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 2015 Data
-
Prosecution figure includes crimes committed with a ‘hooliganism’ motive in addition to the bias motivation.
Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See
INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-LGBTI hate crime
Following its Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the Bulgarian authorities made the commitment to examine and respond to recommendations to enhance efforts to ensure that hate crimes are effectively investigated and prosecuted, including those perpetrated against LGBT people, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. Other such recommendations included encouraging the reporting and proper recording of hate crimes, strengthening data-collection systems and providing training on hate crimes to law enforcement and judicial authorities.
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, in the annual activity report following his country visit to Bulgaria, expressed concern at hate crimes targeting migrants and recommended that the authorities encourage reporting by victims and cease treating hate crimes as "hooliganism".
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR observes that the law enforcement agencies of Bulgaria have not recorded the bias motivations of hate crimes.