Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Uzbekistan
Ethnic Group: Armenian
Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture: Yes
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 7 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: September/4/2015
Date of Sentencing: February/19/2016
Date of Release: February/5/2020
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Identity
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Terrorism Theft & Robbery Treason & Sedition
Aramais Avakian
Extra Bio Info:
Aramais Avakian was imprisoned in relation to his religious identity.
On September 4, 2015, authorities arrested Avakian, a Christian fish farmer, after being accusing him of being an Islamic extremist and being sympathetic to the Islamic State group. Authorities informed Avakian's family, who had no knowledge of his whereabouts, of his detention more than a month later. His family claims Avakian was targeted by local authorities as a means to seize his profitable fish farm.
Local and international human rights organizations have stated that Avakian was subjected to torture in attempts to extract a confession.
On February 19, 2016, the Dzhizakh Regional Criminal Court sentenced Avakian to seven years in prison for “attempts to overthrow the constitutional order” (Art. 159 UCC), sabotage (Art. 161 UCC), theft (Art. 169 UCC), and an unspecified subsection of Article 244 UCC.
In May 2018, Avakian was relocated to a less strict prison facility in his home region of Jizzakh.
On February 5, 2020, Avakian was released.
Publicly Available Information:
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2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Uzbekistan U.S. Department of State
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"Uzbekistan Transfers 'Islamic Extremist' To Less-Strict Facility" Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
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"Uzbekistan: Fish farmer tortured, jailed after unfair trial: Aramais Avakian" Amnesty International
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"From Raising Carp To 'Islamist Extremist' In Uzbekistan" Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Tajikistan
Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 3 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: April/10/2017
Date of Sentencing: July//2017
Date of Release: December/17/2019
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role Singing, Playing, & Producing Religious Songs & Music
Nature of Charges: Hate Speech
Bakhrom Kholmatov
Extra Bio Info:
Bakhrom Kholmatov was imprisoned for his religious activity.
On April 10, 2017, authorities Kholmatov, pastor of the Sonmin Sonbogym (Full Gospel) Protestant Church, following a raid on his church. Kholmatov's arrest was reportedly related to songs being sung in church.
In July 2017, Kholmatov was sentenced to three years in prison for "inciting national, racial, local or religious hatred" (Art. 189-1 TCC).
On December 17, 2019, Kholmatov was released.
Kholmatov is married with three children.
Publicly Available Information:
Sep 20, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2019
USCIRF calls for immediate Release of blogger Raif Badawi
WASHINGTON DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns Saudi Arabia’s intensified mistreatment of religious prisoner of conscience Raif Badawi. The Saudi government has denied Badawi access to books and to crucial medicine, and he has declared a hunger strike in protest. Saudi Arabia arrested Badawi in 2012 on charges of “apostasy” and insulting Islam. USCIRF has advocated for Saudi Arabia to release Raif Badawi since 2013 and recommended that Congress and the administration continue do the same in its 2019 annual report.
“USCIRF is calling on Saudi Arabia to cease its mistreatment of Raif Badawi and to release him immediately,” said USCIRF Vice-Chair Nadine Maenza, who adopted Badawi as part of the Commission’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “Saudi Arabia has made Badawi’s family suffer for years by punishing him for peacefully expressing his beliefs. This crackdown directly contradicts the Saudi government’s official narrative of working toward greater modernization and improving religious freedom conditions.”
Badawi was the author of the Free Saudi Liberals blog where he wrote articles that peacefully challenged religious doctrine that the Saudi government espouses and enforces. In 2015, a Saudi court upheld against him a sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, 1000 whip lashes, and a one million riyal ($266,000) fine. In January 2015, Mr. Badawi received 50 lashes publicly outside a Jeddah mosque, but has not since faced further public whippings. Mr. Badawi suffers from chronic medical conditions and observers have expressed concern he is already in ill health.
During the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, Vice President Michael R. Pence called for Badawi’s release. However, since 2006 the State Department has maintained a waiver for Saudi Arabia that prevents otherwise legislatively mandated action to which it would be subject as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. USCIRF first recommended the waiver be lifted that same year.
“Americans should be outraged that Saudi Arabia continues to target peaceful thinkers like Raif Badawi on the basis of their beliefs,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin. “The State Department should lift the waiver shielding Saudi Arabia from consequences mandated by U.S. law of these systematic violations of religious freedom.”
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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 threats to 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] or Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.