Information Note on the Court’s case-law 264

July 2022

Executief van de Moslims van België and Others v. Belgium (communicated case) - 16760/22

Article 9

Article 9-1

Manifest religion or belief

Prohibition on the ritual slaughter of animals without stunning: communicated

By decrees adopted in 2017 and 2018 respectively, in the context of their legislation on the well-being of animals, the Flemish and Walloon Regions of Belgium prohibited the ritual slaughter of animals without stunning. Claiming an unjustified interference with their freedom of religion and discrimination against them on that ground, the applicants – individuals of the Muslim or Jewish faiths, and various representative organisations – brought actions seeking the annulment of the prohibition. Following a judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in response to a number of preliminary references (case C‑336/19 ), the Constitutional Court dismissed those actions by two judgments of 30 September 2021 (nos. 117/2021 and 118/2021 ).

© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.

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