Apr 17, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2020
USCIRF Welcomes Release of Hundreds of Imprisoned Rohingya in Burma, Calls for More to be Released
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes Burmese authorities dropping charges of illegal travel against over 200 Rohingya and releasing them from prison.
Since 2001, the government has required Rohingya to have passes in order to travel outside Rakhine State, which are difficult to obtain. These restrictions have resulted in thousands of Rohingya imprisoned on illegal travel charges, especially as many attempt to flee the ongoing Burmese military operations.
“Amid the worsening crisis with COVID-19, releasing hundreds of wrongfully imprisoned Rohingya is an encouraging step by Burmese authorities,” stated USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza. “This process must continue. Individuals held in overcrowded and unsanitary prisons face an increased threat from this disease. With thousands more Rohingya unjustly imprisoned, we strongly urge the Burmese government to release them all as a humanitarian gesture amid the country’s efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19.”
USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava added, “We also express our concern with the worsening conditions for civilians within Rakhine State and neighboring Chin State where Burmese military operations have continued. With the growing threat from COVID-19, the Burmese government must ensure that humanitarian and medical aid is able to reach these vulnerable communities—including camps for internally displaced persons—regardless of religious or ethnic identity. This includes lifting the internet blockade in Rakhine and Chin States re-imposed in February, which further hampers aid efforts and the COVID-19 response in the region.”
USCIRF has called upon governments around the world to release religious prisoners of conscience due to the elevated risk of COVID-19 spreading within prison populations due to their inability to social distance and follow public health guidance. To learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on religious freedom, please see the USCIRF Factsheet: The Global Response to the Coronavirus: Impact on Religious Practice and 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 Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected].
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Turkmenistan
Ethnic Group: Turkmen
Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Rejected
Sentence: 2 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Sentencing: February/17/2020
Date of Release: May/8/2021
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Conscientious Objection Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Refusing & Absconding Military Service
Vepa Matyakubov
Extra Bio Info:
Vepa Matyakubov was imprisoned for refusing to serve in the military on religious grounds.
On February 17, 2020, Matyakubov was sentenced to two years in a labor camp for "rejecting call-up to military service" (Art. 219-1 TCC). The date and circumstances of his arrest were unspecified.
On March 17, 2020, Matyakubov's appeal was denied.
On May 8, 2021, Matyakubov was released from prison following a presidential pardon.
Publicly Available Information:
Apr 16, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2020
USCIRF Religious Prisoner of Conscience Mr. Mohammed Ali Taheri Granted Asylum in Canada
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is elated by news that Iranian religious prisoner of conscience Mr. Mohammed Ali Taheri has been granted asylum in Canada. Mr. Taheri arrived in Toronto on March 8, 2020.
“I am thrilled to hear of Mr. Taheri’s resettlement and congratulate his followers on this wonderful news. I also thank the government of Canada for its efforts to swiftly grant asylum to Mr. Taheri and allow him to join his family in Toronto,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin, who adopted Mr. Taheri as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “We urge the U.S. government to give safe haven to members of persecuted Iranian religious minorities like Mr. Taheri and his followers, beginning with those at-risk individuals who have been approved for resettlement under the bipartisan Lautenberg Amendment.”
Mohammed Ali Taheri is the founder of the mystic Erfan-e Halgheh movement. The Iranian government detained him in 2011 on blasphemy charges and passed down death sentences in 2011 and again in 2017, though Iran’s Supreme Court overturned both verdicts. In April 2019, he was released from prison but remained under house arrest and government surveillance. Mr. Taheri’s followers have also been persecuted for their membership in Erfan-e Halgheh, which includes Amirhossein Mirkhalili, who was sentenced in January 2020 to 10 years’ imprisonment on charges related to his involvement with the group, and for “propaganda activities against Islamic Republic.”
“While we are delighted by the news of Mr. Taheri’s newfound freedom, his plight is far too common in Iran, where the government is responsible for the egregious persecution of religious minorities, even during the current COVID-19 crisis,” said USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “The United States must continue to hold accountable those Iranian officials who are responsible for such violations, including through the use of targeted sanctions and visa bans.”
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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 Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected]