Poland
Poland regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Several public bodies are involved in monitoring and/or collecting data on hate crimes, primarily the police and the Prosecutor's Office. Hate crime data are regularly published.
There is a high degree of hate crime specialization in both police and prosecutor structures. More than 100 specialist hate crime prosecutors have been appointed, and a network of hate crime co-ordinators was established in the police in 2014. In 2015, following a request by the lower house of parliament, ODIHR provided a legislative review of proposed changes to the Criminal Code of Poland, including on hate crime provisions.
In 2023, Polish police participated in a three-day train-the-trainer workshop as part of ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE). In 2018, the Ministry of the Interior, ODIHR and the EU Fundamental Rights Agency co-organized a workshop on understanding and improving hate crime recording and data collection based on ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT) programme. In 2019, ODIHR co-operated with the Commissioner for Human Rights in Poland to issue a report on the nature and scale of unreported hate crimes against members of selected communities in Poland.
A draft bill is being developed to amend the Penal Code to strengthen criminal law protection against criminal discriminatory grounds for conduct on the basis of disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES
| Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,180 | 440 | 312 |
| 2021 | 997 | 466 | 339 |
| 2020 | 826 | 374 | 266 |
| 2019 | 972 | 432 | 597 |
| 2018 | 1117 | 397 | 315 |
| 2017 | 886 | 320 | 260 |
| 2016 | 874 | 281 | 236 |
| 2015 | 263 | 229 | 195 |
| 2014 | 778 | 179 | 127 |
| 2013 | 757 | 116 | 53 |
| 2012 | 266 | 76 | 39 |
| 2011 | 222 | 43 | 24 |
| 2010 | 251 | 30 | 28 |
| 2009 | 194 | 29 | 27 |
About 2022 Data
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The police records represent the number of proceedings initiated by police for hate crimes cases in 2022, including proceedings that were later discontinued owing to a lack of evidence.
The records on prosecuted hate crimes includes cases that culminated in a bill of indictment, submissions to courts based on a guilty plea, submissions to courts for the conditional discharge of a penalty, and submissions to courts to discontinue proceedings owing to the perpetrator's reduced culpability on mental health grounds.
The records on sentenced hate crimes represent the number of persons convicted in the first instance before district and regional courts.
All records may include cases of discrimination or hate speech, which fall outside of the OSCE's definition of hate crime.
Hate crime recorded by police
The numbers presented here refer to police investigations that were initiated as hate crimes. Incidents of hate speech, which fall outside of the OSCE's definition of hate crime, were not included.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR recognizes Poland's efforts to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement to address hate crimes. However, based on the available information, it observes that Poland's hate crime recording and statistics do not sufficiently distinguish hate crimes from other crimes. In addition, ODIHR observes that Poland would benefit from further raising awareness among and building the capacity of prosecutors on hate crime.
ODIHR recalls that in Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, OSCE participating States have agreed to a common definition of hate crime and committed to collecting reliable data and statistics on hate crimes. To that end, hate crimes need to be distinguished throughout the recording and data collection process from discrimination and other crimes. Participating States have also committed to introduce or further develop professional training and capacity-building activities for law enforcement, prosecution and judicial officials dealing with hate crimes.
ODIHR stands ready to support Poland in meeting its relevant commitments through the provision of comprehensive resources and tailored assistance in the area of hate crime recording and data collection, as well as through its resources and tailored capacity-building assistance for police, prosecution, and judiciary.
INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY
🛈 Please note that the total number of incidents may be lower than the sum of incidents presented in the breakdown chart above, as some incidents involve multiple bias motivations.
🛈 ODIHR no longer presents descriptions of property attacks in the incident tables below. Data on property attacks are presented in the breakdown charts above. One property attack may target multiple properties or involve multiple types of attack.
🛈 Please note that the total number of incidents may be lower than the sum of incidents presented in the breakdown chart above, as some incidents involve multiple bias motivations.
🛈 ODIHR no longer presents descriptions of property attacks in the incident tables below. Data on property attacks are presented in the breakdown charts above. One property attack may target multiple properties or involve multiple types of attack.
🛈 Please note that the total number of incidents may be lower than the sum of incidents presented in the breakdown chart above, as some incidents involve multiple bias motivations.
🛈 ODIHR no longer presents descriptions of property attacks in the incident tables below. Data on property attacks are presented in the breakdown charts above. One property attack may target multiple properties or involve multiple types of attack.
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-09 | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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| 2022-06 | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-04 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-10 | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-08 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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| 2022-11 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-03 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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| 2022-03 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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| 2022-03 | Threats | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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| 2022-03 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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| 2022-04 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-04 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Threats | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-08 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-11 | Threats | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Threats | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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| 2022-01 | Threats | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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| 2022 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-08 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-03 | Threats | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-04 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-12 | Threats | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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Show info |
| 2022-08 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-08 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-04 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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| 2022-04 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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| 2022-07 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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| 2022-10 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-04 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-07 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-03 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-06 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-09 | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
|
Show info |
Anti-Roma hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
Jewish Association CZULENT
|
Show info |
Anti-Semitic hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05 | Violent attacks against people | Jewish Association CZULENT
|
Show info |
| 2022-01 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-09 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-05 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-06 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-06 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-11 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-09 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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| 2022-04 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-08 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
|
Show info |
| 2022-03 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-01 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-01 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
Anti-Christian hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-11 | Violent attacks against people | "Pro Futuro Theologiae" Foundation
Ordo Iuris Institute
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Show info |
| 2022-10 | Threats | "Pro Futuro Theologiae" Foundation
OIDAC
Ordo Iuris Institute
|
Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | "Pro Futuro Theologiae" Foundation
OIDAC
Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2022-10 | Violent attacks against people | Jehovah's Witnesses
|
Show info |
| 2022-08 | Violent attacks against people | OIDAC
|
Show info |
Disability hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-02 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-08 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
|
Show info |
| 2022-10 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
|
Show info |
| 2022-11 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-04 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-08 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
|
Show info |
| 2022-10 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
|
Show info |
| 2022-07 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
|
Show info |
| 2022-05 | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
|
Show info |
Gender-based hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
|
Show info |
| 2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-12 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
|
Show info |
| 2022-06 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-11 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-04 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-11 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
Anti-LGBTI hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-12 | Threats | Jewish Association CZULENT
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Show info |
| 2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
|
Show info |
| 2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-02 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
|
Show info |
| 2022-07 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-11 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-02 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-12 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-04 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-04 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-03 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-07 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-11 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-06 | Violent attacks against people | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-09 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-11 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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Show info |
| 2022-05 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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| 2022-01 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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| 2022-06 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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| 2022-07 | Threats | The Gdańsk Centre for Equal Treatment
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| 2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
| 2022-11 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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Show info |
INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Gender-based hate crime, Anti-LGBTI hate crime
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published relevant recommendations in its "Final report on Poland adopted on 27 June 2023 by ECRI at its 92nd plenary meeting (27-30 June 2023)".