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Special envoy for issues of religious freedom visits Romania
Religious Life (14.09.2003)/ HRWF Int. (15.09.2003) - Website http://www.hrwf.net - Email info@hrwf.net - Abdelfattah Amor, special envoy of the Commission for Human Rights of the United Nations, visited Romania from September 9-12 in order to meet the representatives of the Government, of the religious cults and of the civil society.
Friday, on his last day in Bucharest, the special UN envoy held a press conference at the headquarters of the UNO Mission in Romania in order to communicate details on his mandate and to make remarks preliminary to the draft of the report.
Mr. Abdelfattah Amor, who will present his report to the special UN Commission in March 2004, emphasized from the very beginning that Romania is not a country of religious intolerance and that the importance of religious freedom and of conviction is consecrated at several levels.
However, there are a few problems, he added, because of differentiations made between recognised and non-recognised religions and the presence of certain groups inside some recognised religions that are not treated in the same manner. In certain localities there were tensions and incidents.
The most topical issue Mr. Amor dealt with was the retrocession of the religious goods confiscated by the state decades ago, an issue which involves many interests and which is specific to more than just Romania. However, this should be solved in the spirit of the international law and in the spirit of equity. During the discussions with the Romanian authorities about the retroession issue, the UN envoy noticed a particular interest that this issue be solved as soon as possible and in the interests of both parties involved.
Anything can be said, but not that the authorities were not interested in this issue, ended the UN envoy, who in his native country is a law professor and president of the Academy for Human Rights in Tunis.
UN expert on freedom of religion set to visit Romania
UN News Center (24.07.2003) / HRWF Int. (24.07.2003)/ Email info@hrwf.net - Website http://www.hrwf.net - A United Nations expert on freedom of religion will travel to Romania at the invitation of that countrys government to meet with officials and representatives of civil society on issues pertaining to the right to free belief.
Abdelfattah Amor, the UN Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief, will visit Romania to further his mandate which falls under the world bodys framework on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or creed.
During his 7 to 13 September visit, Mr. Amor will meet with government officials related to his work, representatives of religious communities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as individuals who can provide him with information on the freedom of religion or belief in Romania.
Official recognition of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion
HRWF Int. (24.07.2003)/ Email info@hrwf.net - Website http://www.hrwf.net - The Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs has grandted the status of officially recognized religion to Jehovah's Witnesses.
An Orthodox bishop criticized the authorities' decision, considering it unfortunate. This reaction, which was related in two national newspapers like Cotidianul (22.07.2003, p. 1) and Ziua (23.07.2003, p. 1), is based on the nature of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The official document was signed and published at the end of May 2003. |
