Feb 7, 2022

USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom Condition in Vietnam in 2021

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Vietnam Country Update – This country update provides an overview of religious freedom condition in Vietnam in 2021, and highlights U.S. policy efforts to advance freedom of religion or belief. Despite its notable improvement compared to the previous religious ordinance, the 2018 Law on Belief and Religion (2018 Law) remains restrictive in nature and is plagued by uneven and inconsistent applications throughout the country. Government persecution continues to be a harsh reality facing unregistered independent religious groups, with many of them being designated as “strange, false, or heretical” religions. In addition, authorities continue to subject believers and religious freedom advocates to long-term imprisonment and some reported deteriorating health as a result of ongoing abuse and mistreatment in prison.

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. government designate Vietnam as a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act. Vietnam’s religious freedom conditions was also highlighted in an episode of the USCIRF Spotlight podcast in April 2021.

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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 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].

Additional Name(s): Alimjan Yimit, Alimjan Hemit, Ahlimujiang, ئالىمجان ھىمىت, 阿里木江*依米提

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: China

Ethnic Group: Uyghur

Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 15 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: January/12/2008

Date of Sentencing: August/6/2009

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: Yes

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Ethnoreligious Identity Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Leaking State Secrets

Alimujiang Yimiti

Extra Bio Info:

Alimujiang Yimiti was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On January 12, 2008, authorities detained Yimiti, a house church minister, in Kashgar, Xinjiang, after accusing him of inciting separatism and leaking state secrets.  The accusations reportedly stem from a conversation Yimiti had with an American colleague about an interview he had with local authorities about his preaching activities.

On February 28, 2008, Yimiti was formally charged.

 In April 2008, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention sent a communication to authorities recognizing Yimiti's detention as arbitrary and because of "religious faith and religious activities."

On August 6, 2009, Kashgar Intermediate People's Court sentenced Yimiti to 15 years in prison for "leaking state secrets" to foreign organizations (Art. 111 CCL).

On March 16, 2010, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region High People's Court rejected Yimiti's appeal.

In March 2023, it was reported that Yimiti had been released from prison.

Yimiti is married with two children.

Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) advocated for Yimiti as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project.

Publicly Available Information:

Feb 4, 2022

The government of Nicaragua, under the leadership of President Daniel Ortega, has a history of persecuting Catholic clergy, worshipers, and organizations as well as Protestant institutions especially since religious leaders provided sanctuary and support to civic protesters in 2018. The runup to Nicaragua’s general elections in November 2021 provided yet another backdrop for religious freedom violations committed by the government. 

The State Department has placed Nicaragua on its Special Watch List of severe religious freedom violators since 2019, which USCIRF has also recommended and highlighted in its 2021 Annual Report (also available in Spanish).

Christopher Ljungquist, Adviser for Latin America in the Office of International Justice and Peace at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, joins us today to discuss religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua.

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