Aug 19, 2022

Sri Lanka is an ethnically and religiously diverse country but has had a history of intercommunal violence, most recently heightened in the decade following the end of a civil war in 2009. Conflict among the various ethnic and religious groups has remained at a heightened level in recent years impacting political, social, and economic life in the country, including freedom of religion or belief. Although Sri Lanka is not currently among the countries designated as a Country of Particular Concern or included on the State Department’s Special Watch List, USCIRF has documented a number of the country’s deteriorating religious freedom conditions.

Associate Professor of Anthropology at Stanford University Sharika Thiranagama joins us today to provide background on Sri Lanka’s religious communities and to discuss the impact recent political and economic developments have had on religious freedom in the country.

Read USCIRF’s 2021 Country Update on Sri Lanka

Aug 24

WHEN:

Aug 24th 10:30am - Aug 24th 12:00pm

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing

Religious Freedom in Afghanistan: One Year Since the Taliban Takeover

Wednesday, August 24, 2022
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Virtual Hearing

Hearing Transcript

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing that examined Afghanistan’s freedom of religion or belief under the Taliban’s rule since its takeover of the country in August 2021. The hearing also highlighted opportunities for U.S. policy to support vulnerable Afghans.

The Taliban’s imposition of their narrow interpretation of Sunni Islam on all of society poses a grave threat to Afghans who interpret Islam differently, who hold a different faith, or who choose to have no faith at all. In addition, despite continued promises to protect all ethnic and religious communities residing in Afghanistan, the Taliban de facto government has been unable to protect religious minorities against attacks from Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K). While some religious minority communities face the threat of extinction, others struggle to practice their faith in hiding due to fear of reprisal.

Witnesses documented religious freedom conditions throughout the country under Taliban rule, discussed current U.S. policy, and shared recommendations for the U.S. government to support religious freedom in Afghanistan.

Opening Remarks

Panel

  • Fereshta Abbasi, Researcher, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch
    Written Testimony
  • Anne Richard, Afghanistan Coordination Lead, Freedom House; former Assistant Secretary of State, Population, Refugees and Migration, U.S. Department of State
    Written Testimony
  • Joseph Azam, U.S. Policy Advisor and Board Chair, Afghan American Foundation

Witnesses' Bios

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 contact Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected] or (202) 702-2778.

Additional Name(s): سلمى الشهاب, Salma bint Sami bin Abdulmohsen al-Shehab

Gender: Female

Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia

Ethnic Group: Arab

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Shi'a

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Resentenced to 27 Years' Imprisonment (Originally Increased to 34 Years' Imprisonment)

Sentence: Reduced to 4 Years' Imprisonment (Originally 6 Years' Imprisonment)

Date of Detainment: January/15/2021

Date of Sentencing: January/25/2023

Date of Release: January//2025

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Online Activity Religious Identity Resisting State-Imposed Religious Systems Women’s Rights

Nature of Charges: Aid & Abetment Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Terrorism

Salma al-Shehab

Extra Bio Info:

Salma al-Shehab was imprisoned for her women's rights activism opposing state-imposed religious systems as well as her religious identity.

On January 15, 2021, authorities arrested al-Shehab, a Shi'a Muslim and a PhD student at Leeds University in the United Kingdom, while she was on vacation in Saudi Arabia. Al-Shehab was targeted for her social media activity supporting women's rights and expressing solidarity with women's rights activists, like Loujain al-Hathloul, who were arrested for opposing the religiously grounded guardianship system. Al-Shehab was reportedly accused of "providing succour to those seeking to disrupt public order and undermine the safety of the general public and stability of the state, and publishing false and tendentious rumours on Twitter."

On an unspecified day in 2021, the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) sentenced al-Shehab to six years in prison.

On or around August 9, 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal resentenced al-Shehab to 34 years in prison, followed by a 34-year travel ban, for supporting and promoting terrorism (Art. 34 Law on Combatting Terrorism Crimes and Its Financing), aiding and abetting terrorists or a terrorist entity (Art. 38 Law on Combatting Terrorism Crimes and Its Financing), using the internet or electronic devices to conduct terrorist activities (Art. 43 Law on Combatting Terrorism Crimes and Its Financing), spreading false rumors or information with the intent to commit terrorism (Art. 44 Law on Combatting Terrorism Crimes and Its Financing), sending items that would prejudice public order (Art. 6 Law on Combatting Cyber Crimes), and other crimes.  Al-Shehab's religious identity as a Shi'a Muslim is believed to have been a factor in her arrest and harsh sentencing.

On January 18, 2023, the Supreme Court reportedly threw out al-Shehab's sentence and ordered a retrial.

On January 25, 2023, the SCC reportedly resentenced al-Shehab to 27 years in prison after dropping her prior charge under the Combatting Cyber Crimes Law.

On March 23, 2023, al-Shehab went on hunger strike in protest over her detention and trial.

In June 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared al-Shehab's detention arbitrary and called for her immediate release. 

In September 2024, the SCC scheduled a new trial hearing to revisit al-Shehab’s case.

In January 2025, Saudi judicial authorities reduced al-Shehab's sentence to four years' imprisonment, including a four-year probation through 2029 followed by an 8-year travel ban. In February 2025, Saudi authorities released al-Shehab from prison with a travel ban.

Al-Shehab had reportedly been subjected to solitary confinement and verbal abuse on the basis of her religion while in prison. She had also been denied access to a lawyer and family visits.

Al-Shehab is the mother of two small children.

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