ABSTRACT

The right to freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right as well as an essential element of a democratic society. The paper attempts to examine the Greek case law of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the freedom of religion. The first chapter provides a conceptual clarification of the terms of religion and religious freedom in general. It describes the importance of the human need to believe and exercise faith as well as the right to be nonreligious or atheist. The second chapter includes the International, European and Greek legal texts that guarantee the right to religious freedom or belief until nowadays. The third chapter summarizes the most important citizens appeals against the Greek state before the European Court of Human Rights, on the grounds of violating the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Religion is an ineradicable condition of human lives and communities.