHR and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. The workshop was based on ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT), and resulted in a set of recommendations to relevant state authorities.
Hate crime data for each year are collected and published online by the Cyprus Police and its Human Rights and Combating Discrimination Office.
In 2017, the Cyprus Police signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights with 14 civil society organizations. The purpose of the Memorandum is to further improve and deepen co-operation between the parties for the protection and promotion of human rights.
OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES
| Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 57 | 32 | 17 |
| 2022 | 32 | 10 | 4 |
| 2021 | 33 | Not available | Not available |
| 2020 | 41 | 7 | 0 |
| 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 |
Hate crime recorded by police
KEY OBSERVATION
INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY
INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
In its fifth report on Cyprus, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recommended that the police be clearly instructed to investigate and record the bias motivation of hate crimes. ECRI also underlined the need to collect data on the application of aggravating circumstance provisions, which should be a factor in the development of an electronic filing system for the courts.
The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, in the annual activity report following his country visit to Cyprus, stressed the need to counter hate crime targeting migrants.
The Advisory Committee of Council of Europe on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, in its Fourth Opinion on Cyprus, urged the authorities to improve the recording and investigation of hate crimes, as well as the sentencing of those found guilty, and to raise awareness in victim communities of available remedies.