Transnational Repression of Freedom of Religion or Belief
May 10
May 10th 10:30am
-
May 10th 12:00pm
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing
Transnational Repression of Freedom of Religion or Belief
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
10:30 AM -12:00 PM ET
Virtual
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) hosted a hearing that examined transnational repression on the basis of religion, belief, or advocacy for religious freedom and how the United State can respond accordingly.
Government efforts to restrict freedom of religion or belief do not stop at national borders. In recent years, a concerning trend of governments harassing, intimidating, and even attempting to kidnap and deport religious minority citizens or religious freedom advocates who reside abroad has increased. Some of these attempts have occurred on U.S. soil. While country-specific approaches to this repression exist, the coalescence of a U.S. policy on transnational repression is an ongoing process. The stakes of this policy are high not only for those targeted for transnational repression, but also for countries that value freedom of religion or belief as a norm and practice. Authoritarianism is no longer contained to authoritarian states as new technologies, interlinked societies, and globalized economies connect people more than ever before.
Witnesses documented the use of repressive tactics by governments around the world to restrict religious freedom outside their borders and provided policy recommendations to the U.S. government on countering these threats.
Opening Remarks
- Senator Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senate (D-Oregon)
Recorded Remarks - Nury Turkel, Chair, USCIRF
- Eric Ueland, Commissioner, USCIRF
Panel I
- Scott Busby, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State
Written Testimony
Panel II
- Andrea Prasow, Executive Director, The Freedom Initiative
Written Testimony - Nate Schenkkan, Senior Director of Research, Freedom House
Written Testimony - Teng Biao, Academic Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Open Constitution Initiative
Written Testimony - Marcus Michaelsen, Senior Researcher, Citizen Lab
Written Testimony - Julie Millsap, Government Relations Manager, Uyghur Human Rights Project
Written Testimony
Submitted for the Record
Statement by Falun Dafa Info Center
This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. Members of the media should register online and can email [email protected] for any questions or to schedule an interview. The video recording of the hearing will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions, please email Veronica McCarthy at [email protected] or (202) 355-8026.