USCIRF Highlights Religious Freedom Violations in Eritrea Amidst Two Decades of Pastors’ Imprisonment

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges the Biden administration to bring greater attention to religious freedom violations in Eritrea. This month and next mark the 20th anniversary of the arrests and imprisonment of three pastors in Eritrea who have been held under atrocious conditions. Meanwhile, hundreds are currently detained due to their religion or belief.  

“Two entire decades have passed since the Eritrean government arrested Pastors Haile Nayzgi and Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel. It is unconscionable that these two men, along with Pastor Meron Gebreselasie who was arrested a month later, remain imprisoned under horrible conditions. Bishop Abune Antonios died at age 94 in 2022 while under house arrest. Other Eritrean church leaders should not suffer the same fate,” said USCIRF Commissioner Frank Wolf. “According to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Eritrean government does not generally take steps to investigate, prosecute, or punish officials who commit human rights abuses. The safety and well-being of religious prisoners of conscience needs to be a priority for the international community. USCIRF urges the U.S. government to press for their immediate release.”

According to reports, prisons in Eritrea are horrifically maintained and those incarcerated endure physical abuse, sexual violence, and torture. As of 2023, Eritrean authorities were holding an estimated 500 Christians as prisoners, including nearly 40 Jehovah’s Witnesses. Last year, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) urged the Eritrean government to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief and to guarantee related freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Furthermore, the UNHRC exhorted the Eritrean government to release all those detained based solely on their religion or belief. In March 2023, the Eritrean government began the process of releasing some prisoners, freeing nine Christian prisoners, most of whom had been incarcerated for nine years including house church pastor Abenet Yemane.

“Religious freedom conditions in Eritrea remain extremely poor. USCIRF was hopeful last year when Eritrean authorities started releasing some of those detained because of their faith or belief. Unfortunately, this effort included only a small number of prisoners,” stated USCIRF Vice Chair Frederick A. Davie. “USCIRF urges the Biden administration to engage with the Eritrean government to end religious persecution of unregistered religious communities and release the remaining religious prisoners. The U.S. government must also urge the Eritrean government to ratify UN conventions related to freedom of religion or belief.”

In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended the State Department redesignate Eritrea as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. The State Department has repeatedly designated Eritrea as a CPC since 2004, most recently in December 2023. In August, USCIRF released a report on religious freedom conditions in Eritrea. USCIRF also released a publication on freedom of religion or belief in the Horn of Africa, as well as a factsheet addressing refugees fleeing religious persecution in various countries including Eritrea.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].

USCIRF Calls for Additional Sanctions Amidst New Harsh Enforcement of Iran’s Mandatory Hijab Law

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls for additional sanctions on Iranian authorities and security officials in light of the increased crackdown on women and girls for “defying” the country’s mandatory hijab laws. Last month, the U.S. government, in coordination with allied countries, imposed sanctions against Iran for its military-related activities and malicious cyber operations. It must continue to hold accountable officials who suppress human rights protected under international law.

“Iranian authorities callously violate women’s religious freedom and targets any individual advocating for freedom of religion or belief. The U.S. government has continued to support global efforts to hold Iran accountable for its heinous acts. However, USCIRF urges additional sanctions on Iranian government agencies and security officials responsible for particularly severe violations of religious freedom by freezing their assets and barring their entry into the United States,” said USCIRF Commissioner Susie Gelman. “Although a new ‘hijab and chastity’ bill has yet to be approved by the country’s Guardian Council, USCIRF is closely monitoring Iran’s latest attempt to further stifle freedom of religion or belief.”

In April, the Iranian regime launched a new campaign to more aggressively enforce its mandatory hijab law. The new “Nour” (Light) initiative has escalated authorities’ violent crackdown on Iranian women. While the Nour campaign targets violators of the hijab law, it coincides with a broader effort to silence government dissenters – including human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, students, and artists – who have also been arrested in recent days. This new spate of arrests comes only weeks after a panel of United Nations (UN)-appointed experts determined that Iran’s crackdowns on protests against mandatory hijab and other religious freedom violations amount to crimes against humanity.

“The relentless and pervasive assaults against innocent Iranian women and girls by Iran's morality police must be unequivocally condemned by the U.S. government and the international community,” said USCIRF Commissioner Eric Ueland. “In April, the MAHSA Act was signed into law. USCIRF urges the U.S. government to fully implement this new law and impose sanctions on entities named in subsection (d) to target the top leaders of the oppressive regime, including the Supreme Leader of Iran, the President of Iran, and entities overseen by their offices responsible for human rights violations.”

USCIRF has consistently called for accountability for Iran’s crimes against humanity. In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF urged the U.S. government to support the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran and its important documentation of human rights violations. USCIRF also recommended the U.S. government impose targeted sanctions on Iranian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].