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OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Our work

Combating hate crimes

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina monitors and reports on hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents, advocates for the effective application of relevant legal provisions, raises awareness, and builds the capacity of domestic institutions to prevent such crimes and process resulting cases.

Combating Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated Incidents

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

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While hate crimes occur in every society, their impact is especially problematic in societies recovering from violent conflict. In light of this, the Mission works closely with the police, judiciary, local government, civil society organizations and other international organizations in BiH to ensure the prevention of and effective institutional responses to hate crimes as well as appropriate and proportional reactions, including public condemnation.

Responding to hate crimes effectively requires a commitment by law enforcement and the judiciary and the appropriate legal framework. The Mission has, in co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the National Point of Contact on Combating Hate Crimes within the BiH Ministry of Security, supported the process of strengthening legislation and continues to assist authorities in its implementation.

Hate crimes send powerful messages of intolerance to both the targeted victim and the wider group sharing the protected characteristic to which they belong. This may further trigger a sense of insecurity and distrust within the community. As individual hate crimes can drive potential conflict or escalate tensions, responding to them requires targeted and expedient action.

Activities, news and other highlights

Hate monitor, October 2025

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. Criminal offence + bias motive = hate crime.

27 November 2025

Guide / manual / handbook

Report Hate Crimes

It is important to now 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. Criminal offence + bias motive = hate crime

Activities, news and other highlights

Tackling hate speech in the digital age: Stronger Action Needed

Joint Op-Ed by Ingrid Macdonald, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Luigi Soreca, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bojana Urumova, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo

OSCE Mission Survey: Fear and Mistrust Hinder Reporting of Hate Crimes

The presentation of the findings and recommendations from the Hate Crimes Underreporting Survey by the OSCE Mission to BiH in Sarajevo today highlights the critical factors contributing to the widespread underreporting of hate crimes: fear of reprisal, lack of trust in the justice system, and inadequate mechanisms for reporting and recording.

OSCE Mission to BiH reaction to hate- and bias-motivated incidents

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) condemns all actions and speech driven by bias or hatred and notes with growing concern the recent surge of such incidents in certain locations in Republika Srpska in conjunction with Serbian Orthodox Christmas and the unconstitutional Day of Republika Srpska, as well as in the Federation of BiH.

10 January 2024

Official OSCE documents, publications and other manually selected resources

Hate Monitor

The Hate Monitor is a monthly visualization of the Mission’s hate crimes monitoring data. It presents the latest data on all known bias-motivated incidents and responses to these incidents by the justice sector, local authorities, and civil society throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Reports, studies and analyses for policymakers, researchers and all those interested in this field of our work

Hate Crime Underreporting Survey 2023

This report provides key findings from the 2023 Hate Crime Underreporting Survey for Bosnia and Herzegovina carried out between July and October 2023.

16 September 2024

Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated Incidents in Bosnia and Herzegovina: 2015 Monitoring Findings of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated Incidents in Bosnia and Herzegovina: 2015 Monitoring Findings of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina; the findings include trends, statistics, instances of incidents and adjudicated cases as well as governmental and non-governmental responses and initiatives.

16 November 2016

Tackling Hate Crimes: Analysis of bias-motivated incidents in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This publication is an analysis of bias-motivated incidents in Bosnia and Herzegovina with recommendations. Hate crimes target the basic fabric of society. Given their destructive potential, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina has partnered with Bosnia and Herzegovina officials since 2008 to address these crimes. This report presents the Mission's findings based on its past five years of monitoring hate crimes and hate-related incidents, while concurrently assessing the gaps between international standards and domestic practice in relation to responding to these incidents.

1 December 2012

Practice-oriented manuals, guides, handbooks and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners working in this field

Guide / manual / handbook

Report Hate Crimes

It is important to now 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. Criminal offence + bias motive = hate crime

Guide / manual / handbook

Understanding Hate Crimes: A Handbook for Bosnia and Herzegovina

This book has been prepared by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in conjunction with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This booklet aims to help the police, prosecutors, judges, legislators, local authorities and NGOs better understand the problem of hate crimes.

ODIHR Hate Crime Report, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Contact

OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Fra Anđela Zvizdovića 1, UNITIC Tower A
71000 Sarajevo
Bosnia & Herzegovina

: Phone: +387 33 952 100

: Email: info.ba@osce.org press.ba@osce.org

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