North Macedonia
The country's criminal code contains a substantive-offence provision and general penalty enhancements for hate crime. The data reported to ODIHR also include cases of incitement to hatred.
How hate crime data is collected
Police officers record relevant information when preparing their reports in a section titled "Indications that a hate crime has been committed". This section includes indicators that the incident was a hate crime, while also stating the relevant characteristic of the victim that was singled out by the perpetrator of the crime.
These characteristics include: sex, race, colour of skin, gender, belonging to a marginalized group, ethnic affiliation, language, nationality, social origin, religion or religious conviction, other types of conviction, education, political affiliation, personal or social status, mental or physical disability, age, family or marital status, property status, health status or any other grounds set forth under law or international treaties.
Data about criminal charges filed under the relevant articles are entered in the electronic data system of the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry’s Unit for Criminal Intelligence and Analysis keeps national police records.
Official Data
National developments
Amendments to the Criminal Code have been adopted, including a hate crime definition, the introduction of specific penalty enhancing provisions for a number of offences and updates to the aggravating circumstance provision applicable to all offences in the Code.
The Ministry of Interior's Unit for Criminal Intelligence and Analysis has begun keeping monthly records of hate crimes.
International reports
Racism and xenophobia
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The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers published relevant recommendations in its "Resolution on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by the Republic of North Macedonia."
Key observation
ODIHR observes that the law enforcement agencies of North Macedonia have not recorded the bias motivations of hate crimes.
