USCIRF Calls for Permanent Release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Following Furlough

Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed Iran’s temporary furlough of religious prisoner of conscience Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and called on the government to permanently release him. Iranian security officials arrested Nadarkhani in July 2018 on charges of “acting against national security” and “promoting Zionist Christianity.”

“Pastor Nadarkhani’s furlough is a welcome development following years of detention and a serious illness in Evin Prison,” said USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza, who advocates for Pastor Nadarkhani through USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “We call on Iran to fully release Pastor Nadarkhani and all other individuals serving prison sentences on the basis of their religious beliefs.”

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was the leader of a 400-member house church in Iran. In 2010, an Iranian court sentenced him to death for apostasy—but he was acquitted in 2012. In 2017, Pastor Nadarkhani faced trial again on false charges of “acting against national security” and promoting “Zionist Christianity,” for which he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. In July 2018, plainclothes agents raided Pastor Nadarkhani’s home to bring him to Evin Prison in Tehran, beating and apprehending him and using a taser gun on one of his sons. Both of Pastor Nadarkhani’s sons were denied educational advancement in September 2019, prompting Nadarkhani to undertake a three-week hunger strike in prison. His sentence was reduced to six years in June 2020. Nadarkhani reportedly fell ill in February 2021 following a suspected COVID-19 outbreak within Evin Prison. His current release date is July 2024.

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. USCIRF published a country update highlighting Iran’s escalation of religious repression in 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].

USCIRF Applauds Permanent Reauthorization of Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act

Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the permanent reauthorization of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which was signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden on April 8, 2022.

“Global Magnitsky sanctions are the gold standard for holding human rights abusers accountable. The Global Magnitsky Act is an important tool to impose consequences on violators of religious freedom that can now be used for years to come thanks to its permanent reauthorization,” USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza said. “We applaud President Biden for signing the bill into law and the bipartisan support from Congress on this legislation.”

Through the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the U.S. government can issue visa bans and asset freezes against foreign persons involved in “gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.” This tool has been used to enforce consequences on violators of religious freedom.

“The U.S. government has imposed Global Magnitsky sanctions on violators of religious freedom in contexts such as Burma, China, Iran, and Russia. Targeted sanctions are a vital instrument for the United States to promote accountability for violations of freedom of religion or belief abroad, and we believe they have made an impact in stemming religious persecution,” USCIRF Vice Chair Nury Turkel added. “With the Global Magnitsky sanctions authority now permanently reauthorized, we hope that the Biden administration will implement more targeted sanctions for severe religious freedom violations, which we repeatedly recommend each year.”

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF called on the U.S. government to increase the use of human rights related financial and visa authorities to impose asset freezes and/or visa bans on individuals and entities for severe religious freedom violations, citing specific abuses, and to permanently reauthorize the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. In October 2021, USCIRF hosted a hearing titled: “Targeted Sanctions: Implications for International Religious Freedom.”

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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].