National frameworks to address hate crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This page provides information on the national frameworks to address hate crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The information provided here should be viewed alongside data presented on Bosnia and Herzegovina's hate crime report page.


Hate crime recording and data collection

There are several agencies responsible for criminal data collection in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), two Ministries of Interior, ten Cantonal Ministries of Interior, and the Brčko District Police.

The different entities collect data on all crimes based on the legal qualification of an offence provided in the respective criminal codes. There are no mechanisms in place to record hate crimes as such.


Hate crime victim support

There are no specialized services for victims of hate crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hate crime victims can use the support of psychologists and social workers employed by the state, as can victims of other crimes. However, these professionals are not trained on hate crimes. Together with government institutions, civil society networks have introduced standard operating procedures for working with different types of victims (for example, victims of war crimes, sexual and domestic violence, gender-based violence and violent extremism), but there are no policies dedicated specifically to victims of hate crimes.

There is no standardized procedure for conducting an individual needs assessment for hate crime victims. The need for and type of support and protective measures are decided by prosecutors or judges.

Law enforcement officers and professionals of the criminal justice system receive training on the sensitive treatment of all crime victims, but do not receive a specific training related to hate crime victims.


Hate crime capacity building

The Directorate for Police Training of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republika Srpska implements police training of cadets on areas related to hate crimes. As part of the police training of cadets at the Police Academy of the Interior Ministry of the Republika Srpska, cadets are trained on criminal law related to crimes motivated by bias and on using bias indicators. Police cadet training is mandatory for all cadets of the Police Academy. The police training of cadets also includes a seminar for future police officers on sensitizing police officers in working with the LGBTI community.