Council of Europe Warns About Violations of Religious Freedom but Overlooks the Scale of Anti-Christian Aggression

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Freedom of religion as a foundation of human rights

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a draft resolution entitled “Countering discrimination based on religion and protecting freedom of religion or belief in Europe.” The document underscores the fundamental role of freedom of religion and expresses concern about discrimination and intolerance on religious or ideological grounds in Europe. However, whereas PACE identifies the problem of growing religious intolerance, it clearly overlooks the increasing scale of aggression targeted at Christians.

In the PACE resolution, the status and significance of freedom of religion and belief are highlighted first and foremost, emphasizing that this freedom includes the right not to hold religious beliefs and not to belong to any religious community. It is also noted there that it constitutes a fundamental right and is “a vital element of any democratic system.” In this context, the authors of the resolution recall, among other things, Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and point out that this provision forms the foundation of the Council of Europe’s human rights protection system.

On the other hand, in an amendment submitted by conservative members of the Assembly (including, among others, Paweł Jabłoński of Law and Justice party), it was recalled that freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, protected under Article 9 of the Convention, is not absolute. In doing so, the authors of the amendment rely on the provisions of the Convention and on the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, noting that “member States enjoy a margin of appreciation to adopt proportionate and legally prescribed measures aimed at safeguarding public safety, social cohesion and the rights and freedoms of others, including preventive legislation to counter radicalisation, extremism, coercion and harmful social practices, where such measures are necessary in a democratic society” (p. 2).

An increase in religious intolerance in Europe?

In a later section of the resolution, an alarming trend is highlighted: a rise in manifestations of exclusion and intolerance on religious grounds across Europe. In this regard, the document recalls previous acts of the Council of Europe concerning antisemitism, Islamophobia, and “neo-racism.) “The Assembly considers that member States should step up efforts to prevent and counter all forms of racism and intolerance that misrepresent cultural differences, notably religious affiliation, as a cause of supposed incompatibility between minority groups and European societies.”

The authors of the resolution point out that manifestations of religious intolerance in Europe often appear to be linked to conflicts occurring in other regions. In this context, the Assembly points to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The document also emphasized that this conflict has become a catalyst for a rise in antisemitic incidents, including acts of violence and physical attacks, as well as hate speech on social media. As PACE points out, citing the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the number of Islamophobic acts has also increased.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) also expresses appreciation and support for the work of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), reminds member states of the need to implement that body’s recommendations, and emphasizes that member states should ensure that religious communities and their members can exercise the right to freedom of religion without hindrance or discrimination, in accordance with Article 9 of the Convention. It includes, among other things, the ability to publicly express one’s opinions without risking censorship or intimidation. In the resolution, education is identified as a key area in terms of combating “ignorance, breaking down stereotypes and bias, building trust and mutual respect” (p. 3).

The ability to express faith is sometimes overly restricted.

Referring to the 2015 resolution, titled “Tackling intolerance and discrimination in Europe with a special focus on Christians,” PACE notes that intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief affect both majority and minority religious groups in Europe. The Assembly finds that religious expression is sometimes unduly restricted by national legislation and policy and emphasizes the need to identify practical ways to enable religious practices in the workplace and other settings.

Furthermore, PACE, among other things, underscores the special responsibility of public figures to denounce religious hatred and all other forms of intolerance, points to violations of freedom of religion or belief and the instrumentalization of religion in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and condemns, among other things, the Russian Orthodox Church as a tool in the hands of the Kremlin.

Recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

In light of the findings presented in the first part of the resolution, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe calls on the member states of the Council of Europe to take a range of measures aimed at improving the situation with regard to freedom of religion.

The resolution recommends that Council of Europe member states collect data on intolerance and discrimination, taking into account characteristics such as religion, gender, ethnic origin, nationality, or the victims’ religious affiliation, and provide religious literacy training for public officials, law enforcement, and judicial personnel, in order to facilitate the identification of such acts.

Furthermore, PACE recommends that Council of Europe member states strengthen cooperation with media organizations in order to promote fair and accurate representation of religious beliefs and lifestyles in the media, as well as to counter negative stereotypes or stigmatization based on religion or belief, without undermining the independence of the media.

Other recommendations address, among other things, the need to ensure equal and fair treatment of all religious communities by the public administration, and call on legislators and political leaders to refrain from using stigmatizing and discriminatory language or exploiting religion for political purposes. PACE also calls on member states to ensure that violations of freedom of religion or belief linked to situations of armed conflict and foreign occupation are effectively monitored, documented, and addressed at the national and international levels, and to support interreligious dialogue aimed at fostering better mutual understanding.

The Assembly also calls for the imposition of sanctions against Patriarch Kirill and the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church who promote, justify, or provide ideological support for the war and aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as well as other hybrid operations aimed at undermining democratic stability in Europe. PACE also calls on national parliaments to establish parliamentary groups dedicated to preventing and combating racism, intolerance, and hatred.

“The resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe rightly emphasizes the importance of religious freedom as one of the foundations of the democratic order and rightly notes and condemns the use of religion by the Russian Orthodox Church to legitimize aggression against Ukraine. On the other hand, the document addresses the situation of Christians only superficially, giving the topic marginal treatment. Such a state of affairs is surprising, especially with regard to reports and findings from a number of international organizations in recent years indicating a high number of incidents targeting Christians. In this context, one might mention, for example, the 2020 report by Open Doors, which states that the persecution of Christians worldwide is reaching unprecedented levels. This document indicates that in 2019, worldwide, 260 million Christians faced some form of harassment, aggression, or hostility because of their faith. It is also worth citing the 2025 OSCE report, which notes a high incidence of crimes targeting Christians and Christian places of worship in many European countries. Taking into account these data and the scale of anti-Christian violence, such a cursory treatment of issues relating to the religious freedom of Christians may raise doubts about the adequacy of the assessment presented by the Assembly,” comments Patryk Ignaszczak of the Ordo Iuris Center for International Law.

See also:

• Christians Attacked Across OSCE Region

• Persecuted for Defending Christians: A Conversation with Fidei Defensor’s Adam S. (Video)

• Escalating Persecution of Christians in Nicaragua—Politicians and Church’s Responses Ineffective

Source of cover photo: iStock