Serbia | HCRW

Serbia regularly reports data on hate crimes to ODIHR. In 2018, the Office of the Prosecutor General, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and ODIHR, developed Guidelines for the prosecution of hate crimes in the Republic of Serbia. A network of contact persons working on hate crime within the prosecution services was established and, with the OSCE Mission's assistance, the Judicial Academy has developed, integrated and implements a hate crime training plan and programme.

SELECT YEAR

Download the 2012 hate crime report for Serbia

OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2023	53	4	2
2022	94	11	6
2021	109	11	11
2020	66	5	4
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 2012 Data

Figures include crimes of incitement to hatred.

Download official data

National developments

Serbia introduced and passed its first hate crime law by adopting a general penalty enhancement provision that allows the judge to consider it an aggravating circumstance when the crime is “is based on hatred for another person’s race, religion, national or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Serbia has not reported on hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech.

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

Reports

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The Regional Centre for Minorities reported one case of physical assault against two students by a group.

Anti-Roma hate crime

The European Roma Rights Centre and the Regional Centre for Minorities reported an assault carried out by a group against a group of Roma people, also involving graffiti on the container they were living in.

The Regional Centre for Minorities reported a further four cases of graffiti on property, including one on a school attended mainly by Roma children, one on a container inhabited by a Roma family, one on a monument to a Roma musician and one on a Roma family’s house; and two physical assaults including one against Roma children.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

LABRIS and the Gay Straight Alliance reported four cases of physical assault, three of which were carried out by a group and two of which resulted in serious injury. The victims were gay men and one lesbian woman.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

No information is available.