An article from Massimo Introvigne

Short analysis by Silvio Calzolari (FOB Secretary) on the declarations released at OSCE HDIM conference by FOB President, Alessandro Amicarelli and by the confederated associations SOTERIA and CAP.

In recent decades, the right of every human being to freedom of expression and religious practice has often been proclaimed, including at the highest levels (United Nations, Council of Europe, the Helsinki Conference, OSCE etc.).

In this page you can find documents and videos about the activities of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB) and the associated NGOs, concerning freedom of religion and belief and human rights issues, at the Europe’s largest annual human rights conference. It was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in Warsaw, from 19 to 30 September 2016. In this year FOB has presented two statements, one in session #12 and one in session #13.

Soternia International is one of the association federated to FOB. Its representative released this statement to stigmatize that spiritual groups have been victims misinterpretation of their activities - due to incorrect information being circulated - and suffered abuses due to this.

Coordination of Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP)

OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2016:
Freedom of Religion or Belief
September 2016

CAP is an association created in 2000 to unite minority religions in Europe to counter discrimination concerning the right to freedom of conscience and belief. It has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2016

Working session 12: Fundamental freedoms II,
Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief

STATEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR FREEDOM OF BELIEF (FOB)
about Freedom of Belief in Italy : Problems & Perspectives

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2016

Working session 13: Fundamental freedoms II,
including freedom of movement

Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion or Belief

STATEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR FREEDOM OF BELIEF (FOB)
about Freedom of Movement in connection to Freedom of Religion and Belief

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Interview by FOREF Europe with Dr. Ján Figeľ, EU Special Envoy for the promotion of FoRB

The Government will appeal against the anti-mosques  law of the Veneto government before the Constitutional Court: this was announced by Hon. Luigi Lacquaniti (Democratic Party) who supported the initiative launched by the European Federation for Freedom of Belief, a petition drive that collected 1,197 signatures in just over a month.

Yesterday, at Montecitorio, at 2.30 PM, Raffaella di Marzio, Secretary of F.O.B. (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) presented to Hon. Luigi Lacquaniti (PD), along with a letter of thanks, the first 1,100 signatures collected in the petition promoted by the Federation to wield the “anti-mosques law approved by the Veneto Region. The Waldensian MP manifested his intention to join the initiative and signed the petition.

F.O.B. asks the Government of challenging the "anti-mosques law” which violates the Constitution and the freedom of religion of all religious minorities:

Sign the petition

F.O.B. (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) calls on the Government to challenge the law on places of worship approved in the Veneto region. As already sanctioned by the Constitutional Court on the previous one, this "anti-mosques law" violates the principles of our Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, belief and conscience to all religious denominations.

Amarandei and Others v. Romania (no. 1443/10)

HRWF (28.04.2016) – Human Rights Without Frontiers Int’l (HRWF Int’l) hails the decision of the European Court in a case filed against Romania by yoga practitioners of the “Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute” (MISA).

Violations of the freedom of religion and belief for MISA yoga practitioners in Romania

For almost a decade Soteria International has been raising awareness among international and European politicians and Human Rights NGOs about violations of the freedom of religion and belief in Romania in the case of the spiritual movement MISA and its founder Gregorian Bivolaru.

FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) frankly condemns the terroristic violence, product of fanaticism and religious extremism, which in recent days has become – if ever possible – more and more intense and odious, with respect to the increasing level of tragedy which we have witnessed in recent years.

In concern of the fundamental rights of the refugee Magnus Aurolsson, formerly named Gregorian Bivolaru

We are deeply concerned that the fundamental rights of the religious refugee Gregorian Bivolaru are today not secure within the EU judicial collaboration.

Last month European police and media seem to continue the same persecution based upon religious discrimination, for which Gregorian Bivolaru was granted the status of political asylum By the Supreme Court of Sweden in 2006.

Given that

F.O.B. (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) supports the initiative of Soteria International aimed to know the truth about the case of Bivolaru, political refugee arrested in France last February 26 in violation of the international law.

HRWF (02.03.2016) - Two prominent figures of de-radicalisation in France have put down their arms: one having not had her accreditation renewed and the other renouncing her mission for political reasons. They have left the scene, but it is difficult to assess whether they have in fact succeeded in their mission.

The European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), was urged to intervene in support of an  association of Israeli academics who expressed their opinion on a proposal of law against  “dangerous cults", based on the notion of mental manipulation.

A law proposal aimed against “harmful cults” is about to be voted upon in the Israeli parliament (the Knesset). Below is a summary of how this came to be, and what the response of local academics.

We publish the text of the bill against dangerous cults based on the notion of mental manipulation. Academics of MEIDA have mobilized themselves to counter this initiative by sending documents and studies that refute the notions of "cult" and "mental manipulation". The CESNUR site was the first one to give the news in Italy and HRWFspread the appeal of the Israeli scholars through its Newsletter. FOB is intervening, on the basis of its statutory purposes, to contribute to the campaign against this bill.