Dominican Republic

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A former Spanish colony, the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a former French colony. Discrimination against Dominicans of Haitian descent and Haitian migrants is a significant problem in the country.¹“Dominican Republic: IACHR urges the State to Eradicate Statelessness”, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, 29 September 2023, https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/preleases/2023/232.asp&utm_content=country-dom&utm_term=class-mon; Situation of Human Rights in the Dominican Republic (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, 2015), https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/reports/pdfs/DominicanRepublic-2015.pdf

According to recent estimates (2023), approximately 18% of the population are non-religious, while 50% identify as Roman Catholic, and 30% as Evangelical Christian.²“Dominican Republic” chapter in 2023 International Religious Freedom (US Department of State, 2024), https://do.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/117/2024/06/547499-DOMINICAN-REPUBLIC-2023-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf The estimates suggest a significant shift in religious demographics in the country; away from Catholicism towards Evangelical Christianity.³Evangélico Digital, “Evangelicals grow in Dominican Republic”, Evangelical Focus Europe, 27 July 2022, https://evangelicalfocus.com/world/17942/evangelicals-grow-in-dominican-republic

The state is secular, with separation of religious and political authorities, not discriminating against any religion or belief

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Countries: Belgium, Brazil, Central African Republic, Congo, Republic of the, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Mongolia, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, São Tomé and Príncipe, Slovenia, South Africa, South Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Ukraine

Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

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Countries: Kazakhstan

Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in all or most state-funded schools with no secular or humanist alternative

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Countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Comoros, Croatia, Egypt, Eswatini, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

No formal discrimination in education

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Countries: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo, Republic of the, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Iceland, India, Japan, Korea, Republic of, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Russia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Timor-Leste (East Timor), United States of America, Uruguay

Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

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Countries: Angola, South Sudan, Tuvalu

Religious courts or tribunals rule directly on some family or ‘moral’ matters; it is legally an opt-in system, but the possibility of social coercion is very clear

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Countries: Comoros, Ethiopia, Gambia, Jamaica, Kenya, Lebanon, Niger, Philippines, Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom

No religious tribunals of concern, secular groups operate freely, individuals are not persecuted by the state

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Countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Congo, Republic of the, Czech Republic, Dominica, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Iceland, Japan, Korea, Republic of, Kosovo, Latvia, Luxembourg, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Slovenia, Sweden, Taiwan, Uruguay, Venezuela

Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

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Countries: Honduras, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, South Africa, South Sudan

No fundamental restrictions on freedom of expression or advocacy of humanist values

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Countries: Bahamas, Belgium, Czech Republic, Iceland, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, United States of America

Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

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Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

No condition holds in this strand

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Countries: Lesotho, Uzbekistan

No condition holds in this strand

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Countries: Andorra

No condition holds in this strand

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Countries: Cyprus, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Laos, Lesotho

No condition holds in this strand

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Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

Localised or infrequent but recurring and widespread social marginalisation or prejudice against the non-religious

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This condition is unusual in that it is applied in cases where there is some social discrimination, but it is not pervasive or nationwide. This condition is applied when there is sufficient background evidence to warrant the assertion that discrimination is not anomalous but widespread, and this condition may be applied for example even where if there is no legislative discrimination or where the non-religious may have legal recourse against such discrimination. However, societal discrimination (i.e. discrimination by peers, as opposed to state or legal discrimination) is not easily measured, and for this reason the Report does not currently have similar more severe boundary conditions to capture higher levels of social discrimination per se. In principle these may be introduced in future. However, we consider that countries with actual higher levels of social discrimination against the non-religious will generally already meet other higher level (more severe) boundary conditions under this thematic strand.

Countries: Albania, Botswana, Greece, Serbia, United States of America

The dominant influence of religion in public life undermines the right to equality and/or non-discrimination

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Applied when the influence of religion on public life undermines others’ rights, such as SRHR, women’s rights, LGBTI+ rights.

May be applied when the influence is overt (i.e. when religious laws are applied to undermine others’ rights) or covert (i.e. where religious pressure groups exert influence to affect policy)

Countries: Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Chile, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Zambia

Use of Conscientious Objection clauses resulting in the denial of lawful services to women and LGBTI+ people

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Countries: Armenia, Chile, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Uruguay

Complete tyranny precludes all freedoms of expression and thought, religion or belief

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Applied when overriding acts of oppression by the State are extreme, to the extent that the question of freedom of thought and expression is almost redundant, because all human rights and freedoms are quashed by authorities.

