Hate crimes in the Republic of Macedonia in 2018

This report is the outcome of the “Promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination” Project which was financially supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, and was conducted in the period from 1 January to 31 December 2018.

The project aimed to tackle the issue of hate crime and hate speech through improved legislation, increasing public awareness, building the capacities of criminal justice agencies and registering bias incidents. More specifically, this report is designed to serve as an indicator of the scope, nature and frequency of hate crimes perpetrated in the country.

Within its mandate as an implementing partner, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (MHC) conducted the following activities in regard to hate crime:

1. Monitor incidents/hate crimes, with special attention to sports violence with bias motivation;
2. Review reported hate cases and contribute to the ODIHR Annual Report on hate crimes and incidents in the OSCE Region for 2017;
3. Maintain the website www.zlostorstvaodomraza.com, including providing information in Macedonian, Albanian and English language; posts links to it on popular internet portals as well as maintain the Facebook page and Twitter account; update the information on cases (letters to Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Public Prosecution); and present separate search options for hate crimes committed and protected characteristics
4. Use the Red Button application on the site of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for reporting hate crimes,
5. Produce monthly bulletins on the situation with hate crimes in the country;
6. Prepare, translate and publish the report from the monitoring in 2018 in Macedonian, Albanian and English language;
7. Mark the proposed Day of Victims of Hate Crimes (22nd July) by organizing a press conference and “Turlitava” event as in previous years with a public announcement or other means suitable at the period of time;
8. Provide free legal aid to victims of hate crimes and monitor trials of selceted cases of hate crimes on different protected characteristics,
9. Produce 2 informative videos for raising awareness of hate crimes, reporting hate crimes and informing about victims’ rights.