Publications

OIDAC Europe Report 2025

In its “Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe Report 2024” OIDAC Europe identified 2,211* anti-Christian hate crimes in 2024. This figure includes a significant rise in personal attacks, which increased to 274 incidents, and a sharp spike in arson attacks targeting churches and other Christian sites. According to OIDAC Europe’s findings, most anti-Christian hate crimes were recorded in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Austria. The year saw several severe incidents: - In November 2024, a 76-year-old monk was killed and others injured during an attack on a Spanish monastery. - In January 2024, one man was shot dead in an ISIS-related attack during Sunday mass at a Catholic church in Istanbul. - In September 2024, a historic church in Saint-Omer, France, was almost completely destroyed by arson. OIDAC Europe independently documented 516 anti-Christian hate crimes in 2024; when theft and break-ins at religious sites are included, the figure rises to 1,503 incidents. Alarmingly, 94 arson attacks were recorded—almost double the previous year’s total. One-third (33) of these occurred in Germany, where the Bishops’ Conference recently warned that “all taboos have been broken” regarding church vandalism. The release of the OSCE/ODIHR Hate Crime Data Report places OIDAC Europe’s new findings in a wider context. In 2024, European governments and civil society organisations reported more than 3,000 antisemitic, 1,000 anti-Christian, and 950 anti-Muslim hate crimes to ODIHR, although several states did not submit their data. Beyond hate crimes, OIDAC Europe identified numerous cases of legal and social restrictions affecting Christians across Europe in 2024–2025. Several individuals were prosecuted under “buffer zone” laws for silent prayer near abortion facilities. In one case, UK army veteran Adam Smith-Connor was convicted by a British court because his head was slightly bowed in silent prayer while he stood within 100 metres of a clinic. In October 2025, Finland’s Supreme Court heard the case of MP Päivi Räsänen, prosecuted for alleged “hate speech” after quoting a Bible verse in 2019 to question her church’s stance on Pride events. Legal developments documented by OIDAC Europe also include: - A Swiss court denying public funding to a Catholic girls’ school, arguing that being a Catholic school reserved for girls, the school would practise “discrimination”; - A Spanish court ruling against a male-only religious brotherhood for not admitting a woman; - Another Spanish case where a court barred a father from reading the Bible to his son, granting the secular mother sole authority over religious education; - A French court upholding sanctions against a teacher for using a text by St. Bernadette in a local heritage class, deemed a breach of neutrality laws. *The total figure of 2,211 anti-Christian hate crimes results from triangulating official police statistics, OSCE/ODIHR data, and OIDAC’s independent research, while avoiding double counting. The slight decline from 2,444 cases in 2023 was mainly due to incomplete UK police data (excluding London) and a temporary decrease in France—numbers that unfortunately surged again in early 2025. Despite the lower total, personal attacks increased from 232 in 2023 to 274 in 2024, even though data from France and the UK were unavailable for 2024.

OIDAC Europe Report 2024

In its “Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe Report 2024” OIDAC Europe identified 2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes which were documented by police and civil society in 35 European countries in 2023, including 232 personal attacks on Christians, such as harassment, threats and physical violence. These figures include data from the ODIHR/OSCE, which found 1,230 anti-Christian hate crimes recorded by 10 European governments in 2023, up from 1,029 recorded by governments in 2022. The ODIHR/OSCE Hate Crime Data Report is also released on 15 November, in view of the International Day of Tolerance. According to OIDAC Europe, countries of particular concern were France, with nearly 1,000 anti-Christian hate crimes in 2023; the United Kingdom, where incidents rose to more than 700; and Germany, which saw a 105% increase in anti-Christian hate crimes, rising from 135 in 2022 to 277 in 2023. In addition to violent attacks, OIDAC Europe’s report also found discrimination against Christians in the workplace and in public life in some European countries, leading to increasing self-censorship among Christians in Europe. The past year has also seen a number of restrictions on religious freedom by European governments, ranging from bans on religious processions to the targeting of Christians for the peaceful expression of their religious beliefs.

"Self-Censored" Documentary (2024)

Nine students – seven countries – one concern: “Self-Censored” explores the situation of Christian students across Europe who perceive different degrees of difficulty when sharing their faith and convictions at their universities. The film presents the genuine and honest conversation of nine students who identify a similar experience across their denomination and national differences: Most of them tend to withhold some of their thoughts and opinions or even hide their faith out of fear of conflict, rejection, or other consequences. The 40-minutes film gathers positive and negative experiences and takes the viewer through the life stories of each of the young adults, their passions, their fears – and their hopes and vision for a society without polarization and discrimination.

