Anti-Christian incidents and legal restrictions affecting religious freedom are increasing in Europe, experts and diplomats warned during an event held on Wednesday, 4 March 2026, at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The event, titled “Standing with Persecuted Christians – Defending the Faith and Christian Values,” brought together diplomats, religious freedom experts, and representatives of civil society.
Participants emphasized that the persecution of Christians must be examined within the broader context of human rights violations. Professor Nazila Ghanea, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, explained that victims of religious persecution often face multiple forms of abuse.
“Christians are not and should not be alone,” the professor stressed, recalling that the principle of human dignity lies at the foundation of the international human rights protection system.
400 Million Christians Persecuted
Catholic Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, highlighted the global scale of religious persecution, according to Vatican News.
“Nearly 400 million Christians worldwide face persecution or violence, making them the most persecuted religious community in the world.”
The Archbishop added that violence against Christians continues to claim victims: “Nearly 5,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2025, an average of 13 per day.”
At the same time, Archbishop Balestrero underlined the responsibility of states to protect religious freedom:
“It is the duty of the state to protect freedom of religion or belief, including preventing violations of this right by third parties.”
Violence Against Christians in Europe
Data presented at the event showed that such incidents also occur in Europe. According to the statistics cited, more than 760 hate crimes against Christians were recorded in 2024, including church arson, physical assaults, and acts of vandalism.
Anja Tang, representative of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe), warned that the number of incidents and legal restrictions continues to rise. Cases were mentioned in which individuals faced legal proceedings for publicly expressing their religious beliefs.
“Several European governments have targeted individuals through criminal proceedings simply for peacefully expressing their religious beliefs,” the OIDAC Europe representative noted.
The event concluded with a call to strengthen the protection of religious freedom worldwide.
“Protecting persecuted Christians does not privilege one community over another, but strengthens the universal protection of religious freedom,” emphasized the moderator of the meeting, Zsófia Havasi.
Source: pomisna
