The European Centre for Law and Justice criticizes a recent Council of Europe resolution for failing to adequately address discrimination and violence against Christians across Europe.
Newsroom (29/04/2026 Gaudium Press) The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) has raised concerns over what it describes as a systemic underreporting of anti-Christian discrimination in Europe, criticizing a recent resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
In a statement issued following the April 21 resolution titled “Combating discrimination based on religion and protecting freedom of religion or belief in Europe,” ECLJ advocacy officer Thibault van den Bossche argued that the document places disproportionate emphasis on antisemitism and Islamophobia while failing to adequately acknowledge attacks against Christians.
“Such an imbalance weakens the overall coherence of the resolution and raises questions about the equal treatment of different religious groups,” Van den Bossche said.
Claims of Imbalance
According to the ECLJ, the resolution’s treatment of religious discrimination reflects what it calls a “clear imbalance.” While the document references rising antisemitism in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel and subsequent conflict in Gaza, as well as increased Islamophobic incidents, it reportedly offers little attention to anti-Christian violence.
Van den Bossche noted that the last explicit mention of anti-Christian activity in a comparable resolution dates back to 2015, and even then, only marginally. He also pointed to two resolutions adopted in 2022 that focused exclusively on Judaism and Islam as evidence of what he described as a recurring institutional focus.
“This imbalance is not merely rhetorical,” he said. “It reflects an implicit hierarchy of forms of religious intolerance and reveals a persistent difficulty in fully acknowledging anti-Christian attacks.”
Documented Incidents
The Vienna-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) has reported more recent incidents that, according to the ECLJ, illustrate the gap in recognition.
Among them is an April 11 assault in Barcelona, Spain, in which a 19-year-old man allegedly attacked a Christian woman on La Rambla boulevard after she acknowledged her faith. The suspect reportedly shouted insults and physically assaulted the victim, who sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
Police later arrested the suspect nearby and brought him before judicial authorities on charges including violation of fundamental rights on religious grounds and bodily harm.
OIDAC Europe recorded 2,211 anti-Christian hate crimes across Europe in 2024, figures the ECLJ says warrant “equally explicit recognition” in European policy discussions.
Structural Gaps in Reporting
Van den Bossche identified several factors contributing to what he described as the underreporting of anti-Christian incidents.
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Some victims may choose not to report attacks, fearing they could appear overly victimized or risk inflaming social tensions.
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Public authorities may fail to record incidents unless a clear political motive is established.
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Data collection remains inconsistent across countries, with uneven reporting to international bodies such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
“These limitations contribute to rendering a significant portion of the violence and discrimination suffered by Christians in Europe invisible,” he said.
Limited Recognition and Broader Concerns
Despite its criticism, the ECLJ acknowledged that the PACE resolution does contain language recognizing that religious discrimination affects both majority and minority groups and that expressions of faith can be restricted by national policies.
Van den Bossche said this wording offers “implicit but real recognition” of challenges faced by Christians, including in countries where they remain the majority. He also linked these concerns to what he described as “excesses of secularism,” particularly in France, where certain policies may disproportionately restrict Christian expression.
However, he argued that broader structural issues remain unaddressed. These include the lack of explicit representation for Christians in the mandate of the Council of Europe’s special representative on antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and religious intolerance, as well as the absence of targeted measures to protect places of worship amid reported increases in vandalism and attacks on churches.
He also called for stronger safeguards for conscientious objection, citing cases such as a nun refusing to participate in euthanasia procedures in a Catholic hospital.
Calls for Action
While the resolution encourages member states to improve data collection on religious discrimination, the ECLJ stressed that accurate and comprehensive documentation is essential for effective policymaking.
“To guarantee effective protection, attacks and discrimination against Christians must be recognized and addressed without bias,” Van den Bossche said, referencing protections under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The organization has launched a petition urging the president of PACE to adopt a more robust response to what it describes as growing anti-Christian discrimination across Europe.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Christian Daily
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