Additional Name(s): Yevgeniy Valeriyevich Bushev, Бушев Евгений Валерьевич

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Russia

Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: 7 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: November/7/2023

Date of Sentencing: November/7/2023

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism

Yevgeny Bushev

Extra Bio Info:

Yevgeny Bushev is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On November 7, 2023, the Kalininsky District Court of Chelyabinsk sentenced Bushev to seven years in prison for “organizing the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-1 RCC). Authorities had accused Bushev of "deliberate, purposeful actions of an organizational nature aimed at continuing the illegal activities of a banned religious organization" such as participating in religious gatherings and discussing the Bible. Bushev was taken into custody following the verdict.

Sources:

Nov 28

WHEN:

Nov 28th 11:00am - Nov 28th 12:00pm

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

USCIRF Conversation: Threats to Religious Sites in Turkey

Tuesday, November 28, 2023
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Virtual Event

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) hosted a virtual event that discussed the findings of USCIRF’s new report examining threats to religious sites in Turkey, including places of worship, religious institutions, and cemeteries.

While the number and severity of violent attacks targeting religious sites—such as bombings and other terrorist methods—have decreased over the last decade, there has not been a similar decline in incidents of vandalism and the destruction of religious properties. The research demonstrates denominational differences in the threats and attacks faced by various religious communities in Turkey and evaluates the geographic variation in attitudes towards these communities and their religious sites. Although efforts by the Turkish government and local authorities to restore select religious heritage sites represent an important positive step, such projects remain limited.

USCIRF Commissioners David Curry and Susie Gelman were joined by the author of the report, Coordinator of the Anti-Defamation League’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities Dr. Tuğba Tanyeri-Erdemir, for this discussion. The event was moderated by USCIRF Supervisory Policy Analyst Keely Bakken and included Q&A from attendees.

Panelists

  • David Curry, Commissioner, USCIRF
  • Susie Gelman, Commissioner, USCIRF
  • Tuğba Tanyeri-Erdemir, Task Force on Middle East Minorities Coordinator, Anti-Defamation League

Moderator

  • Keely Bakken, Supervisory Policy Analyst, USCIRF

 

This virtual event is open to the public and media. The video recording will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions, please contact [email protected].

Nov 15, 2023

USCIRF Condemns Iran’s Religious Persecution of Baha’is

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the Iranian government’s recent spate of arrests of Baha’is across the country. Since the beginning of November, Iranian security forces have arrested scores of Baha’is in cities including Hamadan, Mehrshahr, Yazd, Karaj, Alborz, and Tehran. Additionally, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced a Baha’i man, Zabihi Moghadam, to eight years in prison. These actions are the latest in a series of arrests and sentencings targeting Iran’s Baha’i community.

“Iran’s continued crackdown on Baha’is is alarming and underscores the worsening deterioration of religious freedom conditions in the country,” said USCIRF Commissioner Susie Gelman. “We call on Congress to continue to speak on behalf of persecuted religious minorities in Iran, and to reauthorize the Lautenberg Amendment, a family reunification program providing a legal path for resettlement for Iranian Baha’is and other religious minorities fleeing government persecution.”

Iran’s government considers the Baha’i faith a “deviant sect of Islam” and has increased its persecution of the community amid nation-wide protests that began in September 2022. Its recent arrests have specifically targeted Baha’i women. Three members of Iran’s former Baha’i leadership (Yaran-e-Iran) currently remain in prison despite having served a decade in prison on prior charges: Afif Naimi, Mahvash Sabet, and Fariba Kamalabadi.

“The dreadful and unrelenting targeting of Baha’is by the regime in Iran, particularly after having just marked the one-year anniversary of Masha Amini’s killing, reflects a continued shameless disregard for freedom of religion or belief,” said USCIRF Commissioner Eric Ueland. “The Biden administration should sanction Iranian regime officials responsible for these terrible violations and lead other countries to hold Iranian regime members to account.”

In its 2023 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State redesignate Iran as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. In April 2023, USCIRF released a report highlighting the sexual and gender based violence against religious freedom protestors in Iran. In May, USCIRF held a hearing on transnational repression and religious freedom, including repression by the government of Iran.

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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].

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