FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2020

USCIRF Calls for the Release of Vietnamese Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Bac Truyen

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today reiterated its call for the Vietnamese government to release Nguyen Bac Truyen, one of USCIRF’s religious prisoners of conscience. Nguyen Bac Truyen is a Vietnamese religious freedom advocate and Hoa Hao Buddhist. On April 5, 2018, he was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on spurious charges of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.” 

“Nguyen Bac Truyen’s trial, which occurred two years ago and lasted for just one day, was a travesty of justice,” noted USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava, who advocates for Nguyen Bac Truyen as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “He should be home with his family, especially now that the coronavirus pandemic has increased the public health risk to prisoners and his health problems have escalated since his imprisonment.”

U.S. Representatives Harley Rouda and Zoe Lofgren also advocate on behalf of Nguyen Bac Truyen through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project.

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF called on the U.S. government to designate Vietnam as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act. As documented in a recent Country Update, USCIRF has received regular reports of Vietnamese authorities harassing independent Buddhists, Catholics, Hoa Hao Buddhists, Cao Dai, Hmong and Montagnard Protestants, and other religious groups

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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].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2020

USCIRF Dismayed by Lack of Accountability for the Murder of Daniel Pearl

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed its dismay at the Sindh High Court of Pakistan overturning the death penalty against Omar Saeed Sheikh for the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

In 2002, while reporting on extremist groups in Karachi, Daniel Pearl was kidnapped by terrorists and decapitated on camera. After spending 18 years in prison, Omar Saeed Sheikh’s conviction for murder was downgraded to kidnapping, carrying a seven-year sentence, and he is expected to be released on time served. The court also overturned the life sentences imposed on three other men involved in the case. Government prosecutors are expected to appeal this decision in the Supreme Court.

“We are appalled by the court’s decision to overturn the murder conviction of Omar Saeed Sheikh and release him from prison,” stated USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore. “After nearly two decades, there is still insufficient accountability for the horrific murder of Daniel Pearl who was executed, in part, for being Jewish. This terrible situation reminds us that freedom of religion and freedom of press are intertwined – they are two sides of the same coin. This Passover we grieve with Daniel’s loved ones whose pain will be relived through this renewed injustice. May his memory be a blessing.”

USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava added, “This verdict shows not only the lack of accountability for Daniel Pearl’s murder but the misplaced priorities of the Pakistani legal system. There are currently dozens of prisoners facing life sentences and the death penalty under the country’s blasphemy law, so often abused to convict religious minorities using false evidence. We urge the Pakistani government to prioritize the release of prisoners of conscience who are especially vulnerable now with the spread of the coronavirus.”

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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].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2020

USCIRF Troubled with Targeting of Hazara Shi’a in Pakistan amid Coronavirus Lockdown

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed its concern over reports of the provincial government of Balochistan, Pakistan targeting Hazara Shi’a for the spread of coronavirus.

“We are troubled that government officials in Balochistan are scapegoating the already vulnerable and marginalized Hazara Shi’a community for this public health crisis,” stated USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava. “This virus does not recognize religion, ethnicity, or border and should not be used as an excuse to discriminate against a single community.”

In the provincial capital Quetta, the government completely sealed off two Hazara areas—Hazara Town and Marriabad—as part of a lockdown in the city; forbade government employees from traveling into Hazara neighborhoods; and reportedly forced Hazara policemen to go on leave under suspicion they are infected by relatives. Social media users have made allusions to coronavirus as the “Shi’a virus,” given fears of its spread by pilgrims returning from Iran. This isolation and further stigmatization of the Hazara minority could limit their ability to receive proper medical care as the coronavirus continues to spread within Pakistan and stretch its public health infrastructure.

USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore added, “We are gravely concerned about Pakistan’s Hazara Shi’a community. We understand the many challenges the Pakistani government, and many other governments around the world, are facing to contain this deadly virus. Yet, we urge the Pakistani leadership to work to protect all its citizens, regardless of religion or belief, and ensure that everyone has equal access to the necessary medical treatment. In fact, governments have a greater obligation to protect the most vulnerable in an emergency like this one.”

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF noted the rise in sectarian violence in Pakistan in recent years, and how Hazara Shi’a Muslims have been targeted by extremist groups including the Islamic State, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and the Pakistani Taliban.

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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].