March 18, 2025
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
At a high-stake side event during the 58th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, human rights advocates, legal experts, and survivors delivered a resounding condemnation of the systematic use of torture and persecution against religious communities in Pakistan, Eritrea, Nicaragua, and Sudan.
They stressed that the global community could no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the atrocities committed against religious minorities. The time for polite diplomacy is over—decisive action is needed now.
The event was hosted by the US based organization Jubilee Campaign, with co-partner organizations Set My People Free and the European Centre for Law and Justice. The event laid bare the grim reality that religious persecution is not an isolated issue but a global crisis.
Speakers demanded immediate international intervention to hold perpetrators accountable, strengthen protections for vulnerable communities, and ensure justice for victims of state-backed religious oppression.
Nazila Ghanea, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, opened the discussion with a stark reminder: the right to religious freedom and the prohibition of torture are non-derogable rights.
“Yet, across the world, these fundamental freedoms are being trampled underfoot,” she stressed. “The recent HRC report underscores the need for stronger action. The international community must demand accountability for these grave violations, not just issue empty condemnations,” Ghanea stated.
Charlie Weimers, Member of the European Parliament, delivered a scathing rebuke of Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws, which he described as ‘weapons of terror against religious minorities’.
“Christians and others in Pakistan face mob violence, wrongful imprisonment, and forced conversions,” he said. “The Jaranwala riots—where 26 churches were torched—exposed the complete absence of justice for the Christian community. The European Union must stop enabling Pakistan’s persecution machine. Trade, aid, and visas must be conditional on real human rights reforms, and sanctions must be imposed on violators,” Weimers demanded.
Weimers also warned of religious persecution metastasizing into Europe itself, citing increasing attacks on churches, priests, and faithful believers.
“We cannot claim to fight for religious freedom abroad while ignoring the crisis at home,” he cautioned.
Joseph Janssen, a leading minority rights activist, exposed Pakistan’s ruthless enforcement of blasphemy laws, which have turned into a death sentence for Christians, Hindus, and other minorities. Victims face state-sponsored physical and psychological torture, indefinite detention without trial, and extrajudicial executions at the hands of violent mobs.
He spoke about several people who were languishing in prison because of fake accusations, including Nadeem James, sentenced to death over a WhatsApp message, and has been in solitary confinement for eight years; Anwar Kenneth, deemed mentally unfit, but has spent 23 years in prison over a blasphemy accusation; and Shagufta Kiran, a mother of four, who has been imprisoned over an accusation about a social media post.
Meanwhile, the perpetrators of mob violence against Christians walk free. Over 300 arrests were made following the Jaranwala riots, but nearly all suspects were released on bail.
“These abuses demand urgent global action. The international community must step in now to protect Pakistan’s religious minorities, hold perpetrators accountable, and push for immediate legal reforms,” Janssen declared.
Religious persecution is not limited to Pakistan. Shahid Mobeen, President of the Italian Roundtable on Religious Freedom, highlighted the staggering reality: 307 million Christians face persecution worldwide.
• Eritrea – Underground prisons hold thousands of Christians simply for gathering to worship. Patriarch Abune Antonios, head of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, died after 15 years in state-imposed captivity.
• Nicaragua – The Ortega regime has turned the Catholic Church into an enemy of the state, expelling nuns, jailing clergy, and sentencing Bishop Rolando Álvarez to 26 years in prison.
• Sudan – Amid civil war, Christian communities are under siege, with over 100 churches attacked, believers abducted, and converts from Islam executed.
“The murders of Shahbaz Bhatti and Salman Taseer for defending religious freedom in Pakistan serve as grim reminders of the cost of speaking the truth. Governments must counter radicalization, dismantle blasphemy laws, and enforce protections for religious minorities,” Mobeen urged.
The European Union prides itself on being a champion of religious freedom—but where is the action?
In 2021, the European Parliament called on Pakistan to amend its blasphemy laws. It urged targeted sanctions against Eritrean officials and sought international jurisdiction over Ortega’s crimes in Nicaragua. Yet, three years later, nothing has changed.
“Declarations do not save lives—action does. The EU must go further. Polite diplomatic pressure has failed. It is time to make EU trade, aid, and visas conditional on concrete religious freedom reforms. We must sanction officials and hold presidents, prime ministers, generals, and warlords accountable for the persecution they command,” Weimers demanded.
Furthermore, the spread of religious persecution into Europe itself is a damning indictment of reckless immigration policies and the unchecked spread of radical ideologies.
• France – Over 800 churches desecrated in a single year.
• Germany, Sweden, and the UK – A surge in attacks on Christian communities, including arson, vandalism, and violent assaults.
“How can we criticize Pakistan’s blasphemy laws when European citizens fear wearing a cross in public? If Europe is serious about defending religious freedom, it must take back control at home and confront persecution abroad with unwavering resolve.”
The world’s response to religious persecution has been an utter failure. The international community—including the United Nations, the European Union, and national governments—must act immediately to:
• Increase UN human rights monitoring in high-risk countries.
• Demand legal protections for religious communities and repeal oppressive laws.
• Impose targeted sanctions on government officials responsible for religious persecution.
• Launch independent investigations into religious persecution, ensuring perpetrators are held accountable under international law.
• Pressure states to repeal blasphemy laws and eliminate state-backed religious discrimination.