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.

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.

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.”

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).

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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has suffered long-standing persecution in Pakistan, where the very identity of an Ahmadi Muslim, existential by definition, has been denied. The community is persecuted and discriminated by law and by religious ideology. The fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief as well as other human rights of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community have been seriously violated.

The European Court of Human Rights has denounced in the past similar abuses against the Jehovah’s Witnesses and other groups in France. Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience (CAP-LC) has mentioned in several previous written statements with this Human Rights Council the case of Tai Ji Men in Taiwan, a spiritual movement that has been declared innocent of all criminal accusations raised against it, including tax evasion, yet has continued to be harassed through ill-founded tax bills (more information on its case may be obtained through the website TaiJiMenCase.org).

CAP Liberté de conscience and Human Rights Without Frontiers are particularly concerned about the dramatic shrinking of the freedom of journalists and media outlets in Ethiopia. The federal law enforcement forces and the judiciary and have largely abused their mandate throughout last year.

Protection of universal human rights in conflict affected areas has always been the priority for the work of UN Human rights council. There is inseparable connection between protection of peace and security and human rights and human dignity. Both sustainable peace and human dignity can’t not be achieved but with Justice. The latter is a fundamental building block for the formers, thus it needs to be addressed at once.  This linkage become even more important when the shadow of the fading conflict still dominates and hinder normalization efforts by the states engaged in post-conflict peacebuilding. The two-fold task presents a challenge but also provide opportunity to support transition from conflict to peace by applying the mechanism of transitional justice.(1) One such important opportunity emerged in the critical region of South Caucuses with the effective transition of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the parties signed Trilateral Statement in November 2020 which ended the war.

This symposium is organised by the Arab European forum for Dialogue and Human Rights as a side event in light of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council.

On the occasion of the ongoing 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council, human rights activists called upon the UN to investigate human rights violations perpetrated by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan. In a side-event titled “Human Rights in Pakistan: Balochistan in Focus” hosted by Thierry Valle, President of Coordination des Association et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience, in room number XXII, speakers highlighted various aspects of atrocities faced by the Baloch people in Pakistan.

Considering the history of the cooperation between Sudan, UN agencies and international organizations on humanitarian issues, the Vice-President of the Sovereign Council in Sudan, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, recently urged the UN and its agencies as well as the EU and its member states to provide Sudan with the needed financial, logistical and technical resources. We support and reiterate this urge to the Council.

According to eyewitnesses the attacks were mainly carried out by government forces and the victims were mostly women, children and the elderly. The attacks took place for a month, since November 13, 22 until December 3, 22.

In total, two hundred eighty Amhara civilians were confirmed dead on December 3, 22. Nearly twenty thousand people managed to escape.

There are currently close to one million Amharas specifically displaced to escape ethnic based massacres from Benishangul-Gumuz, Wellega and North Shewa.

Alexander Dvorkin is not just an ideologist for Russian extremist politicians. He is still vice-president of the FECRIS anti-sect organisation, which is funded by the French government. We recommend to put him and FECRIS on the list of sanctions.

The organizations concerned operate for the protection and respect of Human Rights in the Arab world and in the countries of the world. They are active in the protection and promotion of Human Rights as well as affirming international efforts for Human Development. Moreover, they strive to promote dialogue and peace in the world as well as to guarantee the enjoyment of the fundamental rights and freedoms of everyone.

By 2023, 21.6 million people will require some form of humanitarian assistance, while 80 per cent of the country’s population struggles to access food, clean water and adequate health services. Multiple emergencies have hit the country: violent conflict, economic blockade, currency collapse, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic

The promotion of peace, security and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms are some of the values and objectives of the European Union.

As Yemen is defining its future, it is important that human rights, especially, the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief is front and centre and presented by those committed to those aims, not least individuals from discriminated religious beliefs.

CAP Liberté de Conscience and Human Rights Without Frontiers are deeply concerned by France’s failure to respect freedom of religion and belief for all religions, beliefs and spiritual minorities.

Indeed, France continues its hunt against minorities using its Interministerial Mission against sectarian drift, Miviludes as an instrument of discrimination.

Today, a conference on so-called sectarian drifts and conspiracy theories is being held in Paris. It is organized by Miviludes and by the Secretary of State in charge of Citizenship, Sonia Backès.

New legislative measures targeting minorities are to be discussed.

recommended to repeal all anti-blasphemy laws, and ensure that the State’s domestic laws, policies and practices comply with the international human rights covenants, in particular articles 2, 18, 19 and 26 of the ICCPR. It also addressed the multiple and intersecting forms of violence and discrimination suffered by the Ahmadi community, including those faced by Ahmadi women, children and refugees.

The Permanent Mission of Hungary, the Permanent Mission of Poland and ADF International are co-hosting a side event on the margins of the 52nd Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, titled “Hard to Believe: Trends in Restrictions on Religious Conversion”.