Countries: Afghanistan, North Korea

The non-religious are barred from some government offices (including posts reserved for particular religions or sects)

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Countries: Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comoros, Eritrea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

There is systematic religious privilege

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Countries: Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Bahrain, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malta, Moldova, Nepal, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Togo, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe

There is a nominal state church with few privileges or progress is being made toward disestablishment

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Countries: Bulgaria, Norway, Peru, Rwanda

Religious or ideological indoctrination is utterly pervasive in schools

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Countries: Afghanistan, Congo, Democratic Republic of, North Korea, Saudi Arabia

There is state funding of at least some religious schools

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Countries: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Kosovo, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe

State-funded schools offer religious or ideological instruction with no secular or humanist alternative, but it is optional

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Countries: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Italy, Kiribati, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Spain, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Venezuela

Expression of non-religious views is severely persecuted, or is rendered almost impossible by severe social stigma, or is highly likely to be met with hatred or violence

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Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Iran, Pakistan, Yemen

The non-religious are persecuted socially or there are prohibitive social taboos against atheism, humanism or secularism

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Countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Turkey

There is significant social marginalisation of the non-religious or stigma associated with expressing atheism, humanism or secularism

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Countries: Bangladesh, Barbados, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Iraq, Malaysia, Poland, Samoa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uganda

Expression of core Humanist principles on democracy, freedom and human rights is brutally repressed

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Countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Chad, China, Eritrea, Iran, Kuwait, Mauritania, North Korea, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Expression of core humanist principles on democracy, freedom or human rights is severely restricted

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Countries: Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Somalia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Expression of core humanist principles on democracy, freedom or human rights is somewhat restricted

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Countries: Andorra, Armenia, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Republic of the, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Niger, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda

Some concerns about political or media freedoms, not specific to the non-religious

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Countries: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Republic of, Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tonga, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Zambia

Religious authorities have supreme authority over the state

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Countries: Iran

State legislation is partly derived from religious law or by religious authorities

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Countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Comoros, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates

Preferential treatment is given to a religion or religion in general

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This condition is applied where there are miscellaneous indicators that organs of the state offer various forms of support for a religion, or to religion in general over non-religious worldviews, suggesting a preference for those beliefs, or that the organs of that religion are privileged.

Countries: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zimbabwe

Official symbolic deference to religion

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Countries: Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Croatia, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Finland, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kiribati, Korea, Republic of, Laos, Latvia, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe

Religious or ideological instruction in a significant number of schools is of a coercive fundamentalist or extremist variety

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This condition highlights countries where schools subject children to fundamentalist religious instruction with no real opportunity to question fundamentalist tenets, or where lessons routinely encourage hatred (for example religious or ethnic hatred). The wording “significant number of schools” is not given a rigid quantification (sometimes the worst-offending schools are unregistered, illegal, or otherwise uncounted); however the condition is not applied in cases where only a small number of schools meet the description and may be anomalous, as opposed to being indicative of a widespread problem.

Countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia

Religious schools have powers to discriminate in admissions or employment

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Countries: Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, Germany, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe

State-funded schools provide religious education which may be nominally comprehensive but is substantively biased or borderline confessional

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Countries: Djibouti, Finland, India, Laos, Latvia, Norway, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Ukraine

There is a pattern of impunity or collusion in violence by non-state actors against the nonreligious

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Countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritania, Pakistan

Systemic religious privilege results in significant social discrimination

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Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Oman, Palestine, Paraguay, Qatar, Russia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Zimbabwe

Some religious courts rule in civil or family matters on a coercive or discriminatory basis

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Countries: Bangladesh, Comoros, Egypt, Haiti, Jamaica, Malaysia, Nigeria, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, Turkey

‘Apostasy’ or conversion from a specific religion is outlawed and punishable by death

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Countries: Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Yemen

‘Apostasy’ is outlawed and punishable with a prison sentence

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Countries: Bahrain, Comoros, Jordan, Kuwait

Blasphemy or criticism of religion is restricted in law and is punishable by a fine

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Countries: Australia, Austria, Barbados, Brazil, Cambodia, Finland, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saint Lucia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Kingdom

Concerns that secular or religious authorities interfere in specifically religious freedoms

