The European Centre for Law and Justice This Week

August 4, 2006

(Strasbourg, France)—While many of the European Institutions such as the Parliament and Court of Human Rights are in recess, ECLJ remains busy in preparing for upcoming trials and legislative initiatives. The European Centre has also written an official letter to the Algerian Ambassador to the European Union Halim Benattallah regarding a new Algerian Presidential edict which makes it a criminal offence for Christians to proselytize Muslims. A form of the law was already used retroactively in an attempt to deport several African university students who attended a Bible study in the Algerian capital. The European Centre has also been working with the French Evangelical Association on this matter to seek the best means of intervention into this very serious matter.

ECLJ has also been in contact with several key Members of European Parliament regarding its collaboration in bringing suit against the European Commission for implementation of funding for embryonic stem cell research within the European Union. This issue is an important battle not only in the area of basic human dignity, but also for Member States to regain their ever-dwindling sovereignty from the European Union legislative bodies. The current budget at the centre of this controversy proposes that EU Member States where embryonic stem cell research is criminal use their tax dollars to fund the research in the three Member States where the research is practised.

In addition to this, the ECLJ is undertaking efforts to complete case work in the areas of French religious freedoms and Turkish religious freedoms. In Turkey, the ECLJ has offered its legal assistance to the Ecumenical Patriarch in his European Court of Human Rights case for the forced closure of the Halki Seminary by Turkish decree in 1971. The Seminary dates back to 858 AD, when it was the Monastery of the Holy Trinity. Recently, European Union leaders have demanded the re-opening of the seminary as part of Turkish ascension talks to enter the European Union. The Patriarchate filed its application to the European Court for misappropriation of the property last year and is awaiting word from the Court.

ECLJ will also take part in the August draft session of the United Nations Convention on Disabilities. The Centre applauds international efforts in this important area of human rights and has been working with delegates to the Conference in preparing a document best suited to fulfilling the needs of the disabled community within the abilities of the respective Member States of the United Nations. A key element of concern for the ECLJ in the document is the addition of language supporting the recognition of universal abortion services and gender mainstreaming programs, which ECLJ sees as severely damaging the credibility of the Convention and setting a dire precedent for international treaty law. We will certainly keep you apprised of the situation during the August PREPCOM as events develop.