Willy Fautré
Willy Fautré is a Belgian human rights activist, founder and director of Human Rights Without Frontiers International. He has authored numerous articles in academic journals on the relationship between the state and religion. He specializes in the issues faced by religious and linguistic minorities in Europe.
Biography
Fautré previously served as a chargé de mission in the Belgian Parliament. Through his work at HRWF, Fautré has also contributed to reporting and raising awareness about human rights violations, often interacting with international bodies, such as the United Nations, European Court of Human Rights to call for stronger actions in defense of human rights worldwide.
Fautré founded Human Rights Without Frontiers International in 2001. He is known for "defending religious communities from persecution and interference by state authorities, often defending traditional believers from rigidly secular government policies". He has championed the cause of religious and linguistic minorities in Europe at the United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, and the European Parliament. He often hosts conferences on religious freedom at the European Parliament and gives lectures on subjects including religious freedom, discrimination, and intolerance.