U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing

Religious Freedom in Russia and Central Asia

Wednesday, September 16, 2020
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Virtual Hearing

Hearing Transcript
Hearing Summary

Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a virtual hearing about the alarming state of religious freedom in the Russian Federation and Central Asia, and recommendations on how the United States should respond.

Russia and various Central Asian countries have undermined religious freedom since the late 1990s, when many former Soviet states adopted repressive religion laws that drew upon past precedent. Officials across the region strictly monitor and regulate religious practice, including placing surveillance cameras in places of worship and keeping official databases with detailed personal information of community members. Regional governments actively suppress religious minorities through the denial of legal registration and the use of vague and expansive extremism laws that effectively criminalize any speech or religious practice of which they disapprove. Russia’s exportation of repressive practices to neighboring Ukraine has been particularly egregious, and it has made mandatory religious regulation and vague extremism laws significant weapons in the subjugation of occupied Crimea.

Witnesses will provide analysis on the abuse of registration and extremism laws used to target individual rights of religious communities across this region, and offer policy recommendations to the United States government.

Opening Remarks

• Representative Joe Wilson, R-SC, Ranking Member, Helsinki Commission
  Written Remarks
• Gayle Manchin, Chair, USCIRF
  Written remarks
• Tony Perkins, Vice Chair, USCIRF
  Written remarks
• Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair, USCIRF
  Written remarks

Panel

• Elizabeth Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University
  Written testimony
• Emily B. Baran, Professor of History, Middle Tennessee State University
  Written testimony
• Maria Kravchenko, Director of the Illegal Anti-extremism Section, SOVA Center for Information and Analysis
  Written testimony
• John E. Herbst, Director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council; and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
  Written testimony

Witnesses’ Bios

This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. Members of the media should email [email protected] for any questions or to schedule an interview. The video recording of the hearing will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions, please contact Jamie Staley at [email protected] or 202-279-0274.

Gayle Manchin, Chair · Tony Perkins, Vice Chair · Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair
Gary Bauer · James W. Carr · Frederick A. Davie
Nadine Maenza · Johnnie Moore · Nury Turkel

Erin D. Singshinsuk, Executive Director

www.uscirf.gov

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.

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

USCIRF Conversation: An Update on Rohingya Refugees

Thursday, August 27, 2020
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Virtual Event

August 25^th marks the third anniversary of the Burmese military campaign in Rakhine State that resulted in mass atrocities and displaced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims. Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a virtual event to discuss the current situation of Rohingya Muslims in Burma and in refugee camps in Bangladesh, as well as the pending international lawsuits against the Burmese government (see USCIRF’s factsheet).

USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava and Commissioner Nadine Maenza will be joined by U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide Director Naomi Kikoler, USHMM Fellow Wai Wai Nu, and Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK President Tun Khin​ to discuss recommendations for U.S. policymakers to alleviate the plight of Rohingya refugees and hold Burmese military leaders accountable. ​This event will be moderated by USCIRF Supervisory Policy Analyst Dominic J. Nardi. ​​

Panelists

• Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair, USCIRF
• Nadine Maenza, Commissioner, USCIRF
• Naomi Kikoler, Director, USHMM Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide
• Wai Wai Nu, Executive Director, Women's Peace Network; Fellow, USHMM Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide
• Tun Khin, President, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

Moderator

• Dominic J. Nardi, 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].

Gayle Manchin, Chair · Tony Perkins, Vice Chair · Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair
Gary Bauer · James W. Carr · Frederick A. Davie · Nadine Maenza · Johnnie Moore · Nury Turkel

Erin D. Singshinsuk, Executive Director

www.uscirf.gov

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.

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

USCIRF Update with USAID: The President’s Executive Order on International Religious Freedom

Wednesday, August 5, 2020
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET
Virtual Event

Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a virtual event about President Trump’s recent Executive Order to advance international religious freedom across the federal government and its implementation at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

This discussion will highlight key aspects of this Executive Order, USAID’s current plans underway to implement it, and the impact it will have on USAID’s programming in the future. USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Vice Chair Tony Perkins will discuss these issues with USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa. USCIRF Director of Outreach and Policy Dwight Bashir will moderate the discussion, which will be followed by questions and answers from attendees.

Panelists

• Gayle Manchin, Chair, USCIRF
  Written Remarks
• Tony Perkins, Vice Chair, USCIRF
  Written Remarks
• John Barsa, Acting Administrator, USAID
  Written Remarks

Moderator

• Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, 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].

Gayle Manchin, Chair · Tony Perkins, Vice Chair · Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair
Gary Bauer · James Carr · Frederick Davie · Nadine Maenza · Johnnie Moore · Nury Turkel

Erin D. Singshinsuk, Executive Director

www.uscirf.gov

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.