Europe records a high rate of crimes against Christians in February 2026

The human rights organization OIDAC Europe presented a report for February 2026, which recorded a consistently high level of hate crimes against Christians. The document emphasizes the growing number of arson, vandalism and desecration of religious sites in a number of European countries.

According to the report of the human rights organization OIDAC Europe, 34 incidents were recorded during the reporting period. Of these, 17 cases are attributed to vandalism, 11 to arson, three to desecration of shrines, two to theft of sacred objects and one case of attack on participants in a Christian event. France and Italy were the leaders in the number of incidents (seven cases each), followed by Germany with six incidents. Offenses were also reported in the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The OIDAC Europe report emphasizes the increased incidents of arson. In particular, in France, the altar of a parish church was deliberately set on fire, and in the Netherlands, three churches were damaged in a short period of time. Specialists also point to the increasing frequency of repeated attacks on the same religious sites.

In connection with the identified threats to Christian communities, human rights activists called for strengthening measures to protect places of worship and ensure freedom of religion. The European Parliament has previously noted that Christianity is the most persecuted religion, which emphasizes the systemic nature of the problem in modern society.