Additional Name(s): Valeriy Vasilyevich Moskalenko, Москаленко Валерий Васильевич

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Russia

Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: August/2/2018

Date of Sentencing: September/2/2019

Date of Release: September/2/2019

Current Status: Released

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism

Valeriy Moskalenko

Extra Bio Info:

Valeriy Moskalenko was detained for his religious belief and activity. 

On August 2, 2018, authorities detained Moskalenko following a raid on his apartment. 

On August 29, 2019, Moskalenko was charged with “participating in the activities of a public or religious association, or any other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-2 RCC).  During his trial, prosecutors argued that Moskalenko's reading of a passage from the Bible among colleagues constituted extremist activity. 

On September 2, 2019, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk sentenced Moskalenko to two years and two months of forced labor and six months of restricted freedom.  He was subsequently released from state custody.

On November 5, 2019, the Khabarovsk Regional Court replaced Moskalenko's prison sentence with a 500,000 ruble fine.

Prior to his arrest, Moskalenko was responsible for taking care of his elderly mother.

Publicly Available Information:

Mar 11, 2019

USCIRF Commissioner Andy Khawaja Adopts Religious
Prisoner of Conscience Robert Levinson

 

12th Anniversary Passes for Missing American Who Disappeared in Iran

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Andy Khawaja, Commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), today announced, as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project, his adoption of Robert Levinson, an American of the Jewish faith who disappeared in 2007 and is believed to be held captive by the Iranian government under suspicions of espionage.

This week marks 12 years since Levinson’s disappearance. In 2013, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his government was willing to cooperate in gathering information about Levinson’s disappearance, but his whereabouts remain unknown. In 2015, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution calling for Levinson’s release and the same year, the FBI offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his whereabouts.

“I call on the Iranian government to provide information about Robert Levinson’s current whereabouts and to return him to his family here in the United States immediately,” said Khawaja. “Levinson’s presumed captivity has been a travesty and now is the time for Iran to honor their commitment to cooperate and to respect human rights, including religious freedom.”

Since Levinson’s disappearance, members of Congress have repeatedly introduced draft legislation, the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking Accountability bill, which would authorize the imposition of sanctions on persons responsible for hostage-taking or unlawful detention abroad among other measures. This bill was most recently reintroduced in 2019 by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and has bipartisan support. 

 

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom 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.

 

Mar 8, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2019

 

USCIRF Expresses Condolences on Death of Armenian Patriarch, Mesrob II, and Calls on Turkey to Allow Free Election of New Patriarch
 

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed condolences on the death of Mesrob Mutafyan, who was elected leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Turkey in 1998. The Armenian community in Turkey is estimated to be around 90,000, most of whom reside in or around Istanbul. USCIRF also urges the government of Turkey to allow this community to freely hold elections for a new patriarch. Last year Turkish authorities again prevented the community from holding an election for a new leader.

“We express our condolences to the Armenian community in Turkey on the loss of its spiritual leader,” said USCIRF Commissioner Andy Khawaja. “We also want to take this opportunity to urge the government of Turkey to allow this community to elect its new patriarch. The ability of Turkey’s Armenians to freely choose a new patriarch is a critical part of their religious freedom. The government’s prevention of an election continues to exemplify its willful disregard for religious freedom for all.”

In its 2018 Annual Report, USCIRF placed Turkey on Tier 2 for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations that meet at least one of the elements of the “systematic, ongoing, egregious” standard used to designate a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.

 

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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.

 

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