Humanists International will unveil the latest edition of its global benchmark on the treatment of humanists, atheists and the non-religious at a hybrid event in the EU quarter.
On Wednesday, 25 February 2026, Humanists International will host the launch of its 2025 Freedom of Thought Report at Press Club Brussels Europe, bringing together EU policymakers, human-rights officials and civil-society leaders to discuss freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and the civic space available to non-religious people worldwide.
When and where
- Date: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
- Time: 17:15–19:00 CET
- Venue (in-person): Press Club Brussels Europe, Rue Froissart 95, 1040 Brussels (limited seating; organisers note a 50-seat capacity)
- Format: Hybrid (online and in-person)
Registration is available for both online attendance and in-person participation, with Humanists International describing the launch as a free event.
What the report does
The Freedom of Thought Report is presented by its editors as a worldwide survey of discrimination and persecution against humanists, atheists and the non-religious, with an entry for every country and a dedicated rating system used to assess conditions.
For EU audiences, the report’s focus intersects with wider debates about fundamental rights, civic space, and how governments handle religion-or-belief issues in law, education, public life and security policy—especially when minority viewpoints are unpopular or politically inconvenient.
2025 edition spotlight: “Key Countries” amid rising authoritarianism
Organizers say this year’s Key Countries edition examines freedom of religion or belief “in a world of rising authoritarianism,” tracking both positive reforms and signs of democratic backsliding, religious nationalism, and tighter constraints on civil society.
The countries highlighted are:
- Bangladesh
- El Salvador
- Georgia
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Myanmar
- Sudan
- United States
Humanists International says the aim is to document how legal frameworks and real-world practices affect the rights of people who identify as non-religious, as well as broader FoRB protections.
Speakers: EU institutions, UN expertise, and civil-society testimony
The confirmed line-up combines EU-level political voices, diplomatic and human-rights expertise, and first-hand advocacy experience:
Why this Brussels launch matters
Staging the launch in Brussels places the report directly within the EU’s policymaking ecosystem—where freedom of religion or belief is discussed not only as an external human-rights priority, but also as a principle tested by polarisation, disinformation, and pressure on independent civil society.
For further context on the EU-side governance debate around “freedom of thought” and institutional neutrality, see The European Times’ recent reporting on Article 17 dialogue and concerns raised by stakeholders.
