Freedom of religion & belief
13 May 2012
The EHF has written to the Ombudsman with firm comments on the EU Commission’s response to our complaint about their approach to the Article 17 dialogue with us and in particular their treatment of our request for a dialogue seminar. Our covering letter is here. It attaches our detailed comments, which have three enclosures: a letter from BEPA to the EHF dated 16 November 2011; an email from BEPA to the EHFdated 5 May 2011 and a letter… read more »
The Ombudsman in March 2012 forwarded to us for comment the EU Commission’s response to our complaint about their discrimination against us in their implementation of the Article 17 dialogue. The Ombudsman’s letter and the EU response may be read here. For the EHF’s complaint, see here . For the Ombudsman’s request for comments from the Commission, see here. For the EHF’s comments to the Ombudsman on the Commission’s response, see here.
4 May 2012
EHF received an appeal from the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) for support for an Indonesian civil servant, Alexander Aan, who is being prosecuted after creating an atheist group on Facebook. Some background is available on the New Humanist blog and the AHRC website has full details. We sent emails as requested to Prof. Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, the General Director of Human Rights at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, to Mr. Suryadharma Ali, the Minister of… read more »
29 January 2012
The EHF has adopted a policy on conscientious objection. It says that humanists set a high value on freedom of religion or belief. However, it draws attention to the c0nditions the European Convention on Human Rights imposes on the right to manifest such beliefs – for example, where that may interfere with the rights and freedoms of other people. Some claims to conscientious objection do have serious implications for the rights of others – rights… read more »
30 December 2011
Panayote Dimitras (founder of the Humanist Union of Greece) and some of his colleagues in the Greek Helsinki Monitor (affiliated to the International Helsinki Federation) have won a case against Greece at the European Court of Human Rights. In their work under the Helsinki process, they frequently have to make depositions or give evidence in court. Despite constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion or belief, Greek law requires that as a default they have to… read more »
23 November 2011
The EU Ombudsman is taking seriously the EHF’s complaint about the EU Commisssion’s approach to the Article 17 dialogue with us and in particular its treatment of our request for a dialogue seminar. In a letter to the EHF dated 15 November, he tells us of the questions he has put to the Commission. See here for an EHF press release, dated 23 November. For the EHF’s complaint, see here . For the Commission… read more »
14 November 2011
Khalid Saeed is a Pakistani and he is also an atheist. He fled from Pakistan in 2009 to Sweden, where his brother has lived for many years. His request for asylum has just been rejected by the Swedish authorities. The EHF, together with the International Humanist and Ethical Union, has joined Humanisterna, our Swedish member organisation, in asking the Swedish authorities to reverse their decision. Our letter (in Swedish) is here; an English version is… read more »
10 November 2011
Parliamentary vote for ban on burqa Swiss MPs have approved a far-right move to impose a ban on the burqa or other face coverings in some public places, including on public transport. With 101 votes against 77, the lower chamber of the house approved the motion, which was titled “masks off!”. The draft bill now goes to the upper chamber. Put forward by Oskar Freysinger, a politician of the Swiss far-right SVP party, the motion… read more »
28 October 2011
[For later information, see here.] On 19 October 2011 the European Humanist Federation sent a complaint to the European Ombudsman about the refusal of the EU Commission to meet them in a “dialogue seminar” as part of the “open, transparent and regular dialogue” with churches, religious associations or communities, philosophical and non-confessional organisations which is mandated by Article 17:3 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (as amended by the Lisbon Treaty)…. read more »
21 October 2011
Eytan Reif of Initiative Religion ist Privatsache in Austria has informed us of a new case about crucifixes and other religious practices in kindergartens that it is hoped will partially counter the effect of Lautsi v Italy. He writes: A new complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) was filed a short while ago in a new attempt not only to free Austrian public kindergartens of crosses or crucifixes but also to put… read more »