Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Han
Religion or Belief: Christian – Church of Almighty God
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 12 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: September/23/2016
Date of Sentencing: January/11/2017
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Giving, Sharing, & Listening to a Religious Speech Religious Activity Religious Belief Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role
Nature of Charges: Cult
Zeng Lingying
Extra Bio Info:
Zeng Lingying is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
On September 23, 2016, authorities criminally detained Yuan reportedly in relation to her religious work, organizing of church gatherings, and preaching activities.
On January 11, 2017, the Aksu Intermediate People’s Court of Xinjiang heard Zeng's case. On a later unspecified date, the court sentenced her to 12 years in prison and four years of deprived political rights for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL). It also fined her 5,000 yuan.
Publicly Available Information:
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China Prisoners Database Details: ZENG Lingying Human Rights Without Frontiers
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"Cases of Arbitrary Arrest and Detention of CAG Christians by CCP" Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Religious Freedom
Nov 22, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2019
USCIRF Releases New Reports on Religious Freedom in Indonesia and Vietnam
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new reports:
Blasphemy Allegations in a Polarized Indonesia – This report provides an overview of blasphemy laws and prominent trends in blasphemy allegations within Indonesia. The cases demonstrate that blasphemy accusations can arise out of a myriad of motivations and that the government of Indonesia is doing little to address the proliferation of cases. In fact, the government of Indonesia may expand the scope of blasphemy in its new Criminal Code. The report concludes with recommendations for the U.S. government and Congress.
Vietnam Country Update – This is a report about the implementation of Vietnam’s Law on Belief and Religion based on information obtained during a September 2019 USCIRF Commissioner Delegation visit. It explains how the mandatory registration process and the complicated approval processes under the law have impeded the ability of some religious groups to practice their faith.
In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Vietnam as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act due to its systemic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom. USCIRF placed Indonesia on its Tier 2 list for violations that meet one or two of these classifications.
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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] or call (202) 523-3240.
Nov 20, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2019
USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava Adopts Nguyen Bac Truyen Through the Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project
WASHINGTON, DC – Anurima Bhargava, a Commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today announced her adoption of Vietnamese religious freedom advocate and Hoa Hao Buddhist Nguyen Bac Truyen as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. Before his imprisonment, Truyen led the Vietnamese Political & Religious Prisoners Friendship Association, which assists prisoners of conscience and their families. He was detained in July 2017 and in April 2018, was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on spurious charges of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.” Truyen has reportedly been suffering from a stomach ailment, but has been unable to obtain proper medical care while in prison.
“The imprisonment of Nguyen Bac Truyen belies the Vietnamese government’s claims that it protects religious freedom,” said Bhargava. “Religious freedom includes protecting those who advocate on behalf of persecuted or disadvantaged religious groups. People like Nguyen Bac Truyen should be celebrated for their tireless efforts to improve the lives of their fellow citizens, but instead, he received an excessive and unjust prison sentence. He must be released immediately if Vietnam is to meet its obligations under international law.”
In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department designate Vietnam a “country of particular concern” (CPC) because of its persecution of religious minorities and religious freedom advocates like Nguyen Bac Truyen. The Vietnamese government targeted Truyen due to his advocacy, particularly on behalf of Hoa Hao Buddhists. Vietnamese authorities regularly harass Hoa Hao Buddhists who refuse to participate in government-approved religious associations. Authorities also restrict their ability to celebrate important holy days. There are widespread reports that Vietnamese prison authorities abuse prisoners of conscience and deny them access to religious services.
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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] or call 202-523-3240.