Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

If someone treats you unfairly because of your race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, or another personal characteristic, you may have experienced discrimination.

If someone threatens, attacks, or seriously abuses you because of who you are—or because of who they believe you are—the incident may also be hate-motivated.

You do not need to decide by yourself whether what happened legally qualifies as discrimination, harassment, a minor offence, or a criminal offence. A lawyer, support organisation, the Public Defender of Rights, or the police can help assess the situation.

What Is Discrimination?

Discrimination generally means that someone is treated less favourably than another person in a comparable situation because of a protected personal characteristic.

Under Czech anti-discrimination rules, protection applies in areas including:

• Employment and access to work.
• Education.
• Healthcare.
• Social security.
• Goods and services.
• Publicly offered housing.
• Membership in professional organisations or trade unions.

Protected grounds include race or ethnicity, sex or gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion or belief, and certain forms of nationality-related discrimination.

Discrimination may be connected to more than one part of your identity. For example, a person may experience racism and homophobia at the same time, or be treated unfairly because they are both trans and a refugee.

Examples of Possible Discrimination

Discrimination may include situations such as:

• A landlord refuses to rent to you after learning your nationality.
• An employer pays you less because you are a foreigner.
• A healthcare worker refuses to treat you because of your origin.
• A school treats a refugee student less favourably than other students.
• A service provider refuses to serve a same-sex couple.
• A supervisor mocks your accent or sexual orientation and creates a hostile environment.
• An employer refuses to use reasonable procedures for a trans employee because of prejudice.
• A public authority treats your complaint less seriously because you are an asylum seeker.
• You are punished because you complained about discrimination.

Not every unfair, rude, or offensive action will legally qualify as discrimination under the Anti-Discrimination Act. The legal assessment depends on the reason for the treatment, the area in which it happened, the evidence, and the applicable law. The Public Defender of Rights can still advise you when it is unclear which law or authority applies.

What Is Harassment?

Harassment may involve unwanted conduct connected to a personal characteristic that violates your dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, humiliating, or offensive environment.

Examples may include:

• Repeated racist jokes.
• Homophobic or transphobic insults.
• Mocking your accent or nationality.
• Deliberately using degrading words about your identity.
• Repeatedly revealing your former name to humiliate you.
• Sexual comments or unwanted questions.
• Displaying racist or anti-LGBTIQ+ symbols to intimidate you.
• Threatening to disclose that you are LGBTIQ+.

Write down repeated incidents even when each individual incident appears minor. A pattern can be important.

What Is a Hate-Motivated Incident?

A hate-motivated incident is an act influenced by prejudice against a person or group.

The person responsible may target you because of your actual or perceived:

• Race or ethnicity.
• Nationality.
• Religion.
• Sexual orientation.
• Gender identity.
• Disability.
• Refugee or migrant background.
• Association with another person or community.

Possible hate-motivated incidents include:

• Threats of violence.
• Physical attacks.
• Sexual violence.
• Damage to your home or belongings.
• Stalking.
• Blackmail.
• Repeated threatening messages.
• Racist, homophobic, or transphobic abuse connected to another harmful act.
• Online threats that create a real safety concern.

A hateful comment is not automatically a criminal offence. However, the words used, the context, repeated conduct, threats, and connection to physical or other harm may be legally important.

If You Are in Immediate Danger

Move to a safer place if possible.

Contact the police or ask someone you trust to contact them. The Czech Police emergency number is 158. Go to the nearest police station when calling is not safe or possible.

Seek medical attention when you are injured. Ask healthcare staff to record:

• Your injuries.
• Your description of how the injuries happened.
• The date and approximate time.
• Any psychological symptoms following the incident.

Do not put yourself in further danger to collect evidence.

What to Do After an Incident

1. Get to Safety

Your immediate safety is more important than documenting the incident.

Consider:

• Leaving the location.
• Contacting a trusted person.
• Asking centre staff for a room change.
• Staying temporarily with someone you trust.
• Blocking an online aggressor after saving evidence.
• Changing passwords when an account may have been accessed.
• Contacting an LGBTIQ+-friendly organisation.

2. Write Down What Happened

Record the incident as soon as possible while the details are still clear.

Include:

• Date and time.
• Exact location.
• What happened.
• What was said.
• The language used.
• Any racist, homophobic, transphobic, or xenophobic words.
• Names or descriptions of the people involved.
• Names and contact details of witnesses.
• Vehicle registration numbers.
• Staff names, identification numbers, or job titles.
• Police unit or accommodation centre involved.
• Injuries, damage, or financial loss.
• What you did after the incident.

Write the exact words used when you can remember them. These words may help show that the incident was motivated by prejudice.

3. Keep Evidence

Possible evidence includes:

• Screenshots.
• Emails and messages.
• Photographs.
• Videos.
• Medical reports.
• Damaged clothing or belongings.
• Receipts for repairs or medical costs.
• Housing advertisements.
• Job advertisements.
• Rejection messages.
• Employment contracts and payslips.
• Witness statements.
• Previous complaints.
• Records of similar incidents.

Keep the original files. Do not edit screenshots in a way that removes dates, account names, or surrounding context.

Store copies somewhere safe.

4. Tell Someone You Trust

A trusted person can help you:

• Record what happened.
• Translate.
• Attend an appointment with you.
• Contact a lawyer.
• Make a safety plan.
• Keep copies of evidence.
• Provide emotional support.

You may contact an NGO before deciding whether to make a formal report.

Where Can You Report Discrimination?

The correct place depends on where the incident happened and what type of conduct was involved.

The Public Defender of Rights

You may contact the Public Defender of Rights, also called the Ombudsman, when you believe you have experienced discrimination.

The Ombudsman may consider discrimination involving public authorities as well as conduct in areas such as employment, municipal housing, education, goods, services, and healthcare. The Ombudsman can assess the situation, explain your options, and provide guidance, but contacting the Ombudsman is not the same as filing a court case.

A complaint can currently be submitted online, by email, by post, or in person at the Ombudsman’s office in Brno.

Workplace Discrimination or Exploitation

For suspected violations of labour law, you may contact the relevant Regional Labour Inspectorate or the State Labour Inspection Office.

Useful evidence may include:

• Your employment contract.
• Payslips.
• Work schedules.
• Messages from your employer.
• Proof of unpaid wages.
• Names of witnesses.
• Information identifying the employer and workplace.

The Labour Inspectorate may inspect compliance with labour law. It is required to protect the identity of the person who submitted the complaint, but it cannot decide every individual dispute or order payment of an employee’s private claim; some employment claims must be decided by a court.

Housing, Healthcare, Education, and Services

Depending on the situation, you may complain to:

• The landlord or property agency.
• Municipal housing authorities.
• The healthcare provider or hospital management.
• The school or educational institution.
• The business or service provider.
• The relevant inspection or supervisory authority.
• The Public Defender of Rights.
• A lawyer or legal aid organisation.

Ask a lawyer or NGO to help identify the correct authority when you are unsure.

When Should You Report to the Police?

Consider making a criminal complaint when the incident involves:

• Physical or sexual violence.
• A serious threat.
• Stalking.
• Blackmail.
• Damage to property.
• Repeated threatening messages.
• Theft.
• Coercion.
• Another act that may be a crime.

Tell the police clearly when you believe you were targeted because of your identity.

For example:

“I believe this attack was motivated by racism and homophobia. The person used racist and homophobic insults during the attack.”

Do not only describe the physical act. Explain the words, symbols, previous conduct, or other circumstances showing possible prejudice.

How to Make a Criminal Complaint

A suspected crime can be reported in writing, electronically, or in person. Every Czech Police unit must accept a criminal complaint, and public prosecutors must also accept criminal complaints. You may ask for confirmation that your report was received and request information about the measures taken.

When reporting, provide:

• Your contact information.
• A clear description of the incident.
• Date, time, and location.
• Information about the person responsible.
• Witnesses.
• Injuries or damage.
• Available evidence.
• The discriminatory words or behaviour involved.
• Why you believe the incident was hate-motivated.

Ask for the report or your statement to be read back before signing it. Correct any important mistakes.

Request written confirmation that the report was made.

What if the Police Do Not Take You Seriously?

Remain calm and write down:

• The police station or unit.
• The date and time.
• Names, identification numbers, or descriptions of officers.
• What you reported.
• How the officers responded.
• Whether they refused to record particular information.
• Whether interpretation was provided.
• Whether you received confirmation.

A complaint about the conduct of a police officer should normally be directed to the officer’s unit. When you believe the complaint was not handled properly, you may approach the supervising police unit.

Contact a lawyer or support organisation when the police refuse to record a serious incident or ignore possible bias motivation.

What if You Fear Retaliation?

Retaliation may include:

• Threats after you complain.
• Loss of work shifts.
• Pressure to withdraw your complaint.
• Harassment by staff or residents.
• A landlord threatening eviction.
• Disclosure of your asylum status or LGBTIQ+ identity.
• Being treated worse because you contacted an NGO.

Record every retaliatory act separately.

Tell your lawyer or support organisation before making a complaint when disclosure could create a serious safety risk. They may help you choose a safer reporting method or request confidentiality.

No reporting method can guarantee that the other person will never learn that a complaint was made, particularly when an investigation requires them to respond. Ask what information may be shared before submitting sensitive details.

Simple Incident Record

Date and time:
Location:
What happened:
What was said:
Why I believe it was discriminatory or hate-motivated:
People involved:
Witnesses:
Injuries or damage:
Evidence saved:
Person or organisation notified:
Response received:
Current safety concerns:

When to Seek Legal Help Urgently

Contact a lawyer or trusted organisation quickly when:

• You have been attacked or seriously threatened.
• You are being blackmailed.
• Your home or accommodation is unsafe.
• Your employer has dismissed or threatened you.
• A landlord is threatening to remove you.
• An official deadline is approaching.
• The incident affects your asylum procedure.
• Your identity has been disclosed without consent.
• Police refuse to record a serious incident.
• You are uncertain whether reporting may expose you or another person to danger.

Key Takeaways

• Racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination are not your fault.
• Get to safety before collecting evidence.
• Write down what happened as soon as possible.
• Record the exact discriminatory words or conduct.
• Keep screenshots, documents, medical records, and witness details.
• Tell police when you believe an offence was motivated by prejudice.
• The Ombudsman can provide guidance in discrimination cases.
• Workplace violations may be reported to the Labour Inspectorate.
• Seek legal or NGO support when reporting could affect your safety or legal status.

This article provides general information and does not replace individual legal advice. Whether conduct legally constitutes discrimination, harassment, a minor offence, or a criminal offence depends on the facts and applicable law.

Last legally reviewed: July 2026