Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich (Commissioner for Human Rights), Synteza informacji Rzecznika Praw Obywatelskich nt. skarg i wniosków oraz interwencji podejmowanych w latach 2015-2017 w sprawach zachowań antymuzułmańskich i islamofobicznych - uzupełniona o i
Country
Poland
Title
Year
Type of publication
Geographical coverage
National
Area/location of interest
Type of Institution
National human rights body
Institution
Main Thematic Focus
Racism & xenophobia Discrimination Hate crime Incitement to hatred or violence
Target Population
General population
Key findings
According to the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights, since 2016 Muslims (or people identified as Muslims) are most often the victims of the bias-motivated attacks. In 2016, according to the data gathered by the National Prosecutor's Office, the actual or alleged belonging of a person to a group of followers of Islam was the motive of an attack in 363 cases. This number, compared to 2015, almost doubled. The trend continued also in 2017: Muslims were victims of the highest number of hate crimes. Although the case registration system functioning in the Ombudsman's office does not provide information concerning the victim's religion, the analysis of individual cases in which the Commissioner intervened revealed the following numbers of hate crimes committed to the detriment of Muslims: 10 cases in 2015, 20 cases in 2016 and 30 cases in 2017. The cases include incitement to hatred, public insults and the use of violence motivated by anti-Muslim bias. The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in cooperation with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe carried out a survey on the nature and scale of unreported hate crimes against members of selected communities in Poland. Throughout the study, it was established that over 8% of Muslims and as much as 43% of people originating in sub-Saharan Africa experienced at least one hate crime in the years 2016-2017. Research has also revealed a large scale of underreporting which particularly affects hate crime. According to the study, only 5% of hate crimes are reported to the Police by the victim or another person.
Methodology (Qualitative/Quantitative and exact type used, questionnaires etc)
Analysis of the complaints and applications, as well as interventions undertaken in 2015-2017 by the Commissioner for Human Rights concerning anti-Muslim and Islamophobic behavior supplemented with the information on the Commissioner's activity in 2018 and the latest statistical data on the scale of the hate crime as well as the ODIHR survey.
Sample details and representativeness
N/A