What is “Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience” (CAP Freedom of Conscience)?

CAP Freedom of Conscience is a secular European NGO with United Nations Consultative Status, created in 1995 and dedicated to protect the Right of Freedom of Religion and Belief.

CAP Freedom of Conscience combats all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief by alerting European and International bodies.

CAP Freedom of Conscience collects testimonies of discrimination and human rights violations affecting religious or belief communities in order to disseminate them to international bodies, and in order to raise awareness and inform them as well as to generate debate on the protection of Freedom of Religion and Belief.

CAP Freedom of Conscience also advocates for any religious or spiritual group facing discrimination to have their right to Freedom of Religion and Belief recognized.

CAP Freedom of Conscience is a member of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), European Network Of Religion and Belief (ENORB) and participate to the Civil Society Platform of Fundamental Rights created by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency DAFOH Partners in Combating and Preventing Forced Organ Harvesting

Conference 13 Decembre – Façonner un monde de libertés : 75 ans d’héritage et d’impact de la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme

Conference 13 Decembre – Façonner un monde de libertés : 75 ans d’héritage et d’impact de la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme

Dans le cadre de la commémoration du 75e anniversaire de la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme, un groupement d’Associations et d’ONG collaborant avec les Nations Unies organise une conférence en ligne les 11 et 12 décembre 2023 (en anglais) et le 13 décembre 2023 (en français). Cette conférence qui a pour thème « Façonner un monde de libertés : 75 ans d’héritage et d’impact de la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme ! Comment les Droits de l’Homme façonneront-ils l’avenir ? », vise à explorer l’influence durable et la pertinence de cette Déclaration.

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How the way a state treats religious minorities affects the way its citizens live together.

How the way a state treats religious minorities affects the way its citizens live together.

The French government has established a system of control over these minorities that is unique in Europe and that leads to serious violations by the State of the principles of freedom of religion or belief, equality of French citizens before the national institutions, and fraternity, by dividing citizens according to whether or not they belong to a recognized religious or belief minority, and by creating a climate of suspicion and sometimes even hatred towards non-traditional beliefs, leading to a deterioration in the quality of peaceful living together.

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California for Tai Ji Men: Conscience, Justice and Freedom of Belief

California for Tai Ji Men: Conscience, Justice and Freedom of Belief

California, the Golden State, is known for its stunning landscapes, thriving entertainment industry, and diverse culture. Beneath the surface of this multifaceted state lies another remarkable aspect of its diversity: religious pluralism. From the Spanish missions of the 18th century to the bustling metropolises of the 21st century, California’s religious landscape has evolved into a vibrant tapestry of faiths and beliefs.

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CAP Freedom of Conscience involvement UNITED NATIONS

LASTEST NEWS

European nonprofit CAP Liberté de Conscience UNITED SIKHS make joint statement on France turban issue at UN Human Rights Council

Geneva, Sep 29 — The United Nations Human Rights Council Friday heard a joint statement by UNITED SIKHS and CAP Freedom of Conscience, a European nonprofit, regarding Sikh turban rights in France.

Both organisations collaborated on this significant endeavour as co-signatories to the oral statement presented by CAP Freedom of Conscience in Geneva, Switzerland.

The incorporation of the France turban issue in the joint statement, representing both UNITED SIKHS and CAP Freedom of Conscience, underscores the imperative nature of addressing this matter on the international stage.

UPR Summary of stakeholders’ submissions on Bangladesh Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

68. JS2, JS5,JS9 and JS20 expressed concerns about discrimination, persecution, and limited access to justice faced by marginalized communities.115
JS2 highlighted the  discrimination and stigma experienced by Dalits, recommending immediate action through the enactment of an Anti-discrimination Act, representation, access to social services, and addressing discrimination in education and employment. JS5 focused on the persecution  of Ahmadi Muslims and called for stronger legislative and institutional responses, protecting religious practices, ensuring access to justice, and addressing violence and discrimination.  JS9 and JS16 were concerns about the limited justice access, violent attacks, and religious intolerance affecting various religious minorities.

Ahmadi Muslims in Germany who’ve fled state persecution are being deported back to Pakistan and it’s putting their lives at risk

Thousands  of Ahmadi  Muslims  in  Germany who  have fled  severe  religious persecution in Pakistan are awaiting a decision on their asylum  applications. They   belong   to  a religiously  and  politically  persecuted   minority  – the Ahmadiyya Muslim  Community. It  is  recognized   around  the  world   by  human   rights  groups  that Ahmadi Muslims  are  constantly,  ruthlessly  persecuted.

Ahmadi Religion Members Discussed at the UN Human Rights Council Amid Escalating Religious Persecution

As the case of the 101 detained members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Turkey continues to gain momentum on the international level, their case is being brought  to EU government delegations at the United Nations Human  Rights Council.

Turkish court rules in favor of 101 Ahmadi religion detainees

In a side-event of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council in Germany, director of CAP Freedom of Conscience, Thierry Valle, has delivered an oral statement emphasizing the urgent need to grant asylum/humanitarian visas to the 101 members through EU consulates in Turkey as the only way available means to safeguard their right to freedom of religion and their right to life and freedom from inhumane or degrading treatment. 

Oral Statement 54th session Human Rights Council UPR outcome of France

We, together with United Sikhs welcome the efforts made by France to combat stigmatization and discrimination against minorities since its last UPR.

We remain concerned about France’s policies on freedom of religion and belief, which are leading to a climate of religious intolerance, community withdrawal, hate speech and hate crimes.

As stated in our latest contribution to the OSCE 23 Report on hate crimes, the French policy act as a catalyst for intolerance, in violation of international conventions such as the Durban Declaration.

HRC 54 Item 4: IRAN General debate on the human rights situations that require the Council’s attention

We are deeply concerned about the recent transfer of 6 billion dollars in Iranian assets from South Korea to the Swiss Central Bank.

Although Reuters has reported that Iran’s use of the funds is explicitly limited to humanitarian aid, we are concerned about their misuse and are shocked that a nation that continually violates the fundamental rights of its citizens could benefit from such a substantial economic measure.

Side-event of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council UN Human Rights In Germany

Since May of this year, over 100 Ahmadis from various countries where they were heavily persecuted, have been detained by the Turkish authorities in Edirne Immigration Detention Center. They want to apply for asylum in an EU country.

Those people from the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light do not want to stay in Turkey, another Muslim majority country, where people also consider them infidels and treat them as such.

Strengthening Freedom of Thought Conscience Religion and Belief in Yemen

Violence in Yemen in 2023 has seen an uptick , including an increase in targeted attacks  and violent speech towards religious minorities. On 25th May 2023, Houthi militia stormed a peaceful meeting of Bahais in Sana’a and arrested 17, including five women, and continue to detain 11 of them incommunicado. In 2 June 2023, the UN High  Commissioner on Human Rights reported how the Mufti Shamseddin Sharafeddin, appointed by leaders of the Houthi militant movement, accused the detained Bahais of being apostates and saying “they should be killed,” if they did not repent Similar hate speech and incitement has been recorded in Yemen towards Christian converts and others since the start of the conflict and was raised during the virtual 53rd Human Rights Council parallel event co-sponsored by the Slovak Republic Bureau of the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

HRC 54 Written Statement Ukrainian children in search of a way home from Russia How does the child protection system work in Ukraine and in the world?

CAP Liberté de conscience and Human Rights Without Frontiers are deeply concerned about the Ukrainian children who were taken away against their will from the Ukrainian occupied territories to Russia in the framework of the war and whose parents are desperately in search of them.  Both NGOs strongly support the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General, who urges

HRC 54 Written Statement Forced Organ Harvesting of Living Falun Gong Practitioners in China has to End

Recognizing that the Universal Declaration on Human Rights has been and continues to be a source of inspiration for the 193 member states of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, as shown in the Universal Declaration on Combating and Preventing Forced Organ Harvesting, presented by five NGOs during a World Summit in 2021;

Item 4: Interactive dialogue with the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia

We, together with the NGO Stop Amhara Genocide, have continuously alerted this Council that the Tigray conflict was an opportunity for the Ethiopian government to intensify the ethnic cleansing of the Amhara people started under TPLF regime.

Oral Statement Lebanon : Item 3: General debate on promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development – General Debate

We are deeply concerned about cases of violations of freedom of expression and the misuse of military justice to repress activists and “political dissidents” in Lebanon.

Amendments to the Criminal Code allow the Permanent Military Court to hear civil cases related to national security, with far fewer protections for the defendants.

HRC 54 Written Statement : The use of law and military justice to repress “political dissent” in lebanon: the Omar Harfouch case

The use of law and military justice to repress “political dissent” in lebanon: the Omar Harfouch case

HRC 54 written statement : Urgent Appeal to Address Escalating Human Rights Violations and Crisis in Amhara, Ethiopia

CAP Liberté de conscience is deeply concerned about the escalating crisis and human rights violations that are devastating the Amhara region in Ethiopia.

Oral declaration Item 2: Interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner oral update on the Human Rights situation in the Sudan

We are deeply shocked by the escalation of violence in the conflict in Sudan, which has reached unprecedented levels of atrocity, without any of the points in the resolution adopted by this Council on May 11 having led to pacification.

The Need for Granting Justice to Religious Groups Unjustly Persecuted in the Past: Lessons from Recent Events

We have learned that democracy is no guarantee against violations of freedom of religion or belief. However, when more democracy is introduced, it often happens that more religious liberty is also guaranteed. We have noticed, in particular, the progress of religious liberty in countries once part of the Soviet Union. Although some problems occasionally surface, the Baltic States are a virtuous example of transition to religious liberty, and even in Central Asia, where freedom of religion or belief is not yet fully recognized, at least several Jehovah’s Witnesses and other prisoners of conscience have been liberated from jail.

HRC 54 written statement Report on 101 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light detained in Turkey

CAP Liberté de Conscience and Human Rights Without Frontiers are deeply concerned about the situation of over 100 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light detained for 90 days as of 23 August at the Edirne Migration Center in Turkey, for exercising their legal right to claim asylum.

HRC 53 Exposición escrita, Abusos de derechos humanos contra miembros de la Escuela de Yoga de Buenos Aires

La Escuela de Yoga de Buenos Aires (BAYS) fue creada en 1983 por el Dr. Percowicz para enseñar Raja Yoga, filosofía occidental y oriental, y sus aplicaciones prácticas para mejorar el bienestar personal y la vida cotidiana (la información sobre BAYS y su caso se recoge en el único estudio académico sobre el grupo publicado en una revista revisada por expertos: Massimo Introvigne, “La gran caza de brujas contra las sectas en Argentina y la Escuela de Yoga de Buenos Aires.”

HRC 53 Written statement, Human Rights Abuses Against Members of the Buenos Aires Yoga School

The Buenos Aires Yoga School (BAYS) was established in 1983 by Dr. Juan Percowicz to teach Raja Yoga, Western and Eastern philosophy, and their practical applications to improve personal well-being and daily life (information on BAYS and its case are taken by the only scholarly study of the group published in a peer-reviewed journal: Massimo Introvigne, “The Great Cult Scare in Argentina and the Buenos Aires Yoga School,” The Journal of CESNUR, 7.3, 2023, 3–32; parts of this study are reproduced here with permission).

HRC 53 ITEM 3 ID with SR on migrants 26 June 2026 Over 100 Ahmadi religion members under threat of deportation by Turkey

CAP LC and Human Rights Without Frontiers would like to raise to the Council’s attention the urgent crisis of 104 members of the religion in Turkey, who are at risk of facing death sentences and imprisonment because Turkish authorities have decided to deport them back to their home countries, where they are facing extreme forms of religious persecution.

HRC 53 ITEM 3 ID with Special Adviser on prevention of genocide ITEM 3 Presentation of reports 4 July 2023

The genocide of Amhara commenced from as early as 1990 when the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) took power in Ethiopia with the ongoing and systematic massacre of ethnic Amhara and Agew people in Arsi, Harerghe; Benishangul-Gumuz, Metekel Zone, Southern region and in the forcefully annexed areas as west Tigray; Welkait-Tegede, Setit Humera and Raya.

UPR Summary of stakeholders’ submissions on France Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

In particular, the authors of joint submission 4 noted the use of these laws to close a number of places of worship and recommended that France ensure respect for freedom of religion, freedom to practise religious rites and freedom of association.[i] The Coordination des associations et particuliers pour la liberté de conscience recommended ensuring that article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is respected by French institutions.[ii] JS10 recommended to put an end to religious discrimination and stigmatization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.[iii]

The need to strengthen international efforts to protect migrant children in the UK

According to UNICEF analysis based on the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) “Global Internal Displacement Database 2022” (GIDD), the number of refugee children worldwide has increased dramatically, reaching nearly 36.5 million children by the end of 2021. The report highlights the growing The number of refugee children between 2005 and 2021, and the global number of refugee children has doubled under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from four million in 2010 to more than 10 million in 2021, a rate of 132%. While the total number of non-refugee migrant children increased by 10 percent during the same period, the report highlights the dark reality that the world faces in terms of child refugee issues, as children constitute less than a third of the world’s population, while they represent more than 40 percent of the total refugees in the world in The year 2021. This represents 1 out of every 3 children living outside their countries of origin who are refugee children, which is a dangerous reality that reflects an unhappy childhood lived by nearly half of the refugees in the world, who live in extremely difficult conditions and are exposed to the worst types of violations and crimes that prevent them from enjoying their childhood and deprive them To exercise their rights and freedoms guaranteed to them by international legislation.

44th UPR Session Germany 06th – 17thNovember 2023 Religious asylum seekers in Germany

he traffic light coalition in Germany has taken many  measures and passed laws to better manage  migration. However, the number  of deportations has also increased.  Even  to those countries where  blasphemy  laws are  practiced in  the  strongest terms.  Deportations of Ahmadi  Muslims  to  Pakistan  have increased  sharply  in the  past.

CAP Freedom of Conscience involvement in Europe

The various peace and security proposals put forward by the United Nations UN Security Council on the conflict in Sudan.

The United Nations Security Council convened on 2nd June 2023, to discuss the ongoing situation in Sudan.

The members of the Security Council recalled the previous Press Statement issued on 15 April 2023, expressing deep concern regarding the continued military clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.

I will summarize the key points and outcomes of the Security Council’s deliberations.

The devastating impact on women of the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the crucial role they can play in the peace process

As we all know, women, along with children, are the most vulnerable targets in wartime.

Gender-based violence and crime, such as rape and the destruction of property and lives, are the greatest threats to women, and these crimes are often overlooked and committed with impunity.

According to UN estimates, even before the fighting broke out on April 15, more than 3 million women and girls in Sudan were at risk of gender-based violence. This figure has since risen to 4.2 million.

Conference EU Parliament : oppression of minorities in Iran and women rights

They have also encountered restrictions on their language and cultural rights. For instance, the Azeri language, which is widely spoken in Iran, has faced limitations in official settings, education, and media. Iranian law imposes certain restrictions on women, such as compulsory hijab and gender-based segregation in public spaces. It is important to emphasize that these issues are not unique to women of ethnic minority backgrounds in Iran. Women across the country, regardless of their ethnicity, face legal and social challenges that limit their rights and freedoms. I’d like to illustrate the situation of ethnic minority women in Iran with an emblematic case of persecution.

Conference EU Parliament : oppression of minorities in Iran and Religious Freedom

It is high time that Iran listened to the voices from around the world imploring it to comply with the universal principles of respect for human rights for all Iranians, and that the persecution, discrimination, and barbaric behavior of another age cease, so that this great country with a rich and glorious history, can once again become the magnificent Iran.

104 Ahmadis discussed at Organization for security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna

CAP/ Conscience et Liberté and Human Rights Without Frontiers are deeply concerned about the situation of over 100 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light who have been blocked by the Turkish authorities at the Turkish-Bulgarian border since the end of May.

Ankara has decided to deport them back to their home countries where they would face imprisonment, torture and even execution in the case of Iran.

OSCE 2022 side-event The Anti-Cult Ideology and FECRIS: Dangers for Religious Freedom

CAP Freedom of Conscience is a secular European NGO with United Nations Consultative Status, created in 1995 and dedicated to protecting the Right of Freedom of Religion and Belief. It combats all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief, inter alia, by alerting European and International bodies to abuses and violations of international standards. It collects testimonies of discrimination and human rights violations affecting religious or belief communities disseminating them to international bodies, to broadly raise awareness on the subject and to generate debate on the need for protection of freedom of religion or Belief. CAP Freedom of Conscience also advocates for any religious or spiritual group facing discrimination supporting the right to have their freedom of religion or belief recognized.

OSCE 2022 Plenary Session VII Rule of Law II The Case of Cyrille Adam

Despite France is adherent to the ICCPR, to the Tokyo Rule, to the UNODC recommendations on prison conditions, it has been repeatedly pointed out on this issue during its UPR in 2018, by the ECHR, the OIP and the CPT. Moreover, on April 2021 a law was voted in France intended to guarantee the right to respect for dignity in detention.

OSCE 2022 Plenary Session III: Tolerance and Non-Discrimination I MIVILUDES

We call on France to definitively put an end to this campaign of discrimination and stigmatization with regard to spiritual minorities or beliefs.

OSCE 2022 Plenary Session II: Fundamental freedoms I FECRIS

Mr. Dvorkin is a Russian activist with strong links to the Russian Orthodox Church and a close to Patriarch Kirill who for decades has been inundating the Russian, Chinese and Western media with hate speech against spiritual minorities and anti-Ukrainian propaganda. He was the vice-president of FECRIS for years and today he remains a member of its board of directors.

EU Parliament adopts resolution calling for review of Pakistan’s GSP+ status over blasphemy law abuse

On April 30th, the European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for a review of the GSP+ status granted to Pakistan in view of an “alarming” increase in the use of blasphemy accusations in the country as well as rising number of online and offline attacks on journalists and civil society organisations, it emerged on Friday.

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Information meeting on the UPR process in Azerbaijan

Information meeting on the UPR process in Azerbaijan

UPHOLDING UNIVERSAL COMMITMENTS:

Addressing the damaging impact of landmines on the enjoyment of human rights

Side event within the 44 session of  the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review

Room XXII, E building, Palais des Nations, Geneva  13 November 2023 / 14.30-16.00

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California for Tai Ji Men: Conscience, Justice and Freedom of Belief

California for Tai Ji Men: Conscience, Justice and Freedom of Belief

California, the Golden State, is known for its stunning landscapes, thriving entertainment industry, and diverse culture. Beneath the surface of this multifaceted state lies another remarkable aspect of its diversity: religious pluralism. From the Spanish missions of the 18th century to the bustling metropolises of the 21st century, California’s religious landscape has evolved into a vibrant tapestry of faiths and beliefs.

read more
Ahmadi Muslims in Germany who’ve fled state  persecution are being deported back to Pakistan and  it’s putting their lives at risk

Ahmadi Muslims in Germany who’ve fled state persecution are being deported back to Pakistan and it’s putting their lives at risk

Thousands  of Ahmadi  Muslims  in  Germany who  have fled  severe  religious persecution in Pakistan are awaiting a decision on their asylum  applications. They   belong   to  a religiously  and  politically  persecuted   minority  – the Ahmadiyya Muslim  Community. It  is  recognized   around  the  world   by  human   rights  groups  that Ahmadi Muslims  are  constantly,  ruthlessly  persecuted.

read more
Turkish court rules in favor of 101 Ahmadi religion detainees

Turkish court rules in favor of 101 Ahmadi religion detainees

In a side-event of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council in Germany, director of CAP Freedom of Conscience, Thierry Valle, has delivered an oral statement emphasizing the urgent need to grant asylum/humanitarian visas to the 101 members through EU consulates in Turkey as the only way available means to safeguard their right to freedom of religion and their right to life and freedom from inhumane or degrading treatment. 

read more
Side-event of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council UN Human Rights In Germany

Side-event of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council UN Human Rights In Germany

Since May of this year, over 100 Ahmadis from various countries where they were heavily persecuted, have been detained by the Turkish authorities in Edirne Immigration Detention Center. They want to apply for asylum in an EU country.

Those people from the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light do not want to stay in Turkey, another Muslim majority country, where people also consider them infidels and treat them as such.

read more
Addressing Anti-Religious Hate Crime in the OSCE Area

Addressing Anti-Religious Hate Crime in the OSCE Area

Anti-religious intolerance and hate crimes continues to be a concern across the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) region. Such manifestations of intolerance threaten both the security of individuals and societal cohesion, as discrimination and intolerant discourse often escalate into violence and wider scale conflict. At the same time, a comprehensive security regime is also needed to fully respect, protect and fulfil freedom of religion or belief, which is specifically acknowledged as one of the fundamental principles guiding mutual relations among OSCE participating States and an integral aspect of the OSCE’s concept of security. Furthermore, participating States of the OSCE have agreed on a broad range of commitments to address racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, discrimination and intolerance, including intolerance against Christians, Muslims, Jews and members of other religions. This side event will present the current situation in the OSCE area with regards to anti-religious hate crime, including reporting and addressing it. It will also highlight ODIHR’s recent and forthcoming tools, such as community security guides and factsheets. The discussion will also address gender-related aspects of anti-religious hate crime. The side event will be organized by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with the support of the FoRB Roundtable Brussels-EU

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What is CAP Freedom of Conscience ?


The Coordination of the Associations and the People for Freedom of
Conscience is an European NGO with United Nations Consultative
Status, created two decades ago and dedicated to protect the Right of
Freedom of Religion and Belief.

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