Portugal

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Portugal, located on the south-western edge of the European continent, became a republic in 1910, but was soon controlled by an authoritarian one-party regime for almost half a century. Democracy returned to the country in 1974 and a new Constitution was adopted two years later.¹“Diplomatic Portal”, Permanent Mission of Portugal to the United Nations, accessed October 2024 https://onu.missaoportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/about-portugal/history Portugal has been a member of the European Union since 1986.² “Portugal – EU country profile”, European Union, accessed October 2024 https://european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/eu-countries/portugal_en

According to a census conducted in 2021, 80% percent of the Portuguese population is Catholic. Other Christian groups make up a further 5% of the population, while Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists, Zoroastrians, Baha’is, and Jews comprise less than 1% together. 14% of the population responded that they did not belong to any religious group.³“População residente com 15 e mais anos de idade (N.º) por Local de residência à data dos Censos [2021] (NUTS – 2024) e Religião; Decenal”, Instituto Nacional de Estatística, last updated 19 March 2024, https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_indicadores&indOcorrCod=0012311&contexto=bd&selTab=tab2 [accessed 24 October 2024]
“Portugal” chapter in 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom (US Department of State, 2024), https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/portugal/

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: no countries relate to this boundary condition

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, Serbia, 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, 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, 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, Guyana, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Lithuania, Mali, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, 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, Spain, 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, 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, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, 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, Sudan, Turkey

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

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Countries: Barbados, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, Iraq, Malaysia, Malta, 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, Mali, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Somalia, 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, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Republic of the, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Niger, Paraguay, Poland, Senegal, Serbia, 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, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, 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, Malta, 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, 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, Kazakhstan, 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, 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 non-religious

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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, 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, 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: 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, Mauritania, Mexico, Nepal, North Korea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, 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, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, 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, Serbia, 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, Mali, 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 religion or 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, 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, 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 freedom of religion or belief

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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, Mali, Mexico, North Macedonia, Romania, 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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Constitution and government

The Constitution⁴Constituição da República Portuguesa, Diário da República https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-aprovacao-constituicao/1976-34520775and other laws and policies protect freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 41), declaring religious groups separate from the State.

The 2001 Law on Religious Freedom⁵Lei da Liberdade Religiosa – Capítulo I, Lei n.º 16/2001, Diário da República
https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2001-34483475-50157675 defines freedom of conscience, religion and worship as the right to hold, not to hold and cease to hold a religion, to freely choose and change one’s beliefs, practice or not to practice the worship in public or private, profess one’s beliefs, to seek new believers, to proselytize, among other rights (Article 8). It also protects individuals from forced worship, being obliged to take a religious oath, or being questioned by state authorities regarding their convictions (Article 9).

The law reiterates the constitutional principle of secularism, emphasizing that “Churches and other religious communities are separate from the State and are free in their manner of organization and in the practice of their activities and worship” (Article 3) and that “The State does not adopt any religion whatsoever, nor pronounce itself regarding religious issues” (Article 4).
Under Article 51(1) of the Constitution,

“[w]ithout prejudice to the philosophy or ideology that underlies their manifestos, political parties may not employ names that contain expressions which are directly related to any religion or church, or emblems that can be confused with national or religious symbols.”

Religious privilege

The Law on Religious Freedom stipulates the relations between the government and religious communities, but doesn’t mention any humanist, secular or other philosophical groups. Similarly, the Religious Freedom Commission — an independent body that advises the government on matters pertaining to the application of the law on religious freedom — has representatives from several small religious communities, but no representatives from humanist or secular organizations.⁶Portal da Liberdade Religiosa, Comissão da Liberdade Religiosa, accessed October 2024 http://www.clr.mj.pt/sections/home The Commission reviews and takes a position on all matters relating to the application of the law on religious freedom, including proposed amendments.

The law on religious freedom allows each religious group to negotiate their own concordat-style agreements with the government.

