Speaking in person in Geneva at the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), Leon Langdon, Advocacy Officer for Humanists International, welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s emphasis on the inclusion of humanists and atheists in the mandate’s scope, particularly in her recent Report on the nexus between the right to FoRB and freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
In his statement, Langdon highlighted how discrimination against the non-religious can amount to coercion and take various forms, including the enforcement of blasphemy laws, denial of essential services, and legal non-recognition.
The statement emphasized that the suppression of religious minorities in detention settings goes beyond violations of FoRB and freedom from ill-treatment—it also restricts access to legal remedies. He urged all stakeholders to ensure that those facing violations of their FoRB rights have the means to seek justice. While she thanked civil society generally, the Special Rapporteur, Professor Nazila Ghanea, specifically acknowledged the organization’s input on this point in her own oral reply.
Condemning the detention of individuals in psychiatric facilities or detention centers for their beliefs, Humanists International warned against state complicity in religious fundamentalism. He called on states to implement concrete measures to prevent and address instances of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment related to FoRB.
Many of the points highlighted in the statement were substantively outlined by Humanists International in a submission, in late 2024, to the Special Rapporteur, which highlighted the specific ways in which the right to FoRB was undermined for the non-religious, citing numerous examples.
The Special Rapporteur also reported on her recent country visit to Hungary. That Report had an entire section on the specific discrimination against humanists and atheists, and included the plight of Gáspár Békés, who was fired by the Budapest City Hall for his secular journalism and activism unrelated to his position of employment.
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