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Countries: Angola, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Congo, Republic of the, Denmark, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Nepal, North Korea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam

State legislation is largely or entirely derived from religious law or by religious authorities

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Countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

There is an established church or state religion

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Countries: Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Finland, Georgia, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Yemen, Zambia

Anomalous discrimination by local or provincial authorities, or overseas territories

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Countries: Cameroon, Dominica, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Guinea, India, Jamaica, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, Niger, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay

Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in at least some public schools (without secular or humanist alternatives)

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Countries: Argentina, Armenia, Belize, Cambodia, Chad, China, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Germany, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Samoa, Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom

Government figures or state agencies openly marginalize, harass, or incite hatred or violence against the non-religious

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Countries: Afghanistan, Egypt, Hungary, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan

Government authorities push a socially conservative, religiously or ideologically inspired agenda, without regard to the rights of those with progressive views

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Countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Grenada, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe

Discriminatory prominence is given to religious bodies, traditions or leaders

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Countries: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tonga, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

‘Blasphemy’ or criticism of religion is outlawed and punishable by death

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Countries: Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia

‘Blasphemy’ is outlawed or criticism of religion (including de facto ‘blasphemy’ laws) is restricted and punishable with a prison sentence

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Countries: Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cyprus, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Gambia, Germany, Grenada, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Oman, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Quasi-divine veneration of a ruling elite is enforced, or a single-party regime holds uncontested power, subject to severe punishment

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Countries: Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Viet Nam

Legal or constitutional provisions exclude non-religious views from freedom of belief

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Countries: Argentina, Burundi, Canada, Eritrea, Haiti, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tonga

It is illegal to register an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization, or such groups are persecuted by authorities

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Countries: Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Prohibitive interreligious social control (including interreligious marriage bans)

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Countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Religious groups control some public or social services

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Countries: Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Denmark, Germany, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom

It is illegal to advocate secularism or church-state separation, or such advocacy is suppressed

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Countries: Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, Comoros, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

The non-religious are barred from holding government office

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Countries: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Rwanda, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

There is a religious tax or tithing which is compulsory, or which is state-administered and discriminates by precluding non-religious groups

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Countries: Argentina, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Hungary, Italy, Pakistan, Peru, Rwanda, Samoa, Sweden, Switzerland

Religious control over family law or legislation on moral matters

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Countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

It is illegal or unrecognised to identify as an atheist or as non-religious

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Countries: Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates

Some concerns about children's right to specifically religious freedom

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This condition may apply if specifically religious education, religious materials, or specific religious denominations are so tightly controlled that children are in fact over-protected from exposure to religion and are likely unable to explore or construct their own worldview in accordance with their evolving capacities. This condition helps us to classify states (perhaps with secular constitutions) which have criminalized specifically religious beliefs or practices. This condition is not applied if the restricted beliefs or practices are found to be outlawed due to their being of an extremist variety. While this condition does not directly reflect discrimination against non-religious persons or non-religious ideas, it does represent an overall threat to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief; such restrictions could spill over to affect non-religious beliefs later; and they pose a risk of backlash against over-zealous secular authorities or even against non-religious individuals by association.

Countries: China, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guyana, Italy, Kazakhstan, Laos, Madagascar, Mexico, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe

State-funding of religious institutions or salaries, or discriminatory tax exemptions

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Countries: Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Eswatini, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Korea, Republic of, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Montenegro, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Suriname, Switzerland, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe

It is made difficult to register or operate an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization

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Countries: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Egypt, Eritrea, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan

Constitution and government

While the Constitution⁴Asamblea Nacional Revisora, Constitución De La República Dominicana, 27 October 2024
https://www.consultoria.gov.do/Documents/GetDocument?reference=88cd6dd0-268b-4fda-a12a-0f3ae7fcfa7e (in Spanish) does not specify a State church, a 1954 Concordat with the Vatican, however, designates Catholicism as the official religion.⁵Concordato Entre La Santa Sede y La República Dominicana, 16 June 1954, AAS 46 (1954) 433-457,
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/archivio/documents/rc_seg-st_19540616_concordato-dominicana_sp.html (In Spanish)

The State’s symbolic deference to religion is also demonstrated by the fact that the country’s national motto is “God, Country, Liberty” (Article 34 of the Constitution), and that the national coat of arms carries at its center a bible open to the Gospel of Saint John, chapter 8, verse 32.

The Constitution and other laws and policies generally protect the right to freedom of religion or belief. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and belief limited only by “public order and respect for social norms” (Article 45).

Members of parliament are required to take an oath of office, there is no provision for an affirmation under the Constitution.

In 2022, the Director General of Police reportedly ordered divisions to send officers to attend local religious services, be they a Catholic mass or Protestant service, as a means of facilitating their work with citizens of good character.⁶“Libertad religiosa”, El Día, 14 June 2022, https://eldia.com.do/libertad-religiosa/; Marisol Aquino, “Policía instruye a sus miembros participar en cultos de iglesias católicas y evangélicas”, El Diario Libre, 13 June 2022, https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/nacional/2022/06/13/policia-instruye-sus-miembros-participar-en-cultos-religios/1886027 Some members of religious groups saw the move as an attempt to spy on them — accusations the police denied.⁷“Niegan espionaje en iglesias al ordenar a policías participar en misas y cultos”, Acento, 14 June 2022, https://acento.com.do/actualidad/niegan-espionaje-en-iglesias-al-ordenar-a-policias-participar-en-misas-y-cultos-9072276.html

Catholic privilege & influence

According to the US State Department,

“the practice of Catholicism and celebration of Catholic holidays continued to play a significant role in the country’s culture, and Catholic traditions were deeply intertwined with many aspects of life, including in government and politics, marriage, family gatherings, social services, and education, among others.”⁸“Dominican Republic” chapter in 2023 International Religious Freedom (US Department of State, 2024), https://do.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/117/2024/06/547499-DOMINICAN-REPUBLIC-2023-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf

The Concordat⁹Concordato Entre La Santa Sede y La República Dominicana, 16 June 1954, AAS 46 (1954) 433-457,
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/archivio/documents/rc_seg-st_19540616_concordato-dominicana_sp.html (In Spanish) with the Holy See extends special privileges to the Catholic Church not granted to other religious groups. These include the legal recognition of Church law, the use of public funds to underwrite certain Church expenses, the provision of subsidies to cover the salaries of Church officials, and exclusion from customs duties. The subsidies of one million pesos (approx US$16,000) and half-a-million pesos (approx. US$8,000) are given monthly to the archbishoprics and bishoprics respectively.¹⁰Tania Molina, “El Concordato, 70 años de múltiples privilegios”, Diario Libre, 20 February 2024, https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/nacional/2024/02/20/concordato-en-rd-70-anos-de-multiples-privilegios/2618487

The government assigns a Catholic priest to every prison and pays their salary. Representatives of non-Catholic groups can access prisons upon request. It is unclear if a humanist chaplain would be afforded the same privilege.¹¹“Dominican Republic” chapter in 2023 International Religious Freedom (US Department of State, 2024), https://do.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/117/2024/06/547499-DOMINICAN-REPUBLIC-2023-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf

Non-Catholic religious groups must first register as a non-governmental organization under Law 122-05¹²Congreso Nacional, Ley No. 122-05 sobre regulación y fomento de las asociaciones sin fines de lucro en la República Dominicana, 8 April 2005, https://www2.congreso.gob.pe/sicr/cendocbib/con3_uibd.nsf/1003B96682230263052579A60061E1A0/$FILE/57587104-Ley-122-05-Sobre-Regulacion-y-Fomento-de-Las-Asociaciones-Sin-Fines-de-Lucro-G-O-10318.pdf before receiving such benefits.¹³ “Dominican Republic” chapter in 2023 International Religious Freedom (US Department of State, 2024), https://do.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/117/2024/06/547499-DOMINICAN-REPUBLIC-2023-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf Once registered, Non-Catholic religious groups are afforded the same rights as any other nonprofit civil society association. However, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies has pointed out that “[t]he legal structure of the association may or may not reflect the religious group’s internal ecclesiastical structure.”¹⁴“Religion in the Dominican Republic”, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, accessed 28 November 2024, https://www.iclrs.org/blurb/religion-in-the-dominican-republic/ Non-Catholic religious groups may also register as foundations.

