Human Rights and Freedom in Haiti

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#antisemitism #haiti #haiti_antisemitism

Haiti Republic of Haiti [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	169th best
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	11.1m₁
Life Expectancy	63.19yrs (2017)₂

Haiti is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Haiti does better than average when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₃, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₄ (but bad for The Americas) and in freethought₅. But unfortunately Haiti gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average when it comes to supporting press freedom₆, LGBT equality in the 2020s₇, combatting modern slavery₈, its average Freedom in the World rating (one of the worst in The Americas) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₉. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₁₀ (the worst in The Americas) and in opposing gender inequality₁₁ (the worst in The Americas). There is a widespread problem with violence against women and poor legal protections for the vulnerable. Prisons are inhumanely overcrowded: detainees have less than one metre of space and are confined for 23 hours a day: the main cause is that 71% of them have been imprisoned before trials have been held₁₂.

1. Haiti's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Compared to The Americas (2025)₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃
1	Canada	17.0
2	Uruguay	30.8
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
27	St Lucia	90.3
28	Dominica	92.0
29	Nicaragua	94.0
30	Venezuela	94.1
31	St Kitts & Nevis	98.9
32	Haiti	104.1
33	Cuba	106.0
34	Grenada	107.1
35	Antigua & Barbuda	123.5
	The Americas Avg	75.88
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
116	Vietnam	102.6
117	Marshall Islands	102.9
118	Rwanda	103.1
119	Haiti	104.1
120	Russia	104.6
121	Sri Lanka	104.8
122	Mozambique	104.8
123	Tunisia	104.9
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₄. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₄.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, 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 Europe₁₄, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₄.

For more, see:

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

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Haiti stated:

“Some 4.5 million Haitians did not have enough to eat as fuel prices rose, and gang violence displaced thousands. Impunity remained entrenched for massacres, kidnappings and sexual violence. Haitians continued to flee to countries in Latin America and the USA in search of safety but received limited access to international protection and faced anti-Black discrimination, in some cases amounting to race-based torture.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₅

“Haiti´s prison system remained severely overcrowded, with many inmates living in inhumane conditions. In 2016, the United Nations estimated that nearly all inmates in Haiti´s national prison system have access to less than one square meter of space and most are confined for 23 hours a day. According to the UN, overcrowding is largely attributable to high numbers of arbitrary arrests and the country´s large number of pretrial detainees. In May 2017, Haitian prisons housed more than 10,000 detainees, 71 percent of whom were awaiting trial.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₂

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

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

Press Freedom Higher is better₆
Pos.		2025₆
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
107	Chad	51.89
108	S. Sudan	51.63
109	Guinea-Bissau	51.36
110	Haiti	51.06
111	Israel	51.06
112	Madagascar	50.80
113	Georgia	50.53
114	Colombia	49.80
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

When it comes to supporting press freedom, Haiti comes 110th 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 Index₁₆

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 (2026).

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

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Haiti:	27.03	74.35
World Rank:	105th	⇡ 52nd
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #haiti #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₈
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 1000₈
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
128=	India	8.00
128=	Cyprus	8.00
130	El Salvador	8.10
131	Haiti	8.20
132	Bulgaria	8.50
133=	Kyrgyzstan	8.70
133=	Syria	8.70
135	Armenia	8.90
	The Americas Avg	5.84
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

Haiti ranks 131st in the world with regard to 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.₁₇. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₈, Eritrea₁₈, Indonesia₁₉) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₈, 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 countries₂₀.

For more, see:

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

Haitian culture accepts a form of child labourers - called restavèks:

“Restavèks, most of whom are girls, are sent from low-income households to live with wealthier families in the hope that they will be schooled and cared for in exchange for performing light chores. Though difficult to calculate, some estimates suggest that between 225,000 and 300,000 children work as restavèks. These children are often unpaid, denied education, and physically or sexually abused. Haiti´s labor code does not set a minimum age for work in domestic services. [...] In February 2016, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child called on Haiti to criminalize the practice.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₂

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

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Haiti:	5.60	8.20
World Rank:	106th	⇣ 131st
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. 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
	...
154=	S. Ossetia	5.5
154=	Hong Kong	5.5
154=	Guinea	5.5
154=	Haiti	5.5
154=	Macau	5.5
154=	Zimbabwe	5.5
154=	Abkhazia	5.5
154=	Qatar	5.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

One of the highest in The Americas Haiti is 137th in the world regarding its average Freedom in the World rating.

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 Haiti (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Haiti:	6.3	6.1	5.4	5.5	4.8
World Rank:	133rd	⇡ 127th	⇣ 149th	⇣ 160th	⇡ 144th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.4. 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
	...
56=	Sri Lanka	-2
56=	S. Africa	-2
56=	Singapore	-2
56=	Haiti	-2
60=	Serbia	-3
60=	Papua New Guinea	-3
60=	Belarus	-3
60=	India	-3
	The Americas Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

In terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, Haiti is positioned 49th in the world.

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 (2026).

