FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2019

USCIRF Raises Alarm about Speech Laws that Restrict Religious Freedom in More than Half of African Countries
Briefing Tomorrow to Feature New Report and Recommendations

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a report entitled “Apostasy, Blasphemy, and Hate Speech Laws in Africa: Implications for Freedom of Religion or Belief.” This report examines these speech restrictions and their impact on religious freedom across the African continent.

“The freedoms of religion or belief and expression or opinion, enshrined in Articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights respectively, are intricately linked. This report illustrates how essential it is that we work to safeguard both rights when countering discrimination and hate,” said Chair Tony Perkins.

The report details the prevalence of problematic speech laws in more than half of the countries in Africa: at least nine countries maintain apostasy laws; 26 countries have laws against blasphemy; and 29 countries criminalize hate speech. Laws that prohibit blasphemy (the insult of a religion or religious objects or places) and apostasy (the public renunciation of one’s faith) violate international human rights law. Narrow restrictions on hate speech and its most dangerous forms, such as incitement to genocide, are permissible under international law. But, the effects of broad and vague hate speech laws have the potential to negatively impact religious freedom.

“We have seen the dangers of speech laws that fail to protect human rights in Africa – from the misapplication of hate speech laws in South Sudan to the use of the blasphemy law in Mauritania to impose a death sentence on a blogger. We urge the U.S. government to push for the repeal of blasphemy and apostasy laws in Africa, as well as for the assessment and reform of hate speech laws to conform with international standards,” said Vice Chair Gayle Manchin.

USCIRF is holding a public briefing entitled “Silencing Religious Freedom in Africa: The Impact of Speech Restrictions” to release the report on Human Rights Day, Tuesday, December 10 at 9:30 AM at 421 Cannon House Office building.

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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 202-523-3240.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2019

USCIRF Condemns Arrests of Baha’is During Iran Protests

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the mass arrests of Baha’is in Iran amidst national protests against the government. Since November 27, the Iranian government has arrested at least 11 Baha’is in Isfahan and Khuzestan, searched their houses, and confiscated personal items.

“It is appalling that Iran’s government continues to target the Baha’i community rather than meet the demands of its people,” said USCIRF commissioner Gary Bauer. “Until Iran ends the repression, harassment, and arrest of Baha’is and other religious minorities, the U.S. Treasury Department should continue to sanction officials like Mohammed Golpayegani who are complicit in the systematic persecution of religious communities.”

“I call on Iran’s government to free all detained members of the Baha’i community, and to stop imprisoning citizens who peacefully assert their right to freedom of religion and belief as enshrined in international law,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin. “Congress should continue to support and ensure executive implementation of the bipartisan Lautenberg Amendment to resettle persecuted Iranian religious minorities in the United States.”

As reported in USCIRF’s 2019 Annual Report chapter on Iran, that country’s government considers the Baha'i faith a heretical “deviant sect” whose members are de facto apostates. Following the outbreak of protests over the government’s decision to end fuel subsidies, the government coordinated a weeklong near-total shutdown of internet access and has killed more than 200 people. Earlier this year, the Intelligence Ministry summoned and interrogated 32 Baha’is in Karaj, while the government has also shuttered Baha’i businesses and prevented Baha’i students from enrolling at public universities. Iran has arrested city council members in Isfahan and Shiraz who have spoken out on behalf their arrested Baha’i constituents. Baha’is constitute the largest non-Muslim religious minority community in Iran and at least 75 Baha’is are languishing in Iranian prisons because of their religious beliefs.

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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 call 202-523-3240.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2019

USCIRF Welcomes House Passage of the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019, Urges Swift Passage in the Senate

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commended the House of Representatives for passing an amended version of the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019 (S.178). The bill, passed by unanimous consent by the Senate in September, will require the administration to impose sanctions on individual Chinese officials responsible for the persecution of Uighur and other Muslims.

“This bill is a great step forward in addressing one of the worst violations of religious freedom in the 21^st century,” said USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “My fellow commissioners and I urge the Senate to swiftly pass the amended version and for President Trump to sign the bill so his administration can quickly implement all of its provisions.”

“I want to commend Representatives Smith, McGovern and Sherman and Senators Rubio and Menendez for their bipartisan leadership on this important legislation, as well as all the Members of Congress who supported it,” added Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee. “The U.S. government must not rest until the Chinese government closes the concentration camps and releases all of the Uighur and other Muslims unlawfully detained.”

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF called upon the administration to use its authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and International Religious Freedom Act to enact targeted sanctions against Chinese officials responsible for severe religious freedom violations, especially Chen Quanguo, the current Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang. In September 2019, USCIRF released a report documenting how the Chinese government uses surveillance cameras, biometric technology and artificial intelligence to monitor and harass Uighur Muslims and other religious minorities.

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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 202-523-3240.