Nov 24, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report about Countering Violent Extremism in Tajikistan
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Issue Update: Promoting Religious Freedom and Countering Violent Extremism in Tajikistan —This update describes Tajikistan’s official campaign to control and restrict Islamic practice, ostensibly an effort to combat the spread of terrorism and violent extremism but, in reality, represents harsh and counterproductive religious freedom restrictions. Contemporary research on effectively countering violent extremism demonstrates that religious freedom and security are symbiotic rather than mutually exclusive. This report recommends that U.S. government engagement with Tajikistan reflect best practices by integrating religious freedom requirements into all security assistance.
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Tajikistan a “country of particular concern” for its ongoing, systematic, and egregious religious freedom violations.
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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].
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: India
Ethnic Group: Tamil
Religion or Belief: Christian – Catholic
Health Concerns: Parkinson's disease, Contracted COVID-19
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes
Date of Detainment: October/8/2020
Date of Death: July/5/2021
Current Status: Deceased
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Civil Rights Work for Religious Communities Human Rights Work for Religious Communities
Nature of Charges: Criminal Premeditation & Conspiracy Hate Speech Terrorism Treason & Sedition
Stan Swamy
Extra Bio Info:
Stan Swamy was detained and died in state custody for his civil society work helping religious communities.
On October 8, 2020, the National Investigation Agency arrested Swamy, a Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist known for working to protect the rights of Adivasi peoples and Dalits, from his home in Ranchi. Swamy was charged alongside several other prominent Dalit and Adivasi rights activists, whom authorities accused of inciting caste-based violence through speeches on December 31, 2017, that resulted in violent clashes the next day in Bhima Koregaon and neighboring villages in Maharashtra state. Authorities also accused them of having ties to banned Maoist groups. Swamy was reportedly charged under various sections of the Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including conspiracy (Sec. 120B IPC), “waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India” (Sec. 121 IPC), “conspiracy to commit offences” waging war against the state (Sec. 121A IPC), sedition (Sec. 124A IPC), unlawful activities (Sec. 13 UAPA), terrorist acts (Sec. 16 UAPA), conspiracy (Sec. 18 UAPA), being member of terrorist gang or organization (Sec. 20 UAPA), associating with a terrorist organization (Sec. 38 UAPA), and supporting a terrorist organization (Sec. 39 UAPA). At the time, Swamy was reportedly the oldest person to be accused of terrorism. He was 83 years old.
Swamy's requests for bail were repeatedly denied, despite his deteriorating health. Swamy, who suffered from Parkinson's Disease, reportedly became unable to feed and bathe himself. Prison authorities also reportedly denied him basic amenities, such as a straw and sipper, to help with his Parkinson's.
On July 5, 2021, Swamy died in state custody reportedly from cardiac arrest following his contraction of COVID-19 in May 2021.
In August 2021, the National Investigation Agency submitted draft charges to a special court in Mumbai, claiming that Swamy and others accused in the case were active members of the banned terrorist organization Communist Party of India. It also alleged that the accused wanted to establish a “janta sarkar” “via revolution supported by a commitment to protracted armed struggle to undermine and to seize power from the state.” The accused were charged with over a dozen offenses including, "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony" (Sec. 153A IPC), public mischief (Sec. 505(1)(B) IPC), “waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India” (Sec. 121 IPC), “conspiracy to commit offences” waging war against the state (Sec. 121A IPC), sedition (Sec. 124A IPC), and several sections under UAPA.
In February 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released an opinion, declaring Swamy's detention arbitrary and his death "utterly preventable."
Related Cases: Shoma Sen, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Anand Teltumbde, Hany Babu, Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor, Sagar Tatyarao Gorakhe, Jyoti Jagtap
Publicly Available Information:
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USCIRF Country Update: Religious Freedom Conditions in India November 2022
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"Opinion No. 57/2021 concerning Stan Swamy (India)" UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
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“Bhima Koregaon 16” Amnesty International
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“Elgar case: What NIA draft charges submitted in court say, against whom” The Indian Express
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“NIA submits draft charges against Bhima Koregaon accused” The Hindu
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"India: Death in custody of priest Stan Swamy is devastating – UN expert" UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
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USCIRF Press Release: USCIRF Condemns Death of Jesuit Priest Imprisoned in India July 7, 2021
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"Fury in India over death of 84-year-old political prisoner Stan Swamy" The Guardian
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"Stan Swamy: India outrage over death of jailed activist" British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
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"Stan Swamy: The oldest person to be accused of terrorism in India" British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
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"NIA arrests 83-year-old activist Stan Swamy in Bhima Koregaon case" Scroll.in
Nov 23, 2020
WASHINGTON, DC – United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Jim Carr today announced his adoption of Pastor Raymond Koh through the Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project.
Pastor Koh is a Christian pastor who, prior to his disappearance, ran a NGO focused on people living with HIV/AIDs, recovering addicts, and single mothers and children. Local Islamic authorities had investigated his organization over allegations that the group was working to convert Muslims to Christianity.
“The government of Malaysia must make good on its promise to conduct a transparent and thorough investigation of the circumstances of Pastor Koh’s abduction, and ensure his wellbeing and safe return home,” said Commissioner Carr, “Malaysia is a leading economy and democracy in Southeast Asia. However, as USCIRF has consistently noted, its respect for freedom of religion and belief is critically lacking. The basic rights of vulnerable religious communities must be protected.”
Pastor Koh disappeared on February 13, 2017 in the Malaysian state of Selangor. The National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) announced in 2019 that Raymond Koh was a victim of enforced disappearance carried out by the Special Branch, an intelligence unit affiliated with the Malaysian police force. In its report, SUHAKAM investigated the cases of several individuals whom it determined were examples of enforced disappearances perpetrated by certain parts of the Malaysian security forces. In response to this investigation, the Malaysian government set up a task force in June 2019 to investigate the disappearances of Pastor Koh and others, which is still ongoing.
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Malaysia as a “special watch list country” due to its systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom. USCIRF has reported on Pastor Koh in its October 2019 Factsheet on Enforced Disappearances in Malaysia
In addition to his adoption into the RPOC Project, Pastor Koh joins one other Malaysian victim of disappearance on USCIRF’s Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Victims List, a database that catalogues select victims targeted due to their freedom of religion or belief.
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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].