Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Han
Religion or Belief: Christian – Church of Almighty God
Health Concerns: Esophageal cancer
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 9 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: October/30/2017
Date of Sentencing: September/11/2019
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Cult
Liu Shuhua
Extra Bio Info:
Liu Shuhua is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
On September 29, 2017, authorities detained Liu while discussing church work at a fellow church member's home in Daying county, Suining city, Sichuan province. Police reportedly seized cash and electronics. The next day she was placed under residential surveillance.
On October 30, 2017, Liu was criminally detained.
On September 11, 2019, the Daying County People’s Court sentenced Liu to nine years in prison and fined her 80,000 yuan for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL).
It is reported that Liu was allowed to serve her sentence outside of prison due to her having esophageal cancer. Liu's whereabouts or the conditions of her sentence are unclear.
Publicly Available Information:
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China Prisoners Database Details: LIU Shuhua Human Rights Without Frontiers
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"Cases of Arbitrary Arrest and Detention of CAG Christians by CCP" Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Religious Freedom
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"30 Believers Sentenced to Long Terms in Prison" Bitter Winter
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Tajikistan
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 12 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: September/21/2019
Date of Sentencing: January/2/2020
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Association
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism Mercenarism
Sadriddin Mulloyev
Extra Bio Info:
Sadriddin Mulloyev is imprisoned for his religious activity and association.
In September 2019, authorities arrested Mulloyev and accused him of being a member of Tablighi Jamaat, a banned Islamic missionary movement. Authorities charged him with “participating in the creation of an extremist association and in its activities,” “participating in the activities of organizations banned by a court for extremist activity,” and “supporting mercenaries for armed conflicts or military actions” (Arts. 307-2-3, 307-3-2, 401-1 TCC), among others.
In January 2020, authorities sentenced Mulloyev to 12 years' imprisonment after a secret trial without providing Mulloyev with legal representation.
Previously, authorities imprisoned Mulloyev for 5 years for his alleged affiliation with Tablighi Jamaat.
Publicly Available Information:
Jan 24, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2020
USCIRF Honors International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Cautions Against Rising Anti-Semitism
WASHINGTON, DC – On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27th, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) honors the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazism, and calls on the international community to make greater strides in combatting rising anti-Semitism. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the notorious Nazi death camp.
“This anniversary serves as a reminder of how unchecked anti-Semitism has led to atrocities,” said USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins. “Jewish people around the world still experience discrimination, name calling, vandalism of synagogues and cemeteries, hate speech on the Internet, and violent attacks. The Holocaust did not happen overnight; we must heed these early warning signs of increasing intolerance. All who value religious freedom must stand firmly against anti-Semitism and other forms of religious hatred to prevent the horrors of the Holocaust from being repeated.”
USCIRF’s recent activities to highlight this troubling trend include a seminar on Capitol Hill in July and a hearing earlier this month that featured the testimonies of several prominent scholars and activists, including Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, whose book about her legal battle against a leading Holocaust denier was made into the 2016 movie, “Denial.” (Hearing summary here.)
“We can no more deny the rise in anti-Semitism around the world than we can deny the facts of the Holocaust,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin. “But with the benefit of both hindsight and foresight, we can identify anti-Semitism, we can trace its insidious sources, and we can craft strong foreign policy responses so that ‘never again’ holds true.”
In order to more vigorously confront the scourge of anti-Semitism, USCIRF recommends that the U.S. government should:
- Ensure that combatting anti-Semitism is a key priority of the International Religious Freedom Alliance once it is launched;
- Encourage foreign governments to create positions similar to the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism;
- Urge the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General to create a position in his office to engage with Jewish communities worldwide and to monitor and report on anti-Semitism globally; and
- Provide technical support to foreign law enforcement officials to update and standardize hate crime reporting procedures to ensure the accurate collection and dissemination of data on anti-Semitic and other hate crimes.
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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.