Thirty-four countries around the world continue to severely restrict the right of people to live in accord with their faith says a new report from the European Parliament.

The Parliament’s Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance presented its annual report yesterday and called for a strengthening of the mandate of the EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion outside the European Union.

The report says that much of the world’s population is deprived of their right to freedom of religion or belief, thought or conscience. Among the many examples of the persecuted communities throughout the world, it says Rohingya Muslims continue to be persecuted in Myanmar, Christians continue to be sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan, Atheists continue to be demonised and non-Hindu’s are step-by-step deprived of their rights in India.

Persecution is also widespread in countries such as China, Vietnam and North Korea.