We are deeply concerned about the arrest in Jordan in late July of six members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, a new religious movement founded 25 years ago.

They were just distributing in public in Amman flyers which simply described traditions related to the appearance of Imam Mahdi.

They were detained in unhuman conditions, mice and rats infesting their cells. They were released on bail after about three weeks of detention. But they were forced to pledge a payment of 70,000 US Dollars, should they ever publicly express or propagate again their religion.

CAP Liberté de Conscience has urged the government to tackle its persisting human rights abuses and uphold its obligations outlined in the International Covenant, on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) according to a written statement presented at the United Nations Human Rights Council 57th session.

The report by Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) and CAP LC presented to the 142nd session of the UN Human Rights Committee paints a disturbing picture of the treatment of Romanian yoga practitioners by French authorities in the aftermath of wide-scale police raids in November 2023.

It is essential that the recommendations of the Working Group are implemented without delay, including:

Remedying the situation of the individuals who are arbitrarily detained
Ensuring compensation and reparations
Holding accountable those responsible for violating their rights
Amending legislation that allows the extension of sentences already served which violates the principle of legality and non-retroactivity
Encouraging all States to cooperate with the Working Group

Recently, in Azerbaijan there has been a trend of intolerance where 11 followers of the Ahmedi faith were arrested for openly practicing their beliefs as members of the Religion of Peace and Light.

In a conference titled “Arbitrary Detention in the UAE: Addressing the Crisis of Civil Society Suppression,” during the 57th session of the United Nation Human Rights Council experts and activists convened to address alarming trends surrounding human rights in the United Arab Emirates. The event showcased personal testimonies from individuals directly impacted by the UAE’s legal framework, particularly highlighting the challenges faced by dissenters and civil society advocates.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is a small community in Jordan that faces ongoing challenges, including harassment from authorities, threats of violence, and exclusion from society due to their divergent beliefs from traditional Muslim views. Their beliefs include that the real Kaaba is in Petra, Jordan rather than Mecca, that prophets made mistakes, that fixed prayer times are unnecessary, and that alcohol can be consumed moderately. They also accept LGBTQ people in their community.

The written statement discusses the issue of discrimination against spiritual minorities through the abuse of taxes. It argues that religious and spiritual groups have a right to truth, justice, reparation, and recovery when they have been unjustly discriminated against and persecuted.

On Tuesday 17 September 2024 at 1 p.m. in the Peace Palace (Room XXV) in Geneva, a side event will feature Joey Shea, Researcher at Human Rights Watch, Ahmed al-Nuaimi,  defendant in the UAE 94 trial, and Matthew Hedges, a British academic held in solitary confinement for nearly seven months. The panel will address serious concerns about arbitrary detention and the repression of civil society in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In a written statement submitted to the 57th session UN Human Rights Council, CAP LC has shed light on the plight of Emirati victims whose fundamental rights have been systematically violated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government.

Internet Shutdown – India holds the dubious distinction of leading the world in internet shutdowns for the 6th consecutive year . In August 2019, the Indian government completely blocked all communication networks in the Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir, including landlines, fixed line internet and mobile networks. The authorities sought to prevent Kashmiris from organizing protests after the government revoked the state’s constitutional autonomous status, splitting it into two separate federally governed territories. Denying access to the internet has become a default policing tactic by Indian authorities, including to shut down protests or criticism of the government. The sufferers are then the common citizens, to many of whom “no internet means no work, no pay, no food”.

Since their implantation in Egypt in 2012, members of a new religious movement in Islam, self-named “The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light,” have been the victims of state repression, social hostility, death threats by extremist imams for being considered heretics.

Geneva, Switzerland – On July 5, a side  event, “Combating Islamophobia in Asia: From Awareness to Action,” was held at the United  Nations  Human  Rights  Council’s (UNHRC) 56th Session to address the threats of Islamophobia in Asia, with a focus on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) persecution of Uyghur Muslims. The event was co-organized by  CAP  Liberté  de Conscience,  Campaign  for  Uyghurs  (CFU), and the  Center  for  Uyghur  Studies. This event coincided with the 15th anniversary of the Urumchi  Massacre, further highlighting the regime’s ongoing atrocities in the Uyghur region due to their ethnic and religious identity.

We urgently draw your attention to the ongoing genocide against the Amhara people in Ethiopia, a crisis ignored by this council and its member states. Amhara women face catastrophic realities, including trafficking, gang rape, torture, and witnessing the brutal killings of their loved ones.

In recent years, the rise of Islamophobia in Asia has emerged as a critical challenge to religious freedom and human rights across the region. This side event aims to transform dialogue into dedicated action, highlighting effective strategies and fostering international cooperation to address and mitigate Islamophobia.

The Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience a governmental organization with special consultative status has presented a written submission to the 56th session of the Human Rights Council shedding light on the serious human rights abuses taking place in Ethiopia especially targeting the Amhara community. The submission underscores the violence faced by Amhara women and girls framing it within a context of genocide against the Amhara people.

Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic country with over 76 different groups. The Amhara people are one of the largest ethnic groups with a history spanning over 4000 years in Ethiopia, distributed across various regions of the country. However, they have been impacted significantly by targeted attacks, displacement, and grave human rights violations. This report aims to address the widespread abuses faced by the Amhara community throughout Ethiopia,.

Throughout the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, the Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience actively engaged in addressing a range of human rights concerns affecting religious minorities and vulnerable groups across Europe, Africa, and Asia. The organization’s interventions aimed to raise awareness, call for immediate action, and urge governments to uphold their obligations to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals, regardless of their religious or spiritual affiliation.

The United Nations Human Rights Council is currently considering a draft resolution (A/HRC/55/L.22) that aims to bolster the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities. The resolution, sponsored by a diverse group of countries, emphasizes the need for States to take concrete measures to ensure the full enjoyment of minority rights and promote social cohesion.

At the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, CAP Liberté de Conscience and Human Rights Without Frontiers will raise the alarming issue of approximately 20,000 Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia. Despite the efforts of NGOs and the mediation of Qatar, which have led to the rescue and reunification of only a few hundred children with their families in Ukraine, the scale of this crime against humanity remains staggering.

The Coordination of Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP LC) has issued an urgent appeal to the German government during the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, urging an immediate halt to the deportation of Ahmadi asylum seekers to Pakistan. This call for action was made following the review of Germany’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) outcome on 22 March 2024.

Geneva, Switzerland (20 March 2024) – A prominent human rights organization today issued an urgent call for India to repeal its newly implemented Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which discriminates against Muslim migrants by denying them a pathway to citizenship based solely on their religion.

This statement from the NGO CAP Liberté de Conscience raises concerns about stigmatization, intolerance and hate speech towards religious minorities in Europe, often labeled pejoratively as “cults” or “sects”. It argues this phenomenon is fueled by anti-cult movements, sensationalist media coverage, and government bodies like France’s Miviludes that work with anti-cult associations.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, established by the United Nations Human Rights Council, has released a comprehensive report detailing the extensive human rights violations and war crimes committed by Russian authorities during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The report sheds light on the widespread use of torture, wilful killings, sexual violence, and the alarming issue of children being kidnapped and transferred from Ukraine to Russia.