The Czech Republic Ministry of Interior has been tasked to produce an analysis of perpetrators of racist and xenophobic crimes. The objective is to produce recommendations that lead to a better understanding of violent extremist, racist or xenophobic criminal activity and contribute to the improvement of preventive measures.
Official figures record 23 hate crimes motivated by bias against Roma. Of these, 19 were physical assaults, including one by a group against a number of Roma people. Two cases of threats were also reported and two cases of damage to property.
In addition to hate crimes, the Czech Republic recorded a further 29 cases of hate speech crimes motivated by bias against Roma, which are included in the overall hate crime figure, and referred to in the chart as “unspecified” crimes.
The Czech Republic reported 9 cases of anti-Semitic hate speech, which are included in the overall statistics of hate crimes as well as in the chart.
The European Roma Rights Centre reported two murders, of a Roma woman by a group and of a Roma man shot with a cross bow; two physical assaults, one resulting in serious injury and the other involving a group throwing bottles and stones, which also injured a police officer.
The Jewish Community of Prague reported two cases of vandalism against synagogues, one case of damage to a car, one case of grave desecration and one case of vandalism against a Jewish community building.
The UN Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review, encouraged the Czech Republic to ensure hate crimes are adequately investigated and prosecuted and that judges, prosecutors and police officers are effectively trained to prosecute hate crimes.
During his country visit, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe recommended that the Czech Republic continue developing its training on hate crime for all those involved in the criminal justice system. He noted that bias-motivated violence against Roma continues and that the authorities are making efforts to monitor extreme right-wing group activities and improving relationships with Roma communities, while also encouraging effective investigation and prosecution of hate crimes against Roma. He also encouraged authorities to extend the protection of hate crime provisions to ensure that bias motivation based on disability is included as an aggravating circumstance for sentencing.
In his report on the Czech Republic, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe urged the authorities to effectively investigate hate speech and hate crimes against Roma and other minorities.
ODIHR observes that the Czech Republic has not reported on hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech.