On October 13, 2025, the ECLJ was in Warsaw and made an oral intervention during OSCE Human Dimension Conference to denounce anti-christian hatred in Europe. Here is what we stated:

Thank you, Madam Moderator,

My name is Thibault van den Bossche, and I represent the European Centre for Law and Justice.

I would like to draw attention to a form of intolerance and discrimination that remains largely underestimated at the institutional level: anti-Christian hatred in Europe. This issue is often ignored precisely because it takes place on a continent whose very cultural and moral foundations are Christian.

Fortunately, the OSCE with the support of Hungary, Italy, and Poland, has published a valuable guide on hate crimes against Christians, to help States and civil society understand and address this issue. This is an excellent first step — one that few States and European institutions have yet taken, while the fight against anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred is already well established.

Yet every year, thousands of incidents targeting Christians and churches are documented across the continent: arsons, desecrations, physical assaults, and acts of vandalism against places of worship. More than 2,400 anti-Christian acts were recorded in Europe in 2023 alone, including over 230 cases of physical violence.

Christians from Muslim backgrounds are particularly targeted by radical Muslims.

France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are among the most affected countries.

Beyond these direct attacks, we also observe what Pope Francis calls a “polite persecution” — a cultural and legal marginalization of Christian beliefs in the name of modernity, progress, or neutrality.
Such hostility often comes from militant secularist or far-left groups determined to eradicate what remains of the Christian moral influence in public life.

This includes the restriction of conscientious objection and limits on the expression of faith in the workplace or public sphere.

At the ECLJ, we advocate before European and international institutions for stronger recognition and protection. Our recent report, Christianophobia and Anti-Christian Hatred in Europe highlights both the scale of the problem and the lack of awareness among policymakers.

We therefore urge participating States to:

1. Acknowledge anti-Christian hatred as a distinct and serious form of intolerance;
2. Improve data collection and reporting mechanisms on religiously motivated hate crimes;
3. Ensure equal protection for all believers, including Christians, in law and in practice.

Protecting Christians from intolerance and discrimination means safeguarding their freedom of religion, assembly, expression, and all related fundamental rights. Such protection cannot be selective.

Thank you.