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₉
Pos.		2009 Treaties₉
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
135=	Nepal	13
135=	Djibouti	13
137=	Ethiopia	12
137=	Haiti	12
137=	Dominica	12
137=	Central African Rep.	12
137=	Bahrain	12
137=	Israel	12
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Haiti is 137th 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 (2026).

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
143	Indonesia	12.45
144	S. Africa	12.51
145	Bahrain	12.55
146	Haiti	12.61
147	Pakistan	12.66
148	Monaco	12.76
149	Antigua & Barbuda	12.76
150	Georgia	12.77
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Haiti is positioned 146th in the world in terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties.

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

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Haiti and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Haiti is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₁₁
Pos.		2022₁₁
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
153	Sierra Leone	0.61
154	Ivory Coast	0.62
155	Niger	0.62
156	Haiti	0.62
157	Guinea	0.63
158	Guinea-Bissau	0.63
159	Benin	0.65
160	Liberia	0.66
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Haiti is 11th-worst in the world in terms of opposing gender inequality (the worst in The Americas).

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).

From the 2000s to the 2010s, the position of women in Haiti declined more than in any other country.

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

Gender Inequality	2000s Average	2010s Average
Haiti:	0.60	0.64
World Rank:	119th	⇣ 155th
World Avg:	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₁₀
Pos.		2022 %₁₀
1	Sweden	31.8₂₂
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₃
3	Australia	37.0₂₃
	...
70	Azerbaijan	98.7₂₂
71	Ethiopia	98.9₂₃
72	Iraq	98.9₂₃
73	Haiti	98.9₂₂
74	Ghana	99.0₂₂
75	India	99.1₂₂
76	Rwanda	99.1₂₂
77	Myanmar	99.4₂₃
	The Americas Avg	82.90
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

When it comes to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), Haiti ranks 16th-worst in the world (the worst in The Americas).

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.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
81=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1949
82=	Barbados	1950
82=	India	1950
82=	Haiti	1950
85=	Antigua & Barbuda	1951
85=	Grenada	1951
85=	Nepal	1951
85=	Dominica	1951
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Haiti ranks 82nd in the world regarding the year from which women could participate in democracy.

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 better₃
Pos.		2014 %₃
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
32=	Trinidad & Tobago	24
32=	Argentina	24
32=	Mexico	24
35=	Haiti	26
35=	Mongolia	26
35=	Switzerland	26
38=	Belgium	27
38=	Germany	27
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

With regard to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, Haiti ranks 36th 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 Jews₂₄_,₂₅_,₂₆_,₂₇. 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 East₂₈, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₂₉_,₃₀. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₁. 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 males₃₂.

For more, see:

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

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#2020s #equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

“Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons continue to suffer high levels of discrimination. In June 2017, the Haitian Senate introduced a bill regulating conditions for the issuance of the Certificat de Bonne Vie et M�urs, a document that many employers and universities require. The bill lists homosexuality, alongside child pornography, incest, and commercial sexual exploitation of children, as a reason to deny a citizen a certificate.
In August 2017, the Haitian Senate passed another bill calling for a ban on gay marriage, as well as any public support or advocacy for LGBT rights. The bill states that "the parties, co-parties and accomplices" of a homosexual marriage can be punished by three years in prison and a fine of about US$8,000. The Senate approved both these bills, which were awaiting a vote in the Chamber of Deputies as of November 2017.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₂

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₇
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score₇
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
120	Philippines	-1.06
121	Burkina Faso	-1.15
122	Kyrgyzstan	-1.18
123	Haiti	-1.27
124	Gabon	-1.38
125	Vatican City	-1.45
126	Georgia	-1.49
127	Swaziland	-1.51
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Regarding LGBT equality in the 2020s, Haiti ranks 123rd in the world.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₃. 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 laws₃₄. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₃₅. 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 1970s₃₆_,₃₇. 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).

Homosexuality has been legal in Haiti since 1791 (French Penal Code). However, same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognized, adoption is restricted to single individuals, and there are no comprehensive anti-discrimination protections. LGBT people can serve in the military, the age of consent is equal (18, since 2005 reforms), but vague public morality and vagrancy laws have historically been used to harass LGBT people, especially in the 20th century and again in the 2010s. A 2013 gay rights bill would have created some tolerance, but it was effectively opposed by religious protests who conducted large demonstrations in Port-au-Prince. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Haiti had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

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

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
Haiti:	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	-0.40	-1.27
World Rank:	34th	⇣ 42nd	⇣ 53rd	⇣ 78th	⇣ 109th	⇣ 123rd
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 better₅
Pos.		2021₅
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
70=	Lithuania	2.8
70=	Peru	2.8
70=	Ireland	2.8
70=	Haiti	2.8
70=	Portugal	2.8
70=	Georgia	2.8
70=	Nepal	2.8
70=	Latvia	2.8
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Haiti comes 65th in the world in terms of freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₃₈. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₃₉. 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 era₄₀ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₁. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₂. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₅_,₄₃ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₅_,₄₄.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₅. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₃₉, 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 religion₄₆ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₇ 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).