Latvia
Latvia regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Latvia's criminal code contains a general penalty enhancement. Data reported to ODIHR also include offences of incitement to hatred. Data are collected by the Ministry of Interior, law enforcement agencies, the Department of Analysis and Management of the Prosecutor General's Office, the Courts Administration unit of the Ministry of Justice and the Security Police of the Republic of Latvia. Data are not made publicly available.
OFFICIAL DATA
Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2019 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2018 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2017 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
2016 | 11 | 7 | 0 |
2015 | 11 | 1 | 5 |
2014 | 13 | 7 | 9 |
2013 | 22 | 0 | Not available |
2012 | 18 | 2 | 2 |
2011 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
2010 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
2009 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
INCIDENTS REPORTED BY OTHER SOURCES
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2017-02 | Threats | UNHCR
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Anti-Christian hate crime
Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2017-04 | Attacks against property | Jehovah's Witnesses
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INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
In its "Concluding observations on the combined sixth to twelfth periodic reports of Latvia", the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommended that the Latvian authorities prioritize the collection of reliable and comprehensive statistics disaggregated by the ethnicity of the victims, reports, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions for racist hate crimes. CERD also recommended that the authorities develop training programmes on suitable methods for identifying, registering, investigating and prosecuting racist incidents and hate crimes.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR observes that Latvia has not reported on hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech.