Moldova

Moldova regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. In 2017, ODIHR and the OSCE Mission to Moldova co-organized a workshop for police, prosecutors and civil society on understanding and improving hate crime recording and data collection, which led to a set of recommendations for relevant state authorities.

Moldova has set up a "Strategic Group" tasked with identifying gaps in the capacity of police to effectively identify and investigate hate crimes. Moldova's National Human Rights Action Plan (2018-2022) also addresses hate crimes, and has provided a basis for the adoption of internal action plans related to hate crime recording and data collection, hate crime investigation, and hate crime training.

Following a request by Moldova's Ministry of Justice, in 2016 ODIHR provided an "Opinion on Draft Amendments to the Moldovan Criminal and Contravention Codes Related to Bias-Motivated Offences". ODIHR's recommendations were largely reflected in amendments to the Criminal Code adopted by the Moldovan Parliament and published on 3 June 2022.

SELECT YEAR

OFFICIAL DATA

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2021	8	1	7
2020	8	2	2
2019	Not available	Not available	Not available
2018	10	5	41
2017	17	5	10
2016	5	5	5
2015	0	0	1
2014	1	1	Not available
2013	4	Not available	0
2012	3	Not available	Not available
2011	Not available	Not available	Not available
2010	Not available	Not available	Not available
2009	2	0	0

Download official data

National developments

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of Moldova, with support from ODIHR, organized seminars for prosecutors on combating and preventing hate crimes and discrimination.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Moldova has not reported on the numbers of prosecuted cases or information on sentenced hate crime cases to ODIHR.

Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See

Reports

Anti-Semitic hate crime

The Jewish Community in Moldova reported one incident of graffiti on a monument to victims of the Holocaust and one incident in which graves were desecrated with paint in a Jewish cemetery. World Without Nazism reported one incident of the desecration of a monument commemorating the Holocaust and one incident of graffiti on a school.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

The Information Center "GenderDoc-M" reported eight physical assaults, four of which also involved robberies and two of which resulted in serious injuries, with one carried out by a group and resulting in the hospitalization of the victim and the second resulting in the victim suffering a broken jaw. GenderDoc-M also reported three threats, including two against gay men and one against a lesbian.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

World Without Nazism reported one murder and one incident of damage to a memorial to Russian soldiers.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

In its fourth report, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) expressed concern about inadequate response to hate crimes, and recommended that the police and the judiciary ensure that criminal law is effectively applied in cases of violence against persons belonging to ethnic or religious minorities.