Religious groups may register as religious corporations and receive tax-exempt status. Registered groups receive the right to minister in prisons, hospitals, and military facilities; provide religious teaching in public schools; participate in broadcasting time on public television and radio; and receive national recognition of religious holidays. Unregistered religious groups are not subject to penalties and may practice their religion but do not receive the benefits associated with registration. At the time of writing, a taxpayer may allocate 0.5% of their tax payment to approved charities and non-governmental organizations, as well as any registered religious group.⁷“Limite da consignação de IRS passará de 0,5% para 1%”, Governo da República Portuguesa, 2 May 2024, https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc24/comunicacao/noticia?i=limite-da-consignacao-de-irs-passara-de-05-para-1#

The government maintains a separate agreement with the Roman Catholic Church under the terms of a 2004 Concordat with the Holy See⁸Concordata entre a Santa Sé e a República Portuguesa https://www.laicidade.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/concordata-2004-05-18.pdf, which replaced the Concordat of 1940. The Concordat allows the Catholic Church to receive a percentage of the income tax voluntarily allocated by taxpayers to various institutions in their annual tax returns. The Catholic Church and “rooted” religious communities are also exempt from VAT.

According to Article 16(2) ministers of worship “cannot be questioned by magistrates or other authorities about facts and things of which they have become aware by reason of their ministry.” This became especially relevant when the extent of sexual abuse in Catholic institutions was revealed.⁹Dar voz ao silêncio, Comissão Independente para o Estudo dos Abusos Sexuais de Crianças na Igreja Católica Portuguesa, Relatório Final, Sumário Executivo, February 2023 https://www.cnpdpcj.gov.pt/documents/10182/14804/Comiss%C3%A3o+Independente+Estudo+Abusos+Sexuais+Crian%C3%A7as+Igreja+Cat%C3%B3lica+Portuguesa_RELAT%C3%93RIO+FINAL_Sum%C3%A1rio+Executivo/39f039a4-c4a4-4ae2-9ce2-908b762ca10d An independent commission established to investigate the extent of sexual abuse by members of the clergy of the Portuguese Catholic Church identified that while in previous decades there had been a “systematic cover-up” of sexual abuses – in which the failure to document allegations plays a part. However, since the 2010’s, the Church’s response to allegations of sexual abuse is now more victim-centered.

The State pays for the salaries of chaplains in public hospitals, prisons, the armed forces and the police force. The law permits members of any registered religious group to serve as chaplains. However, in practice, the majority of chaplains are nominated by the Catholic church.¹⁰“Portugal” chapter in 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom (US Department of State, 2024), https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/portugal/

Religious symbols such as crucifixes are on display in many State primary schools and hospitals, and in some municipalities meeting rooms. Priests are invited to many public inaugurations by local authorities and by national authorities.

In August 2023, the World Youth Day was hosted by Portugal and held in Lisbon and Fátima. This week-long global Catholic event was attended by hundreds of thousands of people. The central government and municipalities financially supported the event to the tune of several million euros.¹¹“JMJ: Moedas assegura que investimento de Lisboa se mantém dentro do limite de 35 milhões de euros”, Observador, 26 July 2023 https://observador.pt/2023/07/26/jmj-moedas-assegura-que-investimento-de-lisboa-se-mantem-dentro-do-limite-de-35-milhoes-de-euros/
Cristiana Faria Moreira, “Grupo de projecto do Governo para a JMJ gastou 18,2 milhões de euros”, Público, 10 October 2023
https://www.publico.pt/2023/10/10/sociedade/noticia/grupo-projecto-governo-jmj-gastou-182-milhoes-euros-2066215
“Associação República e Laicidade acusa autarquia de não respeitar principio de imparcialidade do Estado nos gastos da JMJ”, Correio da manhã, 27 january 2023
https://www.cmjornal.pt/sociedade/detalhe/associacao-republica-e-laicidade-acusa-autarquia-de-nao-respeitar-principio-de-imparcialidade-do-estado-nos-gastos-da-jmj Public figures including the President, Prime Minister and Lisbon Mayor attended the events, including open-air masses.

Catholic celebrations explicitly sponsored by public institutions, such as universities or branches of the army, are still a fairly common occurrence, according to the Association for Republicanism and Secularism (Associação República e Laicidade).

