BULGARIA: Month of Evangelical Protests

• Vote on the new legislation is now postponed for 2019, however several committees still need to approve any new changes 
• After 7 street protests since November, evangelicals call off protests for the holidays with one last stand on December 16, 2018
• The situation in Bulgaria was reported to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe 
• The case of Bulgaria was presented before the European Parliament (at the end of video below)
• Attention to religious freedom in Bulgaria was called at the United Nations 70^th Anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration (at the end of video below)

International Association FOR THE DEFENSE OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Association internationale POUR LA DÉFENSE DE LA LIBERTÉ RELIGIEUSE

UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA, NEW YORK & VIENNA In Participatory Status with the COUNCIL OF EUROPE in Strasbourg, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT in Strasbourg & Brussels, and with O.S.C.E.

Founder: Dr Jean NUSSBAUM. President: Mr. Mario BRITO

Honorary Committee Former Presidents:

• Mrs Eleanor ROOSEVELT,
• Dr Albert SCHWEITZER,
• Paul Henry SPAAK,
• René CASSIN,
• Edgar FAURE,
• Léopold Sédar SENGHOR,
• Mrs Mary ROBINSON.

President of the Honorary Committee: H.E. Dr ADAMA DIENG, The Under-Secretary-General, Special Adviser of the Secretary General of the UN on Prevention of Genocide.

Secretary General: Dr LIVIU OLTEANU | www.aidlr.org

UNITED NATIONS GENEVA – PALAIS DES NATIONS, ROOM XVII, ON 30 OF NOVEMBER 2018 OHCHR – ELEVEN ‘FORUM ON MINORITY ISSUES, ITEM 3

STATEMENT DELIVERED By DR. LIVIU OLTEANU, the Secretary General of the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty from Switzerland on ‘RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LAW’ OF BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT

Madame Chairperson

The UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the 70^th Anniversary of UDHR, first of all I want to thank to the UN, for what is doing in favor of human rights, peace and minorities.

I’m Dr. Liviu Olteanu, the Secretary General of the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty (AIDLR) from Switzerland, founded in 1946, organization which received the special support of Eleanor Roosevelt, the first president of our Honorary Committee.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I want to underline from very beginning that we don’t defend a religion, but we defend the PRINCIPLE of freedom of religion or belief for all people.

We live in times with insecurity and crisis. According to Antonio Guterres UN Secretary General “around the world we see how ‘religion’ is being manipulated to justify incitement to violence”. Adama Dieng, Special Adviser of the UN Secretary General on Genocide Prevention, stresses too: “religious minorities, migrants and refugees are often used by parties by fueling divisions”.

Recent years, we have witnessed the spread of violent extremism, which misuses religion to justify discrimination against religious minorities, or creating laws based on ‘national security’; sometimes and in some countries, these laws are used as pretext against religious minorities as Muslims, Jews, Christians, not respecting their dignity and rights.

In these days, Bulgarian Parliament prepares a law on religious freedom – and if the law will be voted – it can affect the religious minorities as: Evangelicals, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, Catholics, Jews, Muslims and others. I appreciate Bulgaria and Bulgarians – a nice country with wise and wonderful people.

I ask the UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities, the European Union, all European countries to use all diplomatic tools asking urgently Bulgaria, to adequate the prepared draft of ‘religious freedom law’ according the UDHR art 18, the ICCPR art 18, and the EU’ Guidelines on religious freedom.

I ask Bulgarian Parliament listening the voices of religious minorities, correcting the draft law, and giving up to all proposed restrictions on religious freedom.

I thank and I congratulate Bulgaria for the attention can give to the future ‘law of religious freedom’, in the way that future law can be according the international laws.

Excellencies,

I wish to Member States, to all of you, a blessed 2019 with peace, security, happiness and love for the Other, our neighbor !

Together, let us make the difference!

Thank you Madame Chairperson.

A Non-Governmental Organization accredited to the United Nations ECOSOC Committee, in Participatory Status with the Council of Europe and the European Parliament Headquarters: Schosshaldenstrasse 17, CH-3006 Berne, Switzerland; Phone +41 (0)76 316 07 29; Fax +41 (0)31 359 15 66 Offices : Rue Belliard 4-6, 8, 1040 Brussels, Belgium; Phone + 32 250 298 42