FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2004

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) will hold two public, on-the-record briefings on "Religious Freedom in Turkmenistan: the U.S. Response to One of the World's Worst Religious Freedom Violators." The first briefing will be held jointly with the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission) on Tuesday, May 11 in Russell Senate Office Building, Room 485, from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. The briefing will be held again on Wednesday, May 12 at the offices of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), 1201 Connecticut Ave., NW, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

The briefings will examine the situation of religious freedom in Turkmenistan, particularly within the context of the U.S. government's current deliberations on designations of the worst religious freedom violators as "countries of particular concern," or CPCs, as required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. In March 2004, Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov issued a decree that purportedly will ease registration requirements for religious communities in Turkmenistan. However, the decree relates only to a narrow element of the registration law and to date, no religious communities have been registered as a result of the decree.

"Turkmenistan is one of the most repressive states in the world today, and its government regularly engages in severe and ongoing violations of religious freedom. The Commission has long recommended that Turkmenistan be named a CPC," said USCIRF Chair Michael K. Young. "We are concerned that President Niyazov's pointedly timely move will encourage the Department of State to forego a CPC designation for Turkmenistan. This would be a mistake."

Confirmed participants at the briefings:

Najia Badykova, Research Associate at the George Washington University and former head of the Department of Economic Relations within the Turkmen government.

Felix Corley, editor of Forum 18 News Service, which reports on threats and actions against religious freedom in the former Soviet Bloc.

Lawrence Uzzell, president of International Religious Freedom Watch, an independent research center that reports on threats to freedom of conscience in totalitarian and authoritarian countries, and former head of the Keston Institute.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2004

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent and bipartisan federal agency, will announce its Congressionally-mandated policy recommendations on the international effort to protect religious freedom at a press conference at the National Press Club. The press conference will be held in the Murrow/White/Lisagor rooms on the 13th floor from 9:30-11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 12.

The USCIRF is the first government commission in the world with a mandate to review and report on violations of the internationally-guaranteed right to freedom of religion and belief worldwide, and to provide creative and responsible policy recommendations. The Commission reviews violations of religious freedom abroad throughout the year. In May of each year, the USCIRF is required to submit to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress an annual report containing its recommendations. This year's report includes recommendations on the process of constitutional development in Afghanistan and Iraq, the designation of "countries of particular concern," the global export of a religious ideology that explicitly promotes hate and violence toward members of other religious groups by Saudi Arabia, individual country reports on more than 20 countries, a review of U.S. Refugee and Asylum Programs, and a critique of the State Department's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom.

"To create societies in which the true genius and power of the people all over the world can be unleashed requires governments abroad to uphold the internationally enshrined right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief," said Commission Chair Michael K. Young. "This report includes the Commission's recommendations as to how U.S. policy can most effectively advance religious freedom"

Copies of the Annual Report will be available at the press conference and will also be posted on the Commission's Web site at www.uscirf.gov. They can also be obtained by contacting the Communications department at (202) 523-3240. Interviews with Commissioners may be arranged by contacting Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, at (202) 523-3240, ext. 2

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2004

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) will hold a public, on-the-record hearing on Friday, April 30 at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law at Queens College in Flushing, NY on "Bangladesh: Protecting the Human Rights of Thought, Conscience, and Religion." The hearing is scheduled from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the CUNY School of Law, 65-21 Main Street, Flushing, NY. Congressman Joseph Crowley, representing New York's 7th Congressional District, will participate in this event.

The USCIRF hearing will examine recent trends regarding religious freedom for both Muslims and non-Muslims in Bangladesh and the implications of those trends for U.S. policy. There is concern that the growth of religious extremism could have a negative impact on the rights of all Bangladeshis.

Congressman Crowley, a member of the House Committee on International Relations, is Chair and founder of the Congressional Caucus on Bangladesh. He represents the second largest South Asian community in the United States, based in Jackson Heights, Queens.

WHAT:"Bangladesh: Protecting the Human Rights of Thought, Conscience, and Religion"

WHEN:Friday, April 30, 2004, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

WHERE:CUNY School of Law at Queens College auditorium 65-21 Main Street, Flushing, NY

SIGNS AND PLACARDS ARE PROHIBITED INSIDE THE HEARING ROOM

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit written questions - 3x5 cards will be available. There will be no microphone for audience participation.

Confirmed witnesses are as follows:

Latifur Rahman, former Chief Justice of Bangladesh

U. A. B. Razia Akter Banu, Professor of Political Science, University of Dhaka

Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International

Rosaline Costa, human rights monitor and Coordinator, Hotline Bangladesh

Aroma Dutta, civil society activist and Executive Director, PRIP Trust

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress."