HRC 60 oral statement : Item 4: General debate on the human rights situations that require the Council’s attention

Human Rights Council

60th regular session of the Human Rights Council

08 September – 08 October 2025

Item 4: General debate on the human rights situations that require the Council’s attention – General Debate

Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience

We and Human Rights Without Frontiers are deeply concerned about the fact that chaplaincy activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses in a number of Belgian prisons are in practice not allowed any more.

Since 2019, Jehovah’s Witnesses have written six times to the Minister of Justice and have initiated legal proceedings due to this discrimination experienced in four Belgian prisons: Nivelles, Leuze, Dinant, and Leuven Central.

In August 2023, the General Director of the penitentiary administration issued a circular to stop tolerating that religions not being recognized by the State provide spiritual assistance on request of their people in prison.

In April 2022, a ruling of the European Court considered that the system of state recognition of religions in Belgium was flawed and discriminatory, not compatible with the European Convention and should be revised. This has still not happened three years later.

Until it happens, we recommend that the Belgian State be tolerant and allow Jehovah’s Witnesses in prison to be provided spiritual assistance every time they require it.

Source : https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k15/k15h5lc868
22nd, 23rd, 24th Meetings – 60th Session of Human Rights Council