International Religious Freedom Report, 2013: Poland

摘要

The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom, and the government generally respected and promoted religious freedom. A court decision voiding an administrative exemption to the 2002 Animal Rights Protection Act had the effect of prohibiting kosher and halal slaughter beginning in January. In August the Jewish community filed a motion with the Constitutional Court to review the legality of this prohibition, but the court had not yet issued a decision at years end. There were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. Most of the abuses involved hate speech or vandalism of religious sites. Police and prosecutors investigated incidents, including cases of anti-Semitism by soccer fans and extreme-right groups, but they often were unable to identify the perpetrators. The government and prominent societal leaders took steps to promote tolerance and religious freedom in response to incidents of vandalism targeting Muslim, Catholic, and Jewish institutions.