Moldova

With a population of just over four million, Moldova is a parliamentary republic nestled between Romania and Ukraine.

Constitution and government Education and children’s rights Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals Freedom of expression advocacy of humanist values
The dominant influence of religion in public life undermines the right to equality and/or non-discrimination
There is systematic religious privilege
Discriminatory prominence is given to religious bodies, traditions or leaders
Blasphemy or criticism of religion is restricted in law and is punishable by a fine
Official symbolic deference to religion
State-funded schools offer religious or ideological instruction with no secular or humanist alternative, but it is optional
Some concerns about political or media freedoms, not specific to the non-religious
Constitution and government
There is systematic religious privilege
Official symbolic deference to religion
Education and children’s rights
State-funded schools offer religious or ideological instruction with no secular or humanist alternative, but it is optional
Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals
The dominant influence of religion in public life undermines the right to equality and/or non-discrimination
Discriminatory prominence is given to religious bodies, traditions or leaders
Freedom of expression advocacy of humanist values
Blasphemy or criticism of religion is restricted in law and is punishable by a fine
Some concerns about political or media freedoms, not specific to the non-religious
Use of Conscientious Objection clauses resulting in the denial of lawful services to women and LGBTI+ people
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in all or most state-funded schools with no secular or humanist alternative
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

Countries: Kazakhstan

The state is secular, with separation of religious and political authorities, not discriminating against any religion or belief
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
No fundamental restrictions on freedom of expression or advocacy of humanist values
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

No condition holds in this strand
No condition holds in this strand

Countries: Andorra

No condition holds in this strand
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
No condition holds in this strand

Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

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

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: Botswana, Greece, Serbia, United States of America

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

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: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Croatia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nicaragua, 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

The non-religious are persecuted socially or there are prohibitive social taboos against atheism, humanism or secularism
Complete tyranny precludes all freedoms of expression and thought, religion or belief

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: North Korea

Expression of core Humanist principles on democracy, freedom and human rights is brutally repressed
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
There is significant social marginalisation of the non-religious or stigma associated with expressing atheism, humanism or secularism
Religious or ideological indoctrination is utterly pervasive in schools
There is a nominal state church with few privileges or progress is being made toward disestablishment

Countries: Bulgaria, Norway, Peru, Rwanda

The non-religious are barred from some government offices (including posts reserved for particular religions or sects)
‘Apostasy’ is outlawed and punishable with a prison sentence

Countries: Bahrain, Comoros, Jordan, Kuwait

‘Apostasy’ or conversion from a specific religion is outlawed and punishable by death
Some religious courts rule in civil or family matters on a coercive or discriminatory basis
Religious authorities have supreme authority over the state

Countries: Iran

State legislation is partly derived from religious law or by religious authorities
Preferential treatment is given to a religion or religion in general

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, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, 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, 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

There is a pattern of impunity or collusion in violence by non-state actors against the nonreligious
State-funded schools provide religious education which may be nominally comprehensive but is substantively biased or borderline confessional
Religious or ideological instruction in a significant number of schools is of a coercive fundamentalist or extremist variety

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

State legislation is largely or entirely derived from religious law or by religious authorities
Anomalous discrimination by local or provincial authorities, or overseas territories
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in at least some public schools (without secular or humanist alternatives)
‘Blasphemy’ or criticism of religion is outlawed and punishable by death
Government figures or state agencies openly marginalize, harass, or incite hatred or violence against the non-religious
Government authorities push a socially conservative, religiously or ideologically inspired agenda, without regard to the rights of those with progressive views
It is illegal to advocate secularism or church-state separation, or such advocacy is suppressed
Prohibitive interreligious social control (including interreligious marriage bans)
Quasi-divine veneration of a ruling elite is enforced, or a single-party regime holds uncontested power, subject to severe punishment
Legal or constitutional provisions exclude non-religious views from freedom of belief
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
There is a religious tax or tithing which is compulsory, or which is state-administered and discriminates by precluding non-religious groups
The non-religious are barred from holding government office
Some concerns about children's right to specifically religious freedom

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, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guyana, Italy, Kazakhstan, Laos, Madagascar, Mexico, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe

It is illegal or unrecognised to identify as an atheist or as non-religious
It is made difficult to register or operate an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization
Legend
 
Severe Discrimination
Systemic Discrimination
Mostly Satisfactory
More information about rating table

Constitution and government

According to the Constitution, there is no State religion in Moldova. Article 10 of the Constitution provides for equal treatment for all citizens regardless of religion, and Article 31 provides for freedom of conscience. “Religious cults” are stated to be independent from the state and free to organize and operate according to their own statutes.[ref]https://www.legislationline.org/download/id/8334/file/Moldova_Constitution_1994_am2017_en.pdf[/ref]

In practice, however, the Moldovan Orthodox Church (MOC) benefits from preferential treatment.

Article 15.5 of the 2007 Law on Religious Denominations explicitly acknowledges “the special importance and leading role of the Orthodox Christian religion and, respectively, of the Moldovan Orthodox Church in the life, history and culture of the Republic of Moldova.”[ref]https://www.legislationline.org/documents/id/15972[/ref] As observed by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief in a 2011 country report on Moldova, the MOC enjoys a formally “privileged treatment in many fields,” which the Rapporteur noted is at variance with the constitutional provisions of a secular state.[ref]https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/721009/files/A_HRC_19_60_Add-2-EN.pdf[/ref]

Religious groups are not required to register with the State. However, only registered religious groups possess status as legal entities and receive certain tax benefits.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/moldova/[/ref] Minority Muslim communities in Moldova have experienced difficulties in obtaining registration in the past.[ref]https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=613; https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/MuslimcommunitythrivinginMoldova.aspx[/ref]

Education and children’s rights

Article 35 of the Constitution stipulates that “the State education system is laic” (secular). Nonetheless, religious customs pervade in many schools: for example, many schools start and end the year with a religious service; various events along religious themes are organized throughout the school year; religious symbols (such as crucifixes and Bible quotes) are found in classrooms; and some schools have active chapels attended to by priests.[ref]Religious Education at Schools in Europe, Part 4: Eastern Europe, M. Rothgangel, Y. Danilovich, M. Jäggle (Vienna University Press, 2020), pp.147-148.[/ref]

Religion classes in State educational institutions are offered throughout primary school (Grades 1-9) and are optional. Students may submit a written request to a school’s administration in order to enroll in a religion class. The religious curriculum is limited and only offers two types of courses: one for Orthodox denominations and Roman Catholics, and the second for evangelical Christians and Seventh-day Adventists.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/moldova/[/ref]

Family, community and society 

During a country visit to Moldova in 2012, the then UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, stated that according to testimony from civil society organizations, “the Church wields enormous political influence […] politicians would require a great deal of courage to publicly resist political demands coming from the Orthodox Church,” with negative implications for progress in the field of human rights, non-discrimination and equality.[ref]https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/721009/files/A_HRC_19_60_Add-2-EN.pdf[/ref]

LGBTI+ Rights

The MOC (which has strong ties with the Russian Orthodox Church)[ref]https://balkaninsight.com/2018/10/17/moldova-should-go-also-for-autocephaly-from-moscow-experts-say-10-16-2018/[/ref] promotes a narrative of ‘traditional’ values and is strongly opposed to LGBTI+ equality. It has spoken out against laws ensuring equality and non-discrimination and frequently opposes LGBTI+ marches and gatherings, referring to them as “homosexual propaganda” and asking the government to impose a ban on such gatherings.[ref]https://fpc.org.uk/the-rise-of-illiberal-civil-society-in-moldova/[/ref] The presence of religious hardliners has meant that LGBTI+ solidarity marches frequently erupt in violence or are met with anti-LGBTI+ counter-demonstrations.[ref]https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/09/07/in-church-we-trust-the-case-of-the-moldovan-orthodox-church/;https://www.euronews.com/2019/05/20/moldovan-pride-march-met-by-opposing-groups[/ref]

Members of the MOC who express support for LGBTI+ rights may be publicly condemned and sidelined. In 2018, a priest named Maxim Melinti, who accepted an award from an LGBTI+ organisation (Genderdoc-M) was banned from officiating services and forced to make a public apology. Melinti was accused by the MOC of supporting “sodomite minorities and the promotion of non-traditional behavior and thus of outrageous sins, all contributing to the denigration of the image of the Orthodox Church in Moldova, as well as of the clergy.”[ref]https://www.rferl.org/a/moldovan-church-priest-melinti-lgbt-suspended/29321830.html[/ref]

Spreading of anti-science conspiracy theories and misinformation

In 2020, the MOC was involved in spreading an anti-science conspiracy theory about the COVID-19 vaccine. In a statement to the press, a MOC representative called on vaccination not to be made mandatory, because “the global anti-Christian system wants to introduce microchips into people’s bodies with whose help they can control them, through 5G technology.”[ref]https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-s-orthodox-church-lashes-out-at-anti-christ-plot-to-develop-virus-vaccine/30624250.html[/ref]

Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values

The constitution protects freedom of expression and assembly and the current Moldovan government has generally protected those rights, though in terms of ownership the media landscape is dominated by a few public figures and politicians.[ref]https://freedomhouse.org/country/moldova/freedom-world/2021[/ref]

The government in separatist Transnistria significantly restricts media freedom.[ref]https://freedomhouse.org/country/transnistria/freedom-world/2020[/ref]

“Blasphemy” laws

According to Article 45(5) of the Code on Misdemeanors,[ref]https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2020%20Blasphemy%20Enforcement%20Report%20_final_0.pdf[/ref]

“Offense of people’s religious feelings, violations of sacred objects, spaces, monuments, and conceptual symbols is subject to a fine of between 12 to 24 monetary units or punishment in the form of 40 to 60 hours of unpaid labor for the benefit of society.”