Criminal Code (2002, amended 2009) (excerpts)

The Moldovan Criminal Code (Excerpt) No. 985-XV dated 18.04.2002 Republished: Official Monitor of the Republic of Moldova No. 72-74/195 dated 14.04.2009 Official Monitor of the Republic of Moldova No. 128-129/1012 dated 13.09.2002

HATE CRIME LAWS:

Article 77. Aggravating Circumstances
(1) When determining punishment, the following shall be considered as aggravating circumstances:
[...]
(d) the commission of a crime due to social, national, racial, or religious hatred;
[...]
(2) If the circumstances mentioned in par. (1) are also set forth in the corresponding articles of the Special Part of the this Code as evidence of these criminal components, they may not be concurrently considered as aggravating circumstances.
[Art.77 amended by Law No. 277-XVI dated 18.12.2008, in force as of 24.05.2009]

Article 145. Deliberate Murder
(1) The murder of a person shall be punished by imprisonment for 10 to 15 years.
(2) Murder
[...]
(l) committed from motives of social, national, racial, or religious hatred;
[...] shall be punished by imprisonment for 15 to 20 years or by life imprisonment.
[Art.145 amended by Law No. 277-XVI dated 18.12.2008, in force as of 24.05.2009]

Article 151. Intentional Severe Bodily Injury or Damage to Health
(1) Intentional severe bodily injury or life-threatening damage to health or that caused the loss of sight, hearing, speech or another organ, or the cessation of its functioning, mental disease or some other form of health damage accompanied by the permanent loss of at least one-third of the capacity to work or resulting in a miscarriage or an incurable disfiguration of the face and/or adjacent areas shall be punished by imprisonment for 5 to 10 years.
(2) The same action committed:
[...]
(i) from motives of social, national, racial or religious hatred;
[...] shall be punished by imprisonment for 10 to 12 years.
[Par. 3 art.151 excluded by Law No. 277-XVI dated 18.12.2008, in force as of 24.05.2009]
(4) The actions set forth in par. (1) or (2) that cause the death of the victim shall be punished by imprisonment for 8 to 15 years.
[Art.151 amended by Law No. 277-XVI dated 18.12.2008, in force as of 24.05.2009]

Article 152. Intentional Less Severe Bodily Injury or Damage to Health
(1) Intentional less severe bodily injury or damage to health that are not life threatening and did not cause the consequences specified in art. 151, which, however, are followed by a prolonged health disorder or a significant and permanent loss of less than one-third of the capacity to work shall be punished by community service for 200 to 240 hours or by imprisonment for up to 5 years.
(2) The same action committed:
[...]
(j) from motives of social, national, racial or religious hatred;
[...] shall be punished by imprisonment for 5 to 7 years.
[Art.152 amended by Law No. 277-XVI dated 18.12.2008, in force as of 24.05.2009] [Art.152 amended by Law No. 184-XVI dated 29.06.2006, in force as of 11.08.2006] [Art.153 excluded by Law No. 292-XVI dated 21.12.2007, in force as of 08.02.2008] [Art.154 excluded by Law No. 292-XVI dated 21.12.2007, in force as of 08.02.2008] [Art.154 amended by Law No. 184-XVI dated 29.06.2006, in force as of 11.08.2006] [Art.154 amended by Law No. 211-XV dated 29.05.03, in force as of 12.06.03]

Article 197. Deliberate Destruction or Damaging of Goods
(1) Deliberate destruction or damaging of goods, provided that such actions cause damage on a large scale, shall be punished by a fine of up to 1000 conventional units or by community service for 240 hours.
(2) The same actions:
[...]
b) committed out of social, national, racial, or religious hatred;
[...] shall be punished by imprisonment for up to 6 years.
[Art.197 amended by Law No. 277-XVI dated 18.12.2008, in force as of 24.05.2009] [Art.197 amended by Law No. 184-XVI dated 29.06.2006, in force as of 11.08.2006] [Art.197 completed by Law No. 211-XV dated 29.05.03, in force as of 12.06.03] [Art.198 excluded by Law No. 292-XVI din 21.12.2007, in force as of 08.02.2008] [Art.198 amended by Law No. 184-XVI dated 29.06.2006, in force as of 11.08.2006] [Art.198 amended by Law No. 211-XV dated 29.05.03, in force as of 12.06.03]

Article 222. Profanation of Graves
(1) Profanation by any means of a grave, a monument, a funeral urn or a corpse and the appropriation of objects inside or on a grave shall be punished by a fine in the amount of 200 to 500 conventional units or by community service for 180 to 240 hours or by imprisonment for up to 1 year.
(2) The same actions committed:
[...]
(b) because of social, national, racial or religious hatred, shall be punished by a fine in the amount of 400 to 600 conventional units or by community service for 200 to 240 hours or by imprisonment for up to 3 years.