Serbia

Serbia regularly reports data on hate crimes to ODIHR. Serbia's Criminal Code contains a general penalty enhancement provision and a substantive offence provision. The data reported to ODIHR also include cases of incitement to hatred, individual defamation, other hate speech offences, discrimination and the violation of equality. Serbia's Prosecutor's Office collects data on hate crime.

SELECT YEAR

OFFICIAL DATA

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2019	86	14	10
2018	61	12	7
2017	5	0	0
2016	9	1	2
2015	79	7	19
2014	87	21	14
2013	64	24	16
2012	36	39	37
2011	39	36	24
2010	37	35	13
2009	82	16	44

About 2015 Data

Figures include crimes of incitement to hatred, other speech crimes and crimes of discrimination.

National developments

A pilot program "Hate crimes - training for the judiciary," was initiated as a part of the continuous training of judges, public prosecutors and assistant prosecutors in late 2015. This was accomplished in co-operation of with the Judicial Academy and the Office for Human and Minority Rights, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

Eight training seminars on hate crime legislation are planned during 2015 and 2016.

In order to meet the standards of EU Directive 2012/29, the Public Prosecutor's Office established an Information Service for hate crime victims, injured parties and witnesses at the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac. Similar information services were are already in place in Belgrade.

On 22 December 2015, the Public Prosecutor issued a guide that stipulates that the appellate court, and the higher and basic public prosecutor's offices keep separate records of criminal offences that are determined to be hate crimes within the meaning of Article 54a of the criminal code.

Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See

Download incident data

Reports

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

Praxis reported a physical assault, in which an Iraqi migrant was beaten and stabbed by a group. The Regional Centre for Minorities (RCM) reported a physical assault on an Albanian-speaking Ashkali teenager; and seven incidents of graffiti on buildings and monuments.

Anti-Roma hate crime

The Regional Centre for Minorities (RCM) reported an incident involving two clashing groups; one incident of anti-Roma graffiti on a building; and damage to a car owned by a Roma family, committed by a person who had threatened the same family.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

ILGA-Europe and Gayten-LGBT reported a physical assault carried out by a group on a transgender couple. Praxis reported two physical assaults.

Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions

The Regional Centre for Minorities (RCM) reported an incident in which an Orthodox church was damaged, and the desecration of a grave.

Anti-Muslim hate crime

SETA reported one incident of graffiti.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

Following a country visit to Serbia, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe expressed concern about the occurrence of hate crimes and called for courts to follow a stronger sentencing policy related to hate crimes, including by making better use of the aggravating circumstances provisions of the Criminal Code.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has, in co-operation with the Commissioner for Equality and the Ombudsman, conducted eight training sessions for representatives of local municipalities on the subject of the rights of internally displaced people, which also addressed hate crimes.