According to media reports, in 2024, the State allocated 607.3 million pesos (approx. US$10 million) towards direct aid for religious entities, roughly equating to the amount budgeted for the Ministry of Youth.¹⁵Tania Molina, “El Concordato, 70 años de múltiples privilegios”, Diario Libre, 20 February 2024, https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/nacional/2024/02/20/concordato-en-rd-70-anos-de-multiples-privilegios/2618487 Just over 399 million pesos (approx. US$6.6 million) was designated for religious groups that have co-management agreements with the education sector. A further 208.2 million pesos (approx. US$3.4 million) was designated as “transfers to non-governmental organizations in the religious area”. It is unclear if a humanist organization would be able to access these funds.

In May 2024, the President, Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, met with the Pope, among other representatives of the Holy See. The President reportedly recognized the significant contribution of the Catholic Church to the Dominican Republic, particularly in the realm of education.¹⁶Miroslava López, “El presidente de República Dominicana visita al papa Francisco”, Vida Nueva, 27 May 2024, https://www.vidanuevadigital.com/2024/05/27/el-presidente-de-republica-dominicana-visita-al-papa-francisco/

The law provides for government recognition of marriages performed by all religious groups on condition they otherwise comply with related regulations.

Challenges to the Concordat

The legality of the Concordat has been challenged on multiple occasions in recent years.

In 2006, several evangelical ministries registered under Law 122-05 filed a challenge against the constitutionality of the Concordat, however, their petition was rejected by the Supreme Court in 2008.¹⁷“SCJ rechaza declarar nulo el Concordato”, Diario Libre, 23 October 2008, https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/scj-rechaza-declarar-nulo-el-concordato-BODL174432; “Sentencia Del 22 De Octubre De 2008, Núm. 6,” Poder Judicial de la Republica Dominicana, 22 October 2008, https://transparencia.poderjudicial.gob.do/consultasSCJ/documentos/pdf/BoletinJudicialIndividual/117510006.pdf The Court rejected the claim that the Concordat afforded the Catholic Church privileges that violate the principles of non-discrimination enshrined in the Constitution, and indicated that non-Catholic religious groups could access such privileges through other legal mechanisms.

Subsequently, in 2011, a private citizen filed a new challenge, arguing that 21 of the 28 articles of the Concordat violated the Constitution in relation to the principles of sovereignty, separation of powers, constitutional supremacy, the right to equality, and freedom of conscience and belief, among others. However, in 2021, the Constitutional Court declared itself incompetent to hear the case as it related to an international treaty, and therefore not within its remit of laws, decrees, regulations, resolutions, and ordinances.¹⁸“Sentencia TC/0526/21”, Tribunal Constitucional de la República Dominicana, 22 December 2021, https://biblioteca.enj.org/bitstream/handle/123456789/123880/tc-0526-21-tc-01-2011-0002.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (accessed 28 November 2024); Tania Molina, “El Concordato, 70 años de múltiples privilegios”, Diario Libre, 20 February 2024, https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/nacional/2024/02/20/concordato-en-rd-70-anos-de-multiples-privilegios/2618487; Redaccion, “El TC decide en lo adelante no admitir acciones contra tratados internacionales suscriba el país, El Correo, 24 December 2021, https://elcorreo.do/el-tc-decide-en-lo-adelante-no-admitir-acciones-contra-tratados-internacionales/

Education and children’s rights

In accordance with the 1954 Concordat, State-run schools offer religious instruction guided by Catholic doctrine. Teaching materials are approved by the Catholic Church. It is possible to opt-out of these classes.

However, while Article 25 of the Law on Education¹⁹Ley General de la Educación, No. 66-97, 4 February 1997, https://www.oas.org/juridico/spanish/mesicic2_repdom_sc_anexo_7_sp.pdf makes it clear that religious education will be of Christian disposition, it does not explicitly state it must be Catholic. Indeed, the law grants children the right to receive moral and religious education in accordance with their religious beliefs through its Comprehensive Human and Religious Education (Formación Integral Humana y Religiosa) curriculum. This education is confessional in nature.²⁰Rodrigo Martínez, “Modelo de enseñanza religiosa confesional no confesante. ERE interconfesional”, Observatorio de la Religión en la Escuela, 22 April 2024, https://ore.fundacion-sm.org/noticias/modelo-de-ensenanza-religiosa-confesional-no-confesante-ere-interconfesional/

Private schools may offer religious and/or moral education “in accordance with its pedagogical ideology and always respecting freedom of conscience and the essence of Dominicanness” (Article 24 Law 66-97).

The law itself is currently under review. In March 2024, the Review Commission submitted its initial proposal for changes to the law to be debated by the government. In its proposal, the commission reportedly called for an education system that is based on scientific knowledge and ethics, and guarantees freedom of religion or belief for all, including those who do not hold religious beliefs.²¹ Yasmin Mercedes, “Propuesta de modificación de Ley de Educación propone inclusión de libertad religiosa en escuelas,” RDÉ, 8 March 2024, https://rdedigital.com/propuesta-de-modificacion-de-ley-de-educacion-propone-inclusion-de-libertad-religiosa-en-escuelas/

In 2019, the government passed a resolution calling for the enforcement of Law 44-00,²²Congreso Nacional, Ley No. 44-00 que establece la lectura e instrucción bíblica en las escuelas públicas, https://biblioteca.enj.org/bitstream/handle/123456789/79924/LE44-2000.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y which requires daily Bible reading and Bible study at least once per week in all public and private schools.²³“Aprueban ley para leer la Biblia diariamente en las escuelas de República Dominicana”, Bibliatodo, 10 June 2019, https://www.bibliatodo.com/NoticiasCristianas/aprueban-ley-para-leer-la-biblia-diariamente-en-las-escuelas-de-republica-dominicana/

Under the 1954 Concordat, the Catholic Church has permission to provide Catholic instruction in public orphanages and “ensure the practise of its precepts” (Article XIX (3)).

Attacks on teaching “Gender ideology” in schools

In June 2024, El Caribe reported that the Ministry of Public Health withdrew a post on social media spreading information about a workshop it had conducted with 30 students in which it hoped to address gender inequality following backlash from members of the public. The picture reportedly showed children around a whiteboard that read, “Men/women are not born, they are made: Social construction of gender and identities.” Subsequent workshops have reportedly been cancelled following the incident.²⁴Maria Ramos, “Polémico tema de ideología de género retorna al debate,” el Caribe, 24 June 2024, https://www.elcaribe.com.do/panorama/educacion/polemico-tema-de-ideologia-de-genero-retorna-al-debate/

According to the report, in December 2022, the Ministry of Education was forced to withdraw Departmental Order 33-2019 – which provided tools that promote the gender perspective for the construction of a non-sexist education – following outcry from the Catholic Church and members of Dominican society.

Family, community and society

Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights

Abortion remains illegal in the country, including in instances where the pregnancy poses a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or girl, in cases of foetal impairments, or where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.²⁵Código Penal de la República Dominicana, 2007, https://poderjudicial.gob.do/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Codigo_Penal.pdf

Legislators have debated revising the penal code for decades,²⁶“It’s Your Decision, It’s Your Life”: The Total Criminalization of Abortion in the Dominican Republic (Human Rights Watch, 2018), https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/11/19/its-your-decision-its-your-life/total-criminalization-abortion-dominican-republic with religious and conservative pressure groups lobbying hard against any attempts at reform. In 2014, former President Danilo Medina attempted to pass an amendment to the penal code which would allow for the decriminalization of abortion in limited circumstances. After three religious anti-choice groups appealed, the Constitutional Court declared the amendment to be ‘unconstitutional’.²⁷“Urgent Action: Urge Congress to Decriminalize Abortion”, UA: 151/16 Index: AMR 27/6573/2017 Amnesty International, 23 June 2017, https://www.amnesty.org/fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AMR2765732017ENGLISH.pdf; Ezequiel Abiu Lopez, “In Dominican Republic, proposal to ease abortion ban polarizes nation”, Reuters, 19 March 2021, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-dominicanrepublic-abortion-idUSKBN2BB1L8

While President Luis Abinader ran on a platform for the decriminalization of abortion in select circumstances during the 2020 elections, in June 2024, a revised draft Penal Code did not include efforts to change the total ban on abortion. The bill passed its first and second readings before the Dominican Senate.²⁸“República Dominicana reafirma la penalización del aborto”, El País, 28 July 2024, https://elpais.com/america/2024-07-28/republica-dominicana-redobla-la-penalizacion-del-aborto.html; Stephanie Lustig, “Dominican Republic’s Senate Doubles Down on Abortion Ban in Criminal Code”, Human Rights Watch, 3 July 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/03/dominican-republics-senate-doubles-down-abortion-ban-criminal-code

Critics of the omission have suggested that it is due to religious influence over policy making.²⁹José M. Santana, “El aborto en RD: entre el dogma y la muerte”, Acento, 22 July 2024, https://acento.com.do/opinion/el-aborto-en-rd-entre-el-dogma-y-la-muerte-9369075.html In the years between Abinader’s election and the passage of the new Penal Code, representatives of various Churches have made their opposition to the legalization of abortion plain:

• In 2020, a bishop of the Catholic Church reportedly visited the Chamber of Deputies – the lower house of the Dominican government – to emphasize the Church’s opposition to the legalization of abortion.³⁰Alina Tufani, “Iglesia dominicana reitera su rechazo a la legalización del aborto”, Vatican News, 1 September 2020, https://www.vaticannews.va/es/iglesia/news/2020-09/republica-dominicana-iglesia-rechazo-aborto.html During the meeting, the bishop reportedly presented a paper outlining the Church’s position on medical and legal considerations related to the right to life from conception. The bishop urged the government not to open up a debate on this issue that would lead to delays in reform of the Penal Code more generally.
• In March 2021, representatives of Catholic and Evangelical Churches reportedly protested by driving in convoy through the capital to demonstrate their opposition to abortion.³¹EFE, “Las iglesias marchan en caravana en Santo Domingo contra el aborto,” SwissInfo.ch, 27 March 2021, https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-iglesias-marchan-en-caravana-en-santo-domingo-contra-el-aborto/46485382
• In July 2024, representatives of the Catholic Church and the Dominican Council of Evangelical Unity re-stated their opposition to abortion.³²Víctor Martínez, “Pastoral Católica y Codue rechazan despenalización del aborto en República Dominicana”, El Nacional, 17 July 2024, https://elnacional.com.do/iglesias-ven-causales-serian-negocio-aborto/

LGBTI+ rights

Although same-sex relations by private individuals are not criminalized, in practice, there are few protections afforded to the LGBTI+ community. A bill to amend the Penal Code in June 2024, did not seek to include sexual orientation and gender identity as characteristics protected from discrimination.

Further, articles contained in the codes of justice for the armed forces and the national police criminalize consensual same-sex conduct by officers, providing penalties of up to one year and two years in prison, respectively. No such criminal penalties exist for heterosexual sexual acts.³³“Dominican Republic: Court Reviews Laws Against Gay Sex”, Human Rights Watch, 30 August 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/30/dominican-republic-court-reviews-laws-against-gay-sex In 2019, an army officer was dismissed after a video circulated depicting him engaged in a same-sex encounter. The army alleged that he had “tarnished the morals and ethics of the institution.” The Constitutional Court was scheduled to hear a challenge to these provisions in August 2024.³⁴Associated Press, “TC delibera sobre leyes antisodomía dirigidas a la policía y al ejército”, Hoy, 1 September 2024, https://hoy.com.do/tc-delibera-sobre-leyes-antisodomia-dirigidas-a-la-policia-y-al-ejercito/

Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values

The right to freedom of expression is guaranteed by law, and generally respected in practice. However, criminal defamation laws remain on the statute books and are enforced.³⁵ “Dominican Republic”, International Press Institute Media Laws Database, accessed 29 November 2024, http://legaldb.freemedia.at/legal-database/dominican-republic/

Protecting the Catholic Church from insult

Article 262 of the Penal Code provides up to one year in prison for those who:

“with words or gestures, insults a minister of the Catholic religion, when he is exercising the functions of his ministry, or who, in order to mock the rites authorized in the Republic, profanes objects intended for worship, will be punished with a fine of ten to one hundred pesos, and imprisonment of one month to one year.”³⁶Unofficial translation of: “El que con palabras o ademanes ultrajare a un ministro del culto católico, cuando se halle ejerciendo las funciones de su ministerio, o que para escarnecer los ritos, autorizados en la República, profanare objetos destinados al culto, será castigado con multa de diez a cien pesos, y prisión de un mes a un año.”

It is unclear if this law is enforced in practice.

Media freedom

According to the Inter-American Press Association’s Chapultepec Index – a barometer that measures the extent of press freedom across the Americas – the Dominican Republic ranked second in the region in 2024.³⁷“Datos Generales – República Dominicana” in Chapultepec Index on Freedom of Expression and the Press (Inter-American Press Association, 2024), https://www.indicedechapultepec.com/indice/14/graficos_en.pdf (accessed 29 November 2024) According to the Index, “the Dominican Republic maintains a high reputation for the respect for the free exercise of the press.”³⁸“República Dominicana: Estatus positivo de libertad de expresión” chapter in Chapultepec Index on Freedom of Expression and the Press (Inter-American Press Association, 2024), https://www.indicedechapultepec.com/indice/14/dofa_en.pdf

In April 2024, President Abinader put forward a Bill on Freedom of Expression, Audiovisual Media and Digital Platforms that seeks to bridge gaps in current legislation regarding the regulation of new – particularly digital – means of communication, while balancing the right to freedom of expression.³⁹ “Presidente Abinader presenta anteproyecto de Ley de Libertad de Expresión, Medios Audiovisuales y Plataformas Digitales”, Presidencia de la República Dominicana, 8 April 2024, https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias/presidente-abinader-presenta-anteproyecto-de-ley-de-libertad-de-expresion-medios The Bill appears to have been welcomed by the media.

However, Law 1-24 – regulating the National Intelligence System – enacted in January 2024 provoked concern from media outlets and civil society actors.⁴⁰Inter American Press Association, “IAPA expresses concern about Intelligence Law in The Dominican Republic”, IFEX, 31 January 2024, https://ifex.org/iapa-expresses-concern-about-intelligence-law-in-the-dominican-republic/ The outcry led to the government agreeing to amend certain articles in the law in order to help assuage concerns for the protection of their sources, among other concerns.⁴¹“Gobierno y Comisión acuerdan modificar 5 artículos de la Ley del DNI”, N Digital, 11 September 2024, https://n.com.do/2024/09/11/gobierno-y-comision-acuerdan-modificar-5-articulos-de-la-ley-del-dni/; “República Dominicana: Estatus positivo de libertad de expresión” chapter in Chapultepec Index on Freedom of Expression and the Press (Inter-American Press Association, 2024), https://www.indicedechapultepec.com/indice/14/dofa_en.pdf

There have been infrequent reports of attacks on members of the media.⁴²“República Dominicana: Estatus positivo de libertad de expresión” chapter in Chapultepec Index on Freedom of Expression and the Press (Inter-American Press Association, 2024), https://www.indicedechapultepec.com/indice/14/dofa_en.pdf In May 2023, Amnesty International reported that prominent investigative journalist Nuria Piera had been “targeted and infected with Pegasus, which enables full and unrestricted access to a device, three times between 2020 and 2021.”⁴³ “Dominican Republic: Pegasus spyware discovered on prominent journalist’s phone”, Amnesty International, 2 May 2023, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/05/dominican-republic-pegasus-spyware-journalists-phone/ At the time her phone was infected, Piera reported that she had been investigating reports of corruption related to high-ranking government officials and relatives of the nation’s former president. According to Amnesty,

“Piera stated that she had never received a judicial order or any other formal notifications from the Dominican authorities that she was under surveillance, nor told any of the reasons behind it.
“These invasive tactics can be particularly harmful to women journalists, who often face gender-based attacks, including accusations of having violated traditional social, sexual or moral norms.”

Attacks on human rights defenders

In a context of harsh government policies regarding “irregular migration” and institutional racism, civil society groups have expressed concern regarding an apparent crackdown on human rights defenders providing support to victims of such policies.⁴⁴“Organizaciones de sociedad civil expresamos preocupación por el agravamiento de la situación de personas defensoras de derechos humanos en República Dominicana”, Amnesty International, 7 November 2024, https://www.amnesty.org/es/latest/news/2024/11/organizaciones-sociedad-civil-expresamos-preocupacion-por-agravamiento-situacion-personas-defensoras-derechos-humanos-republica-dominicana/ Human rights defenders are reportedly experiencing increasing hostility, harassment and violence on the part of those who support these policies.⁴⁵“Organizaciones de sociedad civil expresamos preocupación por el agravamiento de la situación de personas defensoras de derechos humanos en República Dominicana”, Amnesty International, 7 November 2024, https://www.amnesty.org/es/latest/news/2024/11/organizaciones-sociedad-civil-expresamos-preocupacion-por-agravamiento-situacion-personas-defensoras-derechos-humanos-republica-dominicana/; “CIDH condena ataques a personas defensoras en República Dominicana”, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, 16 October 2024, https://www.oas.org/pt/CIDH/jsForm/?File=/es/cidh/prensa/comunicados/2024/248.asp&utm_content=country-dom&utm_term=class-mon