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.

Report on Possible Violations and Abuses of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, Related to the Treatment of Ukrainian POWs by the Russian Federation

Publishing date: 25 September 2025

Content type: Report

Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

What we do: Human rights

Publisher: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Statement by the Delegation of Canada, also on behalf of several delegations, on the human rights situation in Belarus

Publishing date: 11 September 2025

Collections: 1533rd Plenary Meeting of the Permanent Council

Content type: Statement / speech

Where we are: Permanent Council

What we do: Human rights

Publisher: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

1533rd Plenary Meeting of the Permanent Council

English

The Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Malta: Good Practices and Protection Gaps

Publishing date: 2 September 2025

Content type: Report

Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

What we do: Human rights

Publisher: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

This report provides a summary of ODIHR’s findings from the visit to Malta in March 2023, in which ODIHR held dozens of meetings with State and civil society stakeholders, supported by desk research. In this context, ODIHR collected information about the good practices and gaps in the protection of the physical integrity, liberty, security and dignity of HRDs, and other aspects of a safe and enabling environment for human rights work. Besides offering assistance to Malta, ODIHR seeks to use the findings more broadly to assist participating States across the OSCE region on measures they could take to advance the situation of HRDs.

English

Seventh Interim Report on reported violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Ukraine

Publishing date: 15 July 2025

Collections: Interim reports on reported violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Ukraine

Content type: Report

Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

What we do: Human rights

Publisher: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

15 July 2025

English

Journal of the 1526th Plenary Meeting of the Permanent Council

Publishing date: 3 July 2025

Collections: 1526th Plenary Meeting of the Permanent Council

Content type: Conference / meeting document

Where we are: Permanent Council

What we do: Human rights, Conflict prevention and resolution

Publisher: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Russian Federation (Annex). The Russian Federation’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Report by the Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Ambassador Jan Haukaas. Increasing military involvement of certain NATO and EU member States in yet more confrontation in and around Ukraine. International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, observed on 26 June 2025. World Refugee Day, observed on 20 June 2025. Release of prisoners in Belarus. Malign activity in the OSCE region. Joint report of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and the Russian Federation on the human rights situation in certain countries.