On April 29, when Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited the Norwegian Helsinki Committee in Oslo, the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief, operating under the auspices of the committee, initiated a letter to be signed by parliamentarians from different countries. It responds to the new law adopted in Belarus, “Amending Laws on the Activities of Religious Organizations”.
The letter highlights several repressive provisions of Belarus’ legislation on religious freedom, which violate human rights standards and contradict Belarus’s international commitments in this area. Parliamentarians call on the Belarusian authorities to “bring Belarusian laws and policies into line with its freely undertaken international commitments” and “take concrete action to provide freedom of religion or belief to all in Belarus”. After signing, the letter will be sent to the Belarusian authorities and Norwegian embassies in various countries.
The International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB) includes over 350 current and former parliamentarians and legislators from more than 97 countries worldwide.
Various organizations and institutions have drawn attention to the repressiveness of Belarusian legislation on religious freedom. For example, in February 2024, Christian Vision submitted input for the 2024 report of the Special Rapporteur on Belarus to the UN Human Rights Council, which is focused on freedom of association. Also, in August 2023, UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Belarus addressed the Belarusian authorities regarding the proposed amendments to legislation on religion. The rapporteurs sent a joint letter on the issue of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, as well as freedom of religion or belief.
