LGBTIQ rights groups report hate crimes and threats in Croatia and Montenegro

Human rights organizations in the Balkans are reporting significant challenges regarding the protection of the LGBTIQ community. In Croatia, Zagreb Pride has documented 35 violent incidents against LGBTIQ individuals since 2021. The organization warns that despite a European Court of Human Rights ruling in the Sabalić v. Croatia case, legal authorities often fail to recognize hate motives, frequently classifying attacks as mere public order offenses rather than hate crimes.

In Montenegro, the NGO LGBT Forum Progres has filed 57 reports with the police regarding hate speech, threats, and incitement to violence on social media. These reports, largely stemming from monitoring around the Podgorica Pride Parade, include extreme rhetoric such as calls for lynching, mass killings, and physical attacks against activists and the community. The organization emphasized that such violent rhetoric exceeds the bounds of freedom of expression and requires urgent institutional response.