The Greek Administrative Supreme Court (CoS) ruled that animal slaughter in the context of religious worship ceremonies of the Muslim and Jewish religions, which take place in Greece, without prior stunning, provided and allowed by a joint ministerial decision of 2017, is illegal and contrary to European and Greek legislation.

The ruling came after animal welfare organisations had appealed for the annulment of the government decision allowing the practice.

Muslim and Jewish religious communities follow a special ritual way of slaughtering animals during their religious ceremonies, with the main feature being the slaughter of the animal without prior stunning.