Official figures recorded 704 crimes, of which three were homicides, 681 were physical assaults, ten were incitement to violence, three were desecration of graves and seven were attacks against places of worship
The Office of Grand Mufti in Bulgaria reported an arson attack on a mosque; an incident of damage to another mosque, in which windows were broken; five incidents of vandalism involving Islamophobic graffiti on mosques and on the building housing the Grand Mufti’s offices, including one incident in which pork was scattered in front of a mosque; and the desecration of a mosque, in which a pig's head was hung on the minaret on the first day of Ramadan.
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee reported a physical assault on a Roma child, who was shot in the chest by an air gun; one incident of threats against local Roma people via social media; and one robbery carried out by a group.
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee reported two incidents of physical assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Human Rights First reported a physical assault on a Roma man and his two sons.
Jehovah's Witnesses – Bulgaria reported three physical assaults, including one involving the use of a weapon; and one incident of damage to property.
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.
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".
ODIHR observes that the law enforcement agencies of Bulgaria have not recorded the bias motivations of hate crimes.