Hate monitor, August 2026

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.

This edition includes monitoring data on incidents involving the glorification of Ratko Mladić, who was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, following his death in August 2026. While not exhaustive, the data reflect the incidents identified through the Mission’s monitoring, focusing on the most prominent cases, including those involving the support or participation of senior political representatives and other influential public figures.

As emphasized in the Mission’s statement, “Respect Victims, Don’t Glorify Perpetrators,” the glorification of convicted war criminals is a crime and deeply offensive to victims and survivors; it undermines reconciliation, risks further dividing communities and requires serious institutional response.