Religious Freedom in the Inter-American System of Human Rights

Abstract

This paper aims to study freedom of religion in the Inter–American system of human rights as established in the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the American Convention on Human Rights. First, it states the legal rules concerning the matter, their reciprocal relations and the context of their adoption. Then, it analyzes the interpretation given by the Inter–American Court of Human Rights and the Inter–American Commission on Human Rights. Two sections are devoted to specific problems: religious equality and legitimate restrictions to freedom of religion. Finally, the article deals with a special aspect of the right: its application to indigenous groups.