Apr 8, 2022

Article 18 of both the United Nations Human Rights Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects not only the right to believe in and practice a religion and to change religion, but also the right to hold nontheistic beliefs.

Despite these protections, many members of nonreligious communities face government repression, social intolerance, restrictions on freedom of thought, belief and expression, and pervasive discrimination because of their lack of religion or absence of belief in a God.

Rachel Deitch, Director of Policy and Social Justice with the American Humanist Association joins us to discuss conditions of non-religious communities around the world.

 

Read USCIRF’s Factsheet on Nonbelievers in Africa

Additional Name(s): Aikebaier Aisaiti, Ekberjan Eset, Ekber Es'et, ئەكبەر ئەسئەت, 艾克拜尔·艾赛提

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: China

Ethnic Group: Uyghur

Religion or Belief: Unspecified

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: 15 Years Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: April//2016

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Ethnoreligious Identity Online Activity

Nature of Charges: Hate Speech

Ekpar Asat

Extra Bio Info:

Ekpar Asat is imprisoned in relation to his ethnoreligious identity.

In April 2016, authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) detained Asat, founder of the Uyghur-language website Baghdax, reportedly for "inciting ethnic hatred." Asat's detainment followed his return from the United States after attending a leadership program organized by the U.S. Department of State.

In January 2020, the Chinese Embassy in Washington informed U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) that Asat had been sentenced to 15 years in prison. The date of his sentencing and the details of his charges and trial are unclear.

Asat's health has reportedly deteriorated greatly while imprisoned.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) advocates for Asat as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project. 

Publicly Available Information:

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Nigeria

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: July//2021

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Religious Figures)

Nature of Charges: Unknown

Isma’ila Sani Isah

Extra Bio Info:

Isma’ila Sani Isah is detained for blasphemy.

In July 2021, authorities arrested Isah in Sokoto State after he was accused of making blasphemous posts against the Prophet Muhammad on social media.

Publicly Available Information:
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