ANNUAL REPORT 2022/23

New report by OIDAC Europe, released on November 16, 2023, finds an increase of anti-Christian hate crimes, rising to 748 cases in 2022. This matches the data of the new OSZE Annual Hate Crime Report, which documents 792 anti-Christian hate crimes in 2022. OIDAC Europe’s annual report found an increase of anti-Christian hate crimes by 44% over the last year. Arson attacks on churches increased even by 75% between 2021 and 2022. The organization also found that more crimes have a clear extremist motivation, and that Christians who expressed traditional Christian worldview have faced legal discrimination.

Annual Report 2021 (Released 2022)

The annual report by OIDAC Europe was released in Vienna two days before the International Day of Tolerance (16 Nov.). It focuses on three main developments of intolerance against Christians in European countries: Anti-Christian hate crimes, self-censorship and negative stereotypes and treatment of Christians in the media. OIDAC provides an overview of over 500 Europewide anti-Christian Hate Crimes and discusses disproportionate Covid-19 regulations for churches. The report analyses other forms of discrimination through legislation and lack of competence from authorities when dealing with cases involving religion and religious freedom.

Perceptions on Self-Censorship: Confirming and Understanding the 'Chilling Effect'

The “Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe“ (OIDAC), together with the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Latin America (OLIRE) and the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) have published a an academic report called "Perceptions on Self-Censorship: Confirming and Understanding the ‘Chilling Effect‘", which explores the hard-to-grasp phenomenon of self-censorship among Christians due to a "Chilling Effect" caused by intolerance towards dissenting views in secular society. The report focuses on the 4 countries: France, Germany, Colombia and Mexico. The most social problems and conflicts affecting the various human rights and freedoms of fellow Christians.

Under Pressure: Human Rights of Christians in Europe - Top Five Report 2019-2020

The Observatory’s new “Top 5 –Report 2019/2020”, presented in Vienna marking the International Day of Human Rights (10 Dec.), shows a multitude of incidents and examples of hate crimes as vandalism of churches and other threats to religious freedom in five European countries where it identified the most severe challenges for Christians.

Top 5 Report 2019-2020 SHORT VERSION (English, Spanish, French, German)

Here you will find the abstract, conclusions and key findings for each country in 4 different languages: English, German, Spanish and French.

REPORT 2019

Marking the International Day for Tolerance, the Observatory released its new report documenting more than 325 incidents of intolerance and discrimination against Christians across Europe during the year 2018.

Report 2018

Over 500 cases reported in 2016 and 2017 illustrating the range of hostilities Christians experience in their daily lives.

Report 2015

More than 180 Cases Reported in 2015 and a Focus on Christian Refugees in Europe

Report 2014

This report portrays the 150 most striking cases of intolerance against Christians in Europe in the year 2014, and presents the problem of militant equality laws.

Report 2013

241 individually documented cases of intolerance against Christians in Europe, as well as what individuals and institutions say about it.

The Global Human Rights Landscape

A Short Guide to Understanding the International Organizations and the Opportunities for Engagement.

Report 2012

Legal restrictions affecting Christians in Europe and the most striking cases of intolerance and discrimination throughout Europe in the year 2012.

Censored

How European "Hate Speech" Laws Are Threatening Freedom of Speech.

Report 2011

This report portrays the most important developments with regard to freedom of religion, the most striking cases of intolerance and discrimination throughout Europe.

Shadow Report (2005 - 2010)

The Observatory's Report on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians from 2005 to 2010 was released on Dec 10th, 2010, and sparked wide interest.

Religion in Society

A memorandum to the RELIGARE Project, on religions, belonging, beliefs and secularism in Europe.

Exiting a Dead End Road

A GPS for Christians in Public Discourse

OIDAC Statement - ODIHR Annual Conference 2023

Intervention of OIDAC Europe for Plenary Session IV: Fundamental freedoms II Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief; Freedom of assembly and association; National human rights institutions by Anja Hoffmann, Executive Director - 6. October 2023

Input OIDAC Europe to UN HRC Res 531

In a recent communication the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for written contributions from civil society and other stakeholders “concerning the various drivers, root causes and human rights impacts of religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimina9on, hostility or violence, highlighting gaps in existing national, legal, policy and law enforcement frameworks.”

Austria: Fact Sheet anti-Christian Hate Crimes, 2023

Due to the rising number of anti-Christian hate crimes in Austria, a citizens' initiative from 2023 started a petition for a documentation office recording these cases. The findings of OIDAC Europe and the OSCE Hate Crime Data confirm the prevalence of anti-Christian hate crimes in Austria. In 2022 the OSCE Hate Crime Reporting recorded 189 anti-Christian hate crimes in Austria, making Christians the most targeted religious group, followed by Muslims (184) and Jews (102).

Most Striking Cases 2023

At the end of the year, we take a look back at the 10 most striking hate crimes of 2023, and the 5 most striking legal cases in that year.

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