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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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.
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: 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: Botswana
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion, with certain exceptions, and for protection against governmental discrimination based on creed. It also provides for freedom of thought and religion, the right to change religion or belief, and the right to manifest and propagate religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice, and observance.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Djibouti
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution establishes Islam as the state religion but mandates equality for persons of all faiths. Religious groups must register with the government, which conducts lengthy background checks as part of the registration process. Foreign religious workers must obtain a work permit and purchase annual residency cards.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Antigua and Barbuda
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of thought and religion, as well as the right to practice and change one’s religion or belief. The law decriminalizing marijuana for any use also recognizes the government’s responsibility to uphold the religious rights of persons of the Hindu and Rastafari faiths.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Republic of the Congo
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on religious belief. The law regulates the establishment and operation of religious groups. By law, eight major religious groups are charged with electing the head of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Benin
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution establishes a secular state and provides for freedom of religious thought, expression, and practice. The law bans forms of expression that incite discrimination, hatred, or violence against an individual or a group of persons based on their religion. The law also bans any expression...
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Uruguay
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion and affirms the state does not endorse any specific religion. Legal statutes prohibit discrimination based on religion.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Costa Rica
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution recognizes Roman Catholicism as the state religion; the law requires the state to contribute to the Catholic Church’s maintenance. The constitution prohibits the state from impeding the free exercise of religions that does not impugn “universal morality or proper behavior," and it provides for redress in cases of alleged violations of religious freedom.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Paraguay
By State Newswire | May 16, 2023
Release: The constitution accords individuals the right to choose, change, and freely practice their religion and prohibits religious discrimination. It specifically recognizes the right of Indigenous communities to express their religions freely. The constitution states the relationship between the state and the Roman Catholic Church is based on “independence, cooperation, and autonomy.".