New guide on addressing anti-Christian hate crimes launched by ODIHR

Hate crimes targeting Christians remain a concern across the OSCE region, affecting not only individual victims but also the sense of safety and belonging of entire communities. At a side event of the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) launched its new guide Understanding Anti-Christian Hate Crimes and Addressing the Security Needs of Christian Communities.

This guide is the latest in a series of practical tools for government authorities and civil society to prevent and respond to hate crimes and address the security needs of religious and other communities at risk from intolerance and hatred. Today’s publication offers a framework for effective cooperation between law enforcement agencies and Christian communities to improve safety, build trust, and ensure that bias-motivated crimes are recognised and effectively addressed. The guide on combating anti-Christian hate crimes emphasises that all forms of hatred based on religion or belief need to be condemned swiftly. These acts of hostility and violence inflict lasting trauma on victims, their families, and their communities, and if left unaddressed, can undermine peace, stability and social cohesion across the OSCE region.