44 Parliamentarians and dignitaries from 18 countries, including Asia’s leading Catholic cardinal, the daughter of Indonesia’s former president and former UK House Of Commons Speaker John Bercow, have written an Open Letter to Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam expressing “grave concerns at the recent escalation of police brutality over the Christmas period.”

The letter calls on the Chief Executive to instruct the Hong Kong Police Force to exe...

"Freedom of religion and belief is a condition of good governance, important for believers and non-believers," and it is "a civilizational objective and criterion, representing freedom of thought, conscience, religion."

Freedom of religion and belief is a condition of good governance, important for believers and non-believers. It is a civilizational objective and criterion, representing freedom of thought, conscience, religion. FoRB protection is a precondition of sustainable development. Why? Development is another name for peace. Peace is the fruit of justice. Justice is based on human rights for all. FoRB is a very central right. Art. 18 of the UDHR is in the...

Freedom of Religion and/or Belief (FoRB) should be a fundamental human right for all, yet has faced increased threats around the world. In response to the growing threat, Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU, Mr. Jan Figel, hosted a meeting in Brussels on how to increase EU support for FoRB.

Presentation of the work and the recommendations of the Special Envoy, Ján Figeľ

15 – 16 October 2019, Stanhope Hotel – Rue du Commerce 9, Brussels, Belgium
 

"Never Again": What Can Be Done to Prevent and Address Religious Persecution
A Panel at the Newseum in Washington, DC on October 11, 2019

“I am very grateful to Jan Figel, EU special envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB); and Muhammad Aman Ullah, a Pakistani human rights activist, for their thorough support. I have no words to thank them. I pray to God for their safety and well- being,” Aasia Bibi says in a message.

Nine years after being falsely accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad while engaged in a row with her neighbours, Pakistani-born Christian Asia Bibi and her daughters have been relocated from Lahore to an undisclosed safe location in Canada where they are now all living together.

A European Union official who played a role in working for the release of Pakistani death row inmate Asia Bibi said the outcome shows the potential of international cooperation to promote religious freedom.