CAP Freedom of Conscience October 2024
CAP Liberté de Conscience has submitted a comprehensive report to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, responding to the call for input on religion or belief and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The report focuses on the persecution of members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL), a Shia-derivative religious movement, in four countries: Jordan, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Egypt. It documents serious violations of religious freedom and instances of torture occurring in2023-2024.
Key findings include:
- In Jordan (July 2024): Six AROPL members were arrested during peaceful missionary work, subjected to excessive force and religious mockery, and charged with “insulting religious feelings.”
- In Azerbaijan (July 2024): Eleven members were arrested, with two individuals, Rustam Gasimli and Nariman Shabanzade, suffering severe torture including beatings and physical assault. Their claims of mistreatment were dismissed by courts.
- In Iran (July 2024): Thirteen members faced trial on charges of “causing corruption in the land,” with reports of arbitrary arrests, home raids, and threats of execution.
- In Egypt: AROPL members face systematic discrimination, including job loss, educational barriers, and family abuse. A 2023 raid on a safe house led to arrests and beatings of seven members.
The report identifies common patterns of violation across these countries, including:
- Criminalization of peaceful religious expression
- Use of vague laws to persecute religious minorities
- Arbitrary arrest and detention
- Torture and ill-treatment in custody
- Denial of fair trial rights
- Discrimination in public life
- Incitement to violence against religious minorities
CAP LC’s report concludes with15 detailed recommendations, calling for immediate cessation of persecution and torture, thorough investigations of reported cases, legal reforms, and better protection of religious minorities’ rights.
The submission highlights multiple violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and emphasizes the need for urgent international action to protect religious minorities from persecution and torture.
