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Stavropoulos and others v. Greece, No. 52484/18, ECtHR (First Section), 25 June 2020

Abstract

It does breach article 9 of the ECHR, as it is not prescribed by law, the administrative praxis consisting in the affixing of a wording on the birth certificate referring to the civil act of naming, by which it is possible to assess that the child has not been baptized.

Normative references

Art. 8 ECHR
Art. 9 ECHR

Ruling


1. The right to manifest one’s religion or beliefs also has a negative aspect, namely an individual’s right not to be obliged to disclose his or her religion or beliefs and not to be obliged to act in such a way that it is possible to conclude that he or she holds – or does not hold – such beliefs. Consequently, State authorities are not entitled to intervene in the sphere of an individual’s freedom of conscience and to seek to discover his or her religious beliefs or oblige him or her to disclose such beliefs.