It is important to know what is a hate crime. When a hate crime is committed, one or more perpetrators target the victim, which can be one or more people or property, because of a protected aspect of the victim's identity, such as religion or ethnicity, race, sexual orientation or disability. Similarly, a hate incident is an act of hostility motivated by prejudice or bias that does not necessarily reach the threshold of a criminal offence, or the criminal nature of which is yet to be determined. A hate crime is any crime where the perpetrator is driven by prejudice or bias.

MOSTAR, 22 July 2026 - Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, participated today in a thematic session of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Assembly dedicated to strengthening protection mechanisms against domestic violence and violence against women.The session was attended by representatives of legislative and executive authorities, law enforcement institutions, and civil society organizations to discuss challenges and opportunities in improving protection and support for victims and survivors.

SARAJEVO, 21 July 2026 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina today marked a significant step in strengthening the country's K-9 capacities by inaugurating upgraded infrastructure at the Border Police K-9 Unit at Sarajevo International Airport, presenting K-9 specialized equipment for police K-9 units of four jurisdictions in BiH, and unveiling the Master Plan of K-9 Units in Bosnia and Herzegovina.