Education and children’s rights

Under Article 43 of the Constitution, “[p]ublic education shall not be linked to a religious belief” and the State “may not programme education and culture in accordance with any philosophical, aesthetic, political, ideological or religious directives.”¹²Constituição da República Portuguesa, Diário da República https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-aprovacao-constituicao/1976-34520775 These principles are reiterated in the Basic Law on Education (as amended).¹³Lei de Bases do Sistema Educativo, Lei n.º 46/86, Diário da República n.º 237/1986, Série I de 1986-10-14, Versão à data de 2024-11-01, https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei/1986-34444975

According to Law 55/2018¹⁴Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, Decreto-Lei n.º 55/2018, 6 July 2018, Diário da República n.º 129/2018, Série I de 2018-07-06, páginas 2928 – 2943, https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/decreto-lei/55-2018-115652962, all schools are obliged to provide Moral and Religious Education as an optional subject within the school curriculum at primary level and all students on the science and humanities track at secondary level (Article 13(2) and 14(5)). The classes should last no less than 45 minutes per week. Reports indicate that the number of students signing up for Catholic Moral and Religious Education halved between 2012 and 2022.¹⁵“Educação Moral e Religiosa é cada vez menos frequentada nas escolas portuguesas”, Correio da Manhã, 22 January 2024, https://www.cmjornal.pt/sociedade/detalhe/educacao-moral-e-religiosa-e-cada-vez-menos-frequentada-nas-escolas-portuguesas

Read together with Article 24 of the Law on Religious Freedom¹⁶Lei da Liberdade Religiosa – Capítulo I, Lei n.º 16/2001, Diário da República
https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2001-34483475-50157675, religious groups may offer optional religious instruction through State-funded schools, provided there are a minimum number of students of the particular denomination who wish to attend the course. The minimum number is unspecified in the body of the law, but is reported to be 10, according to the Association for Republicanism and Secularism (Associação República e Laicidade). The courses and materials themselves are designed by the respective religious group, who are also responsible for training of teachers. The Catholic Church, as well as Buddhist, Bahá’í and Christian evangelical communities have teaching courses approved by the State.¹⁷Educação Moral e Religiosa, Direção-Geral da Educação, accessed October 2024 https://www.dge.mec.pt/educacao-moral-e-religiosa While the State bears ultimate responsibility for the recruitment, transfer or dismissal of any such course’s instructor, representatives of the religious denominations are approached to approve such decisions (Article 24(5) of the Law on Religious Freedom).

Under Article 14 of the Law on Religious Freedom, all schools, both public and private, are required to accommodate the religious practices of students, including rescheduling tests if necessary.¹⁸Lei da Liberdade Religiosa – Capítulo I, Lei n.º 16/2001, Diário da República https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2001-34483475-50157675

Female genital mutilation

Since 2015 there has been a law penalizing female genital mutilation (FGM), however it is rarely enforced, despite a growing number of cases being reported every year.¹⁹Aline Flor, “Mutilação genital feminina: uma lei sem consequências”, Público, 9 September 2018
https://www.publico.pt/2018/09/09/sociedade/noticia/se-acontece-em-portugal-mas-nao-ha-condenacoes-nao-e-feito-muito-bem-o-trabalho-de-casa-das-entidades-1843493 In the vast majority of the reported incidents, the mutilation is reported to have taken place during short stays in West African countries.²⁰“Registados 190 casos de mutilação genital feminina em 2022”, Observador, 6 February 2023, https://observador.pt/2023/02/06/registados-190-casos-de-mutilacao-genital-feminina-em-2022/ A total of 1,076 cases of FGM were detected in Portugal by the end of 2023.²¹Carla Bernadino, “Mais de mil casos de mutilação genital feminina detetados em Portugal em 10 anos”, Jornal de Noticias, 6 February 2024 https://www.jn.pt/7380291860/mais-de-mil-casos-de-mutilacao-genital-feminina-detetados-em-portugal-em-10-anos/ The rise in reported cases (17% increase between 2022 and 2023) may be a consequence of increasing awareness and reporting among health professionals.²²Fernanda de Oliveira Ribeiro e Daniel Fernandes, “Mutilação genital: registados 223 casos no ano passado em Portugal”, SIC Noticias, 6 February 2024 https://sicnoticias.pt/saude-e-bem-estar/2024-02-06-Mutilacao-genital-registados-223-casos-no-ano-passado-em-Portugal-90c4d5b8 In 2021, a conviction was made in an FGM case for the first time in Portugal. A young woman was initially sentenced to three years in prison for authorizing genital mutilation on her one-and-a-half year old baby girl. However, this sentence was later suspended following an appeal based on the best interest of the child and the fact that the mother was only 19 at the time and was herself a survivor of FGM.²³“Portugal: A first FGM sentence is suspended after appeal”, Building Bridges to End FGM, accessed October 2024 https://copfgm.org/portugal-a-first-fgm-sentence-is-suspended-after-appeal/

Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals

There are no major restrictions on personal social freedoms.

LGBTI+ rights

Portugal legalized same-sex marriage in 2010 and has made significant steps to recognize the rights of the LGBTI+ community over the last decade, including the extension of adoption rights to same-sex couples in 2016²⁴Assembleia da República, Lei n.º 2/2016, 29 February 2016 https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/2-2016-73740375, accessed October 2024, a new gender identity law in 2018²⁵Assembleia da República, “Direito à autodeterminação da identidade de género e expressão de género e à proteção das características sexuais de cada pessoa”, Lei n.º 38/2018, 7 August 2018 https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/38-2018-115933863, accessed October 2024 to include self determination of transgender people and an amendment to the law in 2024²⁶Assembleia da República, “Proíbe as denominadas práticas de «conversão sexual» contra pessoas LGBT+, criminalizando os atos dirigidos à alteração, limitação ou repressão da orientação sexual, da identidade ou expressão de género, alterando a Lei n.º 38/2018, de 7 de agosto, e o Código Penal”, Lei n.º 15/2024, 29 january 2024 https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/15-2024-839477377  to prohibit conversion therapy against LGBTI+ people.

Abortion

In 2007, Portugal held a referendum to remove what had been one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws. A majority voted in favor of the legalization of abortion during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.²⁷Giles Tremelett, “Catholic Portugal votes to allow abortion in early pregnancy”, The Guardian, 12 February 2007 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/12/gilestremlett.international According to the law, there is a mandatory reflection period of three days before the abortion can be performed and counseling services must be made available.²⁸”Saúde da mulher: Interrupção voluntária da gravidez”, SNS24, updated April 2024, https://www.sns24.gov.pt/tema/saude-da-mulher/interrupcao-voluntaria-da-gravidez/#strong-styleuser-select-textestou-gravida-e-quero-interromper-a-gravidez-o-que-devo-fazerstrong[/ref/]

After 10 weeks of pregnancy, abortion is still only allowed if there is a serious risk to the woman’s life or health, or in the cases of fetal malformation, or in the case of rape.[ref]Assembleia da República, “Exclusão da ilicitude nos casos de interrupção voluntária da gravidez”, Lei n.º 6/84, 11 May 1984 https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/16-2007-519464 Assembleia da República, “Exclusão da ilicitude nos casos de interrupção voluntária da gravidez” Lei n.º 16/2007, 17 de April 2007 https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/16-2007-519464

Doctors are granted the right of conscientious objection and the percentage of doctors who refuse to perform abortions based on religious beliefs remains high.²⁹“In Portugal, abortion legal but many doctors refuse to perform them”, WBEZ Chicago, July 2012
https://www.wbez.org/shows/worldview/in-portugal-abortion-legal-but-many-doctors-refuse-to-perform-them/5a63e08f-7ea0-4a9b-a9a5-4eac4ad570cf Recent investigations suggest that around 30% of hospitals do not carry out abortions due to conscientious objection of doctors. The practical obstacles faced by those who wish to have an abortion are numerous, especially outside the main urban centers, and legally established waiting times are often violated as a result of this.³⁰Fernanda Câncio, “Abortar é legal, o acesso existe, mas é tudo menos fácil”, Diario de Noticias, 29 February 2024 https://www.dn.pt/1515684282/abortar-e-legal-o-acesso-existe-mas-e-tudo-menos-facil/ The problem is particularly acute for women who live in the Portuguese archipelago of Azores, where women wishing to have an abortion must travel to the Portuguese mainland (circa 1,500km away) to access services. Although travel expenses are reimbursed by the State, this can create a serious challenge for staying within the 10-week legal deadline.³¹”Portugal viola direitos sociais europeus no aborto”, SIC Noticias, 22 May 2023 https://sicnoticias.pt/pais/2023-05-22-Portugal-viola-direitos-sociais-europeus-no-aborto-bcbea59f

Assisted dying

The law on assisted dying³²Assembleia da República, Regula as condições em que a morte medicamente assistida não é punível e altera o Código Penal, Lei n.º 22/2023, 25 May 2023 https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/22-2023-213498831 was approved in May 2023 after several attempts. Previous versions had been either vetoed by the President of the Republic or ruled to be incompatible with Constitutional precepts. However, due to the political crises caused by the resignation of the Prime Minister in November 2023 and the change in the government to a coalition of the center-right and Christian Democrats, the law is still awaiting implementation. The law faced strong and vocal opposition from conservative politicians and from the Catholic Church.³³Jose Coelho, “Portugal aprova lei da Eutanásia. Marcelo vai promulgar porque a Constituição o “obriga””, Euronews, 13 May 2023 https://pt.euronews.com/2023/05/13/marcelo-promulga-lei-da-eutanasia-porque-a-constituicao-o-obriga

Under Article 21 of the new law, doctors are guaranteed the right to conscientious objection and are not obliged to participate in assisted dying. They can currently invoke this right without needing to provide justification, however there is a growing debate around whether this right should be limited.³⁴Ana Catarina André, “Pode a eutanásia contribuir para limitar o direito à objeção de consciência?”, Rádio Renascença, 15 May 2024 https://rr.sapo.pt/noticia/pais/2024/05/15/pode-a-eutanasia-contribuir-para-limitar-o-direito-a-objecao-de-consciencia/378352/

Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values

The Portuguese Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, freedom of information and freedom of the press, and these rights are generally upheld in practice. However, the continued existence of ‘blasphemy’ and criminal defamation laws on the statue books runs contrary to international human rights standards.

Blasphemy law

A quasi-’blasphemy’ law criminalizes “offending a person in virtue of his religious belief”. Article 251 of the Criminal Code³⁵Código Penal, Diário da República https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34437675- (in Portuguese); http://legaldb.freemedia.at/legal-database/portugal/ (in English) defines “Insult motivated by religious belief”:

“Whomever publicly offends another person or derides that person because of his or her beliefs, in such a way as to disturb public peace, will be punished with a prison sentence of up to one year or with a fine of up to 120 days”.³⁶“Quem publicamente ofender outra pessoa ou dela escarnecer em razão da sua crença ou função religiosa, por forma adequada a perturbar a paz pública, é punido com pena de prisão até 1 ano ou com pena de multa até 120 dias.”

Article 252 further criminalizes “Hindrance, disturbance or insult to an act of worship”:

“Whoever publicly vilifies a religious act of worship or derides such an act will be punished with a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine of up to 120 days”.³⁷“Quem: a) Por meio de violência ou de ameaça com mal importante impedir ou perturbar o exercício legítimo do culto de religião; ou b) Publicamente vilipendiar acto de culto de religião ou dele escarnecer; é punido com pena de prisão até 1 ano ou com pena de multa até 120 dias.”

The articles do not appear to have been used in recent years.

The conflation of religious offense with the language of “public peace” and “vilification”, as well as a lack of prosecutions producing case law, makes it difficult to assess interpretation of this law. We consider it unlikely that sentencing could result in a prison term without some element of hate crime, however the wording on “public offense” and “derision” based on “beliefs” alone is vague enough that the threat of prosecution remains over acts that should constitute legitimate expression about religion and thus constitutes a quasi-blasphemy law.

Defamation

Under Article 180 of the Criminal Code³⁸Código Penal, Diário da República https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34437675- (in Portuguese); http://legaldb.freemedia.at/legal-database/portugal/ (in English) defamation is punishable by a prison term of a maximum six months or a fine of a maximum 240 days. If the act is committed through the media, the penalty is increased to imprisonment for up to two years or a fine not less than 120 days (Article 183). The law has frequently been used by public officials to curb criticism, contrary to international standards.

The European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) has regularly ruled against Portuguese authorities for their handling of both civil and criminal defamation cases.³⁹Freedom in the World 2023, Portugal report, Freedom House, accessed October 2024 https://freedomhouse.org/country/portugal/freedom-world/2023

In a recent high-profile case, Ana Gomes, who is a former member of the European Parliament and ran for President of Portugal in 2021, was fined for calling a well-known businessman a “crook” on X (formerly Twitter) but later saw her sentence overturned by a Portuguese appeal court.⁴⁰Adriana Alves, “Tribunal absolve Ana Gomes de difamação a Mário Ferreira”, Observador, 1 February 2024 https://observador.pt/2024/02/01/tribunal-absolve-ana-gomes-de-difamacao-a-mario-ferreira/ It remains to be seen if this is a sign of change.