News from 2023
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Malawi
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion and provides for freedom of conscience, religion, belief, and thought.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Cuba
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution contains written provisions for religious freedom and prohibitions against discrimination based on religious grounds; however, provisions in the penal and administrative codes contravene these protections. The constitution declares the country a secular state and provides for the separation...
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: El Salvador
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion and states all persons are equal before the law. It prohibits discrimination based on religion. The constitution grants automatic official recognition to the Roman Catholic Church and states other religious groups may apply for official recognition through registration.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Ghana
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution prohibits religious discrimination, stipulates individuals are free to profess and practice their religion, and does not designate a state religion. Registration is required for religious groups to have legal status.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Cameroon
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution establishes the state as secular, prohibits religious harassment, and provides for freedom of religion and worship.
“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” published by the Congressional Record in the Senate section on May 11
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
The Senate section of the Congressional Record published “STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” on May 11.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Iceland
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religious belief and practice, as long as it is not prejudicial to good morals or public order. The constitution also protects the right to form religious associations. It names the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) as the state church, to which the government ...
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Micronesia
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution states no law may be passed to establish a state religion or impair the free exercise of religion. It states, “No law may deny or impair freedom of expression, peaceable assembly, association or petition" and “No law may be passed respecting an establishment of religion or impairing the free exercise of religion.".
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Nicaragua
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion; provides for freedom of belief, religion, and worship; and states no one “shall be obligated by coercive measures to declare his or her ideology or beliefs.".
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Sao Tome and Principe
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution and the law on religious freedom provide for freedom of religion and worship and equality for all, irrespective of religious belief, and provide for judicial protection to all religious denominations. Both the constitution and the religious freedom law grant religious groups autonomy and the right to teach their religion. Religious groups must register with the government.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Thailand
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution “prohibits discrimination based on religious belief" and protects religious liberty as long as the exercise of religious freedom is not “harmful to the security of the State." The law officially recognizes five religious groups: Buddhists, Muslims, Brahmin-Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Brazil
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution states freedom of conscience and belief is inviolable, provides for the free exercise of religious beliefs, and prohibits federal, state, and local governments from either supporting or hindering any religion. The law contains penalties for acts of religious intolerance and discrimination.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Guinea-Bissau
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution establishes the separation of religion and state and the responsibility of the state to respect and protect legally recognized religious groups. It states that all citizens are equal under the law, with the same rights and obligations irrespective of their religion, and it recognizes the freedom of religious groups to teach their faith.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Madagascar
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religious thought and expression and prohibits religious discrimination in the workplace. Other laws protect individual religious beliefs against abuses by government or private actors.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Iceland
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religious belief and practice, as long as it is not prejudicial to good morals or public order. The constitution also protects the right to form religious associations. It names the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) as the state church, to which the government...
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Tonga
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution grants freedom to practice, worship, and assemble for religious services. The constitution requires the Sabbath, which the government defines as Sunday, be “kept holy" and prohibits most commercial transactions and many recreational activities on Sunday, except as permitted by law. The...
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Laos
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides citizens with “the right and freedom to believe or not to believe in religion." The government officially recognizes four religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baha’i Faith, with Buddhism paramount. Decree 315, rather than law, sets forth rules for religious practice and minimum land requirements for building houses of worship and defines the government as the final arbiter of permissible religious activities.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Chile
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of conscience and worship. Religion and state are separate. The law prohibits religious discrimination and provides civil remedies to victims of discrimination. The National Office of Religious Affairs (ONAR) is charged with facilitating communication between faith communities and the government and ensuring the protection of the rights of members of minority religious groups.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Grenada
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution protects freedom of conscience, including freedom of thought and religion. The criminal code prohibits the publication and sale of blasphemous language; however, the code is not enforced.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Burma
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: Note. In 2021, the military overthrew the democratically elected civilian government, declaring a state of emergency and creating a State Administration Council, a military-run administrative organization led by armed forces Commander in Chief (CINC) Min Aung Hlaing that assumed executive, legislative,...