Human Rights, Equality and Freedom in Armenia

https://www.humantruth.info/armenia_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

Armenia Republic of Armenia [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	89th best
Location	Asia, Europe
Population	3.0m₁
Life Expectancy	72.04yrs (2017)₂

Armenia is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Armenia does better than average in supporting press freedom₃ (one of the best in Asia), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₄, opposing gender inequality₅, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₆ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₇. Armenia still has work to do. Armenia does worse than average for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₈ (still good for Asia), freethought₉ (still good for Asia), its average Freedom in the World rating (still low for Asia), combatting modern slavery₁₀ and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₁₁ although widespread harassment, discrimination and violence against LGBT folk still exists₁₃. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₁₂. Domestic violence persists as a serious problem and in 2017 there were many examples of human-rights defenders facing threats and harassment, and excessive force was used against protesters and journalists₁₃.

1. Armenia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#armenia #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2025)₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Japan	31.6
2	Taiwan	41.3
3	S. Korea	44.8
	...
14	Singapore	95.8
15	Bhutan	97.2
16	Turkey	98.8
17	Armenia	99.1
18	Indonesia	100.4
19	Kyrgyzstan	102.0
20	Vietnam	103.4
21	India	104.4
22	Russia	104.9
	Asia Avg	103.00
q=52.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
108	Madagascar	98.8
109	Turkey	98.8
110	St Kitts & Nevis	98.9
111	Armenia	99.1
112	Indonesia	100.4
113	Tonga	101.0
114	Kyrgyzstan	102.0
115	Rwanda	102.5
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₅. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₅.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₅, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₅.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights bodies have been sounding some repetitive warnings about state abuse of power and neglect of human rights in Armenia:

[In 2017] Human rights defenders faced threats and harassment. Domestic violence persists as a serious problem. The government introduced in parliament a draft law on violence in the family, but women's rights groups opposed it, fearing it emphasized keeping families together rather than protecting victims. Many children with disabilities lack quality education and live in institutions separated from their families. The government overhauled the onerous system for prescribing and accessing opioid pain medications. Discrimination against women and people with disabilities, and based on sexual orientation and gender identity, persisted. [...]
In November, Armenia and the European Union (EU) signed a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, aiming to strengthen political dialogue, increase economic cooperation, and promote reforms, including on human rights and the rule of law. Following the EU-Armenia Human Rights Dialogue in May, the EU called for adoption of laws against domestic violence and discrimination, and for effective investigation and prosecution of crimes committed by law enforcement.
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₃

A few years later, these worries were vindicated when heavy-handed stated violence was employed during the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary stated:

“No progress was reported in investigating war crimes and other crimes under international law during the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan armed conflict and its immediate aftermath. Law enforcement officers used excessive force during anti government protests. Freedom of expression was restricted as hundreds faced criminal prosecution for allegedly insulting officials. Amendments to the Mining Code made it easier to bypass public opposition and environmental concerns. Laws to combat discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity remained inadequate.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₆

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₃
Pos.		2025₃
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
31	Poland	74.79
32	Suriname	74.49
33	Slovenia	74.06
34	Armenia	73.96
35	Moldova	73.36
36	Costa Rica	73.09
37	Montenegro	72.83
38	Slovakia	71.93
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Amongst the highest in Asia in terms of supporting press freedom, Armenia comes 34th in the world.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₇

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Armenia has been making serious improvements over the past two decades. Despite this, "authorities failed to bring to justice officials responsible for excessive use of force against protesters and journalists, including during largely peaceful protests in Yerevan in July 2016"₁₃. In most areas, it has genuinely improved, and it was one of only 19 countries who in 2025 had better press freedom than in the 2010s (albeit, starting from a low point)₁₈.

Averages by decade for Armenia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Armenia:	25.38	70.90
World Rank:	101st	⇡ 74th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₁₀
Pos.		Total Per 1000₁₀
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
132	Bulgaria	8.50
133=	Kyrgyzstan	8.70
133=	Syria	8.70
135	Armenia	8.90
136=	Moldova	9.50
136=	Venezuela	9.50
138	Jordan	10.00
139	Bosnia & Herzegovina	10.10
	Asia Avg	9.89
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Armenia ranks 135th in the world in terms of combatting modern slavery.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₉. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₀, Eritrea₂₀, Indonesia₂₁) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₂₀, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₂₂.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Armenia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Armenia:	5.30	8.90
World Rank:	100th	⇣ 135th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₆
Pos.		2014 Rank₆
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
52	Israel	52
53	Peru	53
54	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
55=	Armenia	55
55=	Macedonia	55
55=	Suriname	55
58	El Salvador	58
59	Ghana	59
	Asia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Armenia ranks 55th in the world in terms of supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₃

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
115=	Ivory Coast	4.0
115=	Honduras	4.0
115=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	4.0
115=	Armenia	4.0
115=	Singapore	4.0
115=	Madagascar	4.0
115=	Malaysia	4.0
115=	Ukraine	4.0
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

With regard to its average Freedom in the World rating, Armenia comes 110th in the world (still low for Asia).

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Armenia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Armenia:	4.1	4.4	4.5
World Rank:	113th	⇣ 134th	⇣ 137th
World Avg:	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₄
Pos.		2017 Score₄
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
41=	Nepal	0
41=	S. Korea	0
43=	Guatemala	-1
43=	Armenia	-1
43=	Ivory Coast	-1
43=	Kosovo	-1
43=	Honduras	-1
43=	Peru	-1
	Asia Avg	-5.0
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Armenia comes 43rd in the world in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₇
Pos.		2009 Treaties₇
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
80=	Morocco	17
80=	Guinea	17
80=	Russia	17
80=	Armenia	17
84=	Egypt	16
84=	Togo	16
84=	Belarus	16
84=	Seychelles	16
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Armenia ranks 75th in the world in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₄
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
105	Iran	10.81
106	Albania	10.94
107	Israel	10.97
108	Armenia	11.00
109	Lithuania	11.03
110	Mozambique	11.04
111	Tajikistan	11.08
112	Ethiopia	11.13
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

In terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties, Armenia comes 108th in the world.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

Armenia is on the way towards ending gender inequality but women are still in an unfavourable position much of the time.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₅
Pos.		2022₅
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
50	Malaysia	0.20
51	Chile	0.20
52	Bulgaria	0.21
53	Armenia	0.21
54	Romania	0.23
55	Saudi Arabia	0.24
56	Kuwait	0.24
57	Costa Rica	0.24
	Asia Avg	0.33
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

With regard to opposing gender inequality, Armenia comes 53rd in the world.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Armenia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Armenia:	0.46	0.40	0.29
World Rank:	56th	⇣ 69th	⇡ 61st
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₈
Pos.		2022 %₈
1	Sweden	31.8₂₅
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₆
3	Australia	37.0₂₆
	...
42	Russia	91.4₂₆
43	Turkey	91.6₂₆
44	China	91.8₂₆
45	Armenia	92.1₂₆
46	Ecuador	92.3₂₆
47	Venezuela	92.4₂₆
48	Nicaragua	93.2₂₆
49	Kazakhstan	93.4₂₆
	Asia Avg	94.24
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Armenia comes 45th in the world regarding the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators).

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
23=	Lithuania	1921
23=	Sweden	1921
23=	Azerbaijan	1921
23=	Armenia	1921
23=	Georgia	1921
28	Ireland	1922
29=	Tajikistan	1924
29=	Mongolia	1924
	Asia Avg	1907
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

When it comes to the year from which women could participate in democracy, Armenia is 23rd in the world.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₁₂
Pos.		2014 %₁₂
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
80=	Senegal	53
80=	S. Korea	53
82	Iran	56
83	Armenia	58
84	Malaysia	61
85=	Turkey	69
85=	Greece	69
87	Saudi Arabia	74
	Asia Avg	48.2
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Regarding its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, Armenia is 19th-worst in the world.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₇_,₂₈_,₂₉_,₃₀. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₁, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₂_,₃₃. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₄. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₅.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people face harassment, discrimination, and violence. ... Officials opened investigations in several cases, but the law does not include anti-LGBT bias as an aggravating circumstance. Fear of discrimination and public disclosure of their sexual orientation prevents many LGBT people from reporting crimes.
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₃

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		Total Score₁₁
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
133	Antigua & Barbuda	-2.25
134	Singapore	-2.31
135	Kiribati	-2.32
136	Armenia	-2.34
137	Azerbaijan	-2.45
138	St Kitts & Nevis	-2.48
139	Tajikistan	-2.50
140	Indonesia	-2.55
	Asia Avg	-2.08
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

Armenia ranks 136th in the world with regard to LGBT equality in the 2020s.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₆. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₃₇. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₃₈. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s₃₉_,₄₀. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

" LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Public morality and Soviet-era sodomy laws (Article 121, specifically against male homosexuality) were used to harass LGBT people from 1934, with over a dozen prosecutions recorded in the 1990s by Amnesty International. Armenia was the last Council of Europe member to decriminalize homosexuality, in 2003. Same-sex marriage and civil partnerships are banned and LGBT people are not allowed to serve openly in the military. The age of consent is equal at 16. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Armenia had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination. From the 2010s things were getting worse again, with ultra-nationalist groups and religious rhetoric being used to call LGBT rights "immoral" or "foreign", legitimizing continued harassment.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Averages by decade for Armenia (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
Armenia:	-6.00	-6.00	-6.00	-2.25	-0.60	-2.34
World Rank:	203rd	⇡ 201st	⇡ 196th	⇡ 109th	⇣ 113th	⇣ 136th
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₉
Pos.		2021₉
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
115=	Trinidad & Tobago	3.3
115=	St Lucia	3.3
115=	Dominican Rep.	3.3
115=	Armenia	3.3
115=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.3
115=	Brazil	3.3
115=	Cameroon	3.3
115=	Croatia	3.3
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Still good for Asia Armenia is positioned 109th in the world when it comes to freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₁. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₂. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₃ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₄. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₅. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₉_,₄₆ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₉_,₄₇.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₈. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₂, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₄₉ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₅₀ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).