The Macedonian Helsinki Committee and the OSCE Mission to Skopje reported a total of 12 physical assaults, ten of which were carried out by groups, including three in which weapons were used; three assaults that caused serious injuries; and one assault that involved damage to property. The Macedonian Helsinki Committee and the OSCE Mission to Skopje also reported three incidents of violent attacks between large clashing groups, 15 robberies, one theft, and one incident of kidnapping and extortion.
The Macedonian Helsinki Committee and the OSCE Mission to Skopje reported an incident in which a demonstration deteriorated, leading to the vandalization of an Islamic religious centre.
The Macedonian Helsinki Committee and the OSCE Mission to Skopje reported an incident in which a man with a disability was assaulted and robbed.
In its fifth report on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recommended that the Criminal Code be amended to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics. ECRI also suggested that hate crime training for law enforcement personnel and the judiciary be expanded, and under-reporting of hate crimes be addressed through confidence-building measures.
The OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors trained a total of 80 judges and prosecutors in four training events on identification, processing and adjudicating hate crimes. The Mission commissioned an expert analysis on "Mapping of obstacles to processing hate crimes", which presented a comprehensive perspective on the barriers to the effective identification, investigation, prosecution and adjudication of hate crimes.
ODIHR observes that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has not reported on hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech.