FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2020

USCIRF Saddened Over Presumed Death of Robert Levinson, Calls on Iran to Repatriate Him and Free Religious Prisoners of Conscience

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply saddened by the presumed death of Robert Levinson, one of USCIRF’s religious prisoners of conscience. In a March 25 public statement, Mr. Levinson’s family stated: “We recently received information from U.S. officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our wonderful husband and father died while in Iranian custody.”

“Our hearts ache for the family of Robert Levinson; may his memory be a blessing,” said USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore who advocated for Mr. Levinson as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “We will never forget that the Iranian government is ultimately responsible for the death of Robert Levinson, the longest-held hostage in U.S. history. USCIRF calls on the government of Iran to repatriate Mr. Levinson immediately to provide for a dignified return to his family and to free every one of the many prisoners of conscience held in the country."

On March 9, 2007, Levinson, a retired FBI agent and Jewish-American U.S. citizen, disappeared on the Iranian island of Kish. It is likely that the government of Iran disappeared him, though Iran’s government denied knowledge of his whereabouts. In November 2019, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances notified Levinson’s family that Iran considered his case “open” in the Public Prosecution and Revolutionary Court of Tehran, leading to a flurry of renewed activity by the U.S. Department of State.

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that Iran be re-designated as a country of particular concern due to its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.

###

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 Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2020

USCIRF Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack against Sikh House of Worship in Kabul

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns today’s Islamic State terrorist attack against a Sikh gurdwara in Kabul and expresses its deepest condolences to the victims and their families. The Afghan Interior Ministry announced that suicide bombers and gunmen killed 25 people, including a child, during the assault and wounded another eight. Following six hours of fighting, Afghan security forces successfully rescued 80 hostages held inside the Sikh house of worship.

“The horrific terrorist attack on the gurdwara in Kabul is a tragic reminder of the many challenges facing Afghanistan’s religious minorities amidst the struggle to find a lasting peace,” USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins stated. “Such an attack on a sacred space represents one of the most egregious assaults on religious freedom. We are thankful for the Afghan security forces’ efforts to save the hostages held by the terrorists but more work needs to be done to prevent these attacks against houses of worship in Afghanistan and the needless loss of life.”

USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin added, “This attack shows us the vital link between security and religious freedom. We urge the Afghan government to provide increased security for Afghanistan’s already vulnerable Sikhs and their houses of worship, as well as other religious minority communities.”

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF noted that “Afghanistan’s leadership struggled to maintain security in the country, especially for religious minority groups,” many of whom have been forced to practice their faith underground for fear of reprisal by terrorist groups or society at large.

For more information on Afghanistan and its struggles to protect religious freedom, please see an October 2019 USCIRF Country Update: Promoting Religious Freedom in Afghanistan. For additional information on the importance of protecting houses of worship globally, see a summary of proceedings from a recent USCIRF hearing with recommendations for U.S. policy.

###

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 Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected].