USCIRF Releases Report Highlighting Religious Freedom Violations in North Korea

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a new report titled “Organized Persecution: Documenting Religious Freedom Violations in North Korea.”

North Korea Report - This report documents the North Korean government’s religious freedom violations based on primary information gathered over the past year from in-person interviews with North Korean defectors who are survivors, witnesses, and perpetrators of these violations. The latter of which were former North Korean government officials who provided unique insights into these religious freedom violations. The report assesses the organizational structure of religious freedom violations; the associated methods of enforcing compliance; and specific forms of violations, torture, and mistreatment experienced by religion and belief adherents. It finds that the North Korean government’s policy of absolute denial of religious freedom has led to systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of this right.

USCIRF will be holding a virtual webinar to launch the report today at 11:00 AM ET. Please register for this event here.

###

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].

The Kazakhstani government is implementing promising reforms that could make Kazakhstan Central Asia’s leading example of religious freedom. USCIRF has recommended the U.S. State Department place Kazakhstan on its Special Watch List, and previously USCIRF’s Tier 2 List, since 2013 in response to deteriorating religious freedom conditions stemming from the passage of its religion law in 2011. However, proposed amendments to that law could significantly improve the religious freedom landscape in Kazakhstan.

USCIRF is deeply invested in Central Asian religious freedom reform and has engaged directly with the Kazakhstani government. In recent years, the Commission has traveled multiple times to Kazakhstan and other countries in the region, released numerous reports with policy recommendations, and held a hearing on religious freedom conditions in Russia and Central Asia in September 2020.

Today we are joined by USCIRF Senior Policy Analyst Jason Morton to discuss recent reform efforts and the religious landscape in Kazakhstan more broadly.

Read the 2021 Annual Report chapter on Kazakhstan available in English, Kazakh, and Russian.

USCIRF Releases New Report on Iran’s Escalation of Religious Repression

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new country update highlighting the government of Iran’s escalation of religious repression in 2021:

Iran Country Update – This country update provides information about religious freedom conditions in Iran. It documents recent religious freedom violations against Baha’is, Christians, Sunnis, Sufis, and Yarsanis. The report notes two recent amendments to Iran’s Penal Code, making it easier for the government to target religious minorities. It also discusses violations of religious freedom targeting women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) community. Finally, it highlights the cases of USCIRF religious prisoners of conscience Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani.

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S State Department designate Iran as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its ongoing, systematic, and egregious religious freedom violations. The Iran chapter is also available in Farsi. The USCIRF Spotlight Podcast featured an episode on religious restrictions in Iran published in May 2021.

###

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].