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MS Institution Year TITLE FOCUS GROUPS Key findings - Short summary id
Austria Austria, Federal Ministry of the Interior, Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism | Bundesministerium für Inneres, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz und Terrorismusbekämpfung 2013 Federal Ministry of the Interior, Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (Bundesministerium für Inneres, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz und Terrorismusbekämpfung) (2013), Annual Report on the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutzbericht), Vienna Hate crime Right-wing extremists

In 2013, a total of 574 criminal acts with right-wing extremist, xenophobic/racist, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic background were recorded. Right-wing extremist organisations continued to increasingly use the internet for recruitment and radicalisation activities. A movement, which has been active in several Austrian provinces since 2012, focussed its propaganda on the “identity” of its own people, which is to be absolutely preserved and protected against mass immigration and “Islamisation”.
In 2013, this group carried out several active agitations. By means of pop cultural forms of protest (e.g. flash mobs), they tried to attract media attention.

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Austria Austria, Federal Ministry of the Interior, Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism | Bundesministerium für Inneres, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz und Terrorismusbekämpfung 2012 Federal Ministry of the Interior, Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (Bundesministerium für Inneres, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz und Terrorismusbekämpfung) (2012), Annual Report on the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutzbericht) Hate crime Right-wing extremists

The Annual report notes that in 2012, a total of 377 criminal acts with right-wing extremist, xenophobic/racist or Islamophobic connection have been reported.
Right-wing extremist scenes kept a notably low profile. The right-wing revisionist scene, whose members belong mainly to the older generation, kept mostly to itself and pursued its ideology behind closed doors. The neo-Nazi scene was deprived of its leadership in prison). In the year under review, there was a rise in criminal offences that were not directly linked to right-wing extremism but were committed by members of right-wing extremist groups. Furthermore, in several regions right-wing extremists were observed to have increased contacts with criminal circles and organisations.

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Austria ECRI | European Commission against Racism and Intolerance | Council of Europe 2012 ECRI Report, ECRI Conclusions
on the implementation of reommendations in respect of Austria subject to interim follow-up, Adopted on 4 December 2012
Racism & xenophobia, Discrimination Muslims, Migrants, Ethnic minorities, People of African descent & Black Europeans

The Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAK) and the Central Public Prosecutor’s Office for the prosecution of commercial criminal matters and corruption (WKStA) were established. Both are competent to investigate on abuse of authority comprising racial discrimination. However, in ECRI’s view this is not sufficient because the two bodies are not independent from the police and prosecution service and because there is no indication that victims of discrimination are aware of the two bodies’ competence to investigate alleged discriminatory behaviour, which is not in any way published.

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Albania Albania, Council of Europe in Albania, Tirana 2021 Council of Europe in Albania, Beyond Definitions a call for action against hate speech, A comprehensive study (November 2021) Hate speech General population The data instrument included a question on religion and result showed that 53% identified as Islamic, 14% as Bektashi, 10% as Catholic, and 9% as Orthodox. About 10% had no religious orientation. Around 60% knew what hate speech meant, while 30% knew offensive/discriminatory speech. 6% didn't know either term (56% female, 44% male). 40% associated hate speech with offense, 20% with hatred, and 10% with religious-based discrimination. Respondents were asked about the most common motivation for hate speech. Over half believed poverty/homelessness triggered it. Around 32% cited religion as a motive, and 13% mentioned xenophobia. Among Muslims, 31% saw religion as a main motive. 14% personally experienced hate speech (209 respondents), 108 of whom were Muslims. View more
Serbia Serbia, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality | Poverenik za zaštitu ravnopravnosti 2020 Krstić, I. (2020), Report on the use of hate speech in Serbian media, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Belgrade, 30 December 2020. Hate speech General population Serbia has a solid legal framework for combating hate speech. However, the protection mechanisms are not effective and dissuasive. Hate speech is rarely prosecuted and courts tend to rule in favor of freedom of expression. National equality body faces a problem of overlapping definitions of hate speech and harassment in its complaint procedure. Media regulatory bodies do not use all available means to suppress hate speech. Not many analyzed media texts featured hate speech, but many expressed negative feelings towards Albanians, Croatians, Bosniaks, Montenegrins, thus increasing social distance towards these groups. Serbia needs to improve its media space, align hate speech definition with ECRI’s Recommendation No. 15, and strengthen prevention and protection mechanisms. View more
Serbia United Nations, Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 2022 United Nations (UN), Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESC) (2022), Concluding observations on Serbia, 6 April 2022. Discrimination General population The Committee expressed concerns about discrimination against disadvantaged and marginalized Roma and national minorities, in access to work, social protection, housing, health-care, and education. It urged Serbia to intensify its efforts to promote equality and eliminate discrimination against Roma and persons belonging to national minority groups, among others. The Committee was also concerned about shortcomings of the asylum procedure and continued inadequate reception conditions for asylum seekers. It underscored the lack of complete and disaggregated data that would enable proper assessment of the state of economic, social, and cultural rights. View more
Sweden Sweden, Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention| Brottsförebyggande rådet, Brå 2022 Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande rådet, Brå) (2022) Hate crime in digital environments (Hatbrott i digitala miljöer), report 2022:12, December 2022 Hate crime General population According to the report, xenophobic and racist hate crime motives were by far the most common in relation to digital hate crimes (44%), followed by hate crimes against religious groups (27%), LGBTQI-related hate crimes (16%) and hate crime without specified motives (13%). One characteristic of the digital hate crimes was that the category of hate crimes against religious groups accounted for a larger proportion of the total number of hate crimes than in the regular hate crime statistics (which also include hate crimes in physical environments), and that antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes were about equally common among the digital hate crimes, whereas Islamophobic hate crime motives were more common than antisemitic hate crime motives in the regular hate crime statistics. View more
Sweden Sweden, Swedish Defence Research Agency | Totalförsvarets forskningsinsitut, FOI 2022 Swedish Defence Research Agency (Totalförsvarets forskningsinsitut, FOI) (2022) A study in prejudice - about rasist stereotypes in digital environments (En studie i fördom - om rasistiska stereotyper i digitala miljöer), report, October 2022 Public perceptions & attitudes Ethnic minorities This report studies manifestations of racism in digital environments. It studies in particular expressions of prejudice against some of the minority groups that have been indicated in the Swedish government’s plan against racism, similar kinds of hostility, and hate crime, as particularly exposed to racism. The study shows that people of Middle Eastern and North African descent are particularly exposed to prejudice, as are Muslims. Prejudicial statements were found to often display ignorance and conflation of different ethnic and religious minorities. The result indicates that a substantial increase of islamophobic expressions coincided with the so-called 2022 Sweden riots. View more
Sweden Sweden, Equality Ombudsman | Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO 2022 Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO) (2022) Reporting of the assignment to develop knowledge about discrimination associated with religion or other beliefs (Redovisning av uppdrag att utveckla kunskap om diskriminering som har samband med religion eller annan trosuppfattning), report, 1 December 2022 Discrimination Religious minorities

According to the report, discrimination associated with religion or other beliefs is a widespread social problem that occurs in all areas of society and affects individuals with different religions. This constitutes an obstacle to individuals' access to equal rights and opportunities. Individuals who are visibly connected to their religion, through for example wearing religious symbols or religious clothing, are subjected to various forms of violations, including discrimination. The study shows that discrimination against Muslims is extensive. Discrimination associated with religion or other beliefs also interacts with discrimination associated with ethnicity.

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Sweden Sweden, Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention|Brottsförebyggande rådet, Brå 2021 Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande rådet, Brå) (2021) Islamofobic hate crime (Islamofobiska hatbrott), report 2021:3, 2021 Hate crime Muslims The study finds that Islamophobic hate crimes take many forms and are not restricted to any particular type of place, time or person. Among the police reports examined in the study, threats and molestation represent the largest crime category, followed by agitation against a population group, defamation, violent offences and graffiti. The study concludes that Islamophobic hate crime, other forms of abusive behaviour, and negative attitudes and prejudice against Muslims can affect both Muslims’ daily lives and their general life conditions. View more
DISCLAIMERThe information presented here is collected under contract by the FRA's research network FRANET. The information and views contained do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the FRA.