Dec 4, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2019
USCIRF Welcomes House Passage of the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019, Urges Swift Passage in the Senate
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commended the House of Representatives for passing an amended version of the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019 (S.178). The bill, passed by unanimous consent by the Senate in September, will require the administration to impose sanctions on individual Chinese officials responsible for the persecution of Uighur and other Muslims.
“This bill is a great step forward in addressing one of the worst violations of religious freedom in the 21st century,” said USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “My fellow commissioners and I urge the Senate to swiftly pass the amended version and for President Trump to sign the bill so his administration can quickly implement all of its provisions.”
“I want to commend Representatives Smith, McGovern and Sherman and Senators Rubio and Menendez for their bipartisan leadership on this important legislation, as well as all the Members of Congress who supported it,” added Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee. “The U.S. government must not rest until the Chinese government closes the concentration camps and releases all of the Uighur and other Muslims unlawfully detained.”
In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF called upon the administration to use its authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and International Religious Freedom Act to enact targeted sanctions against Chinese officials responsible for severe religious freedom violations, especially Chen Quanguo, the current Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang. In September 2019, USCIRF released a report documenting how the Chinese government uses surveillance cameras, biometric technology and artificial intelligence to monitor and harass Uighur Muslims and other religious minorities.
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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 202-523-3240.
Additional Name(s): Ayaz Nizami
Gender: Male
Current Location: Central Jail Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Punjab
Perpetrator: Pakistan
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: Death
Date of Detainment: March/22/2017
Date of Sentencing: January/8/2021
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Other) Blasphemy (Religious Figures)
Nature of Charges: Blasphemy Hate Speech Terrorism
Abdul Waheed
Extra Bio Info:
Abdul Waheed is imprisoned and sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy.
In March 2017, security services detained Waheed and held him incommunicado after he was accused of uploading "blasphemous" content on the internet.
In January 2021, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad sentenced Waheed to death for “intending to outrage religious feelings” and “insulting the Prophet Muhammad” (Secs. 295-A, 295-C PPC), and terrorism defined as “inciting hatred and contempt on religious, sectarian or ethnic basis” (Sec. 7(g) Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997).
Publicly Available Information:
- "ATC hands death penalty to Nasir Sultani, 2 others in blasphemy case" Bol
- "In a first, three get death for 'cyberspace blasphemy'" Dawn
- USCIRF Policy Update: Pakistan's Blasphemy Law October 2019
- "Dangerous situation for Freethinkers and Humanists in Pakistan" International Humanist and Ethical Union
- "Pakistan is harassing and persecuting the non-religious under the guise of 'blasphemy'" Humanists International
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: 7 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: December/12/2012
Date of Sentencing: September/24/2013
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Possession of Religious Materials Proselytizing Activities Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Cult
Song Rongmin
Extra Bio Info:
Song Rongmin was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
On December 12, 2012, officers from the Pengdian Township Police Station of Xi county, Xinyang city, Henan province, arrested Song and other members of the Church of Almighty God, while they were evangelizing publicly in Pengdian. Police reportedly seized religious materials from their vehicle.
On September 24, 2013, the Xi County People’s Court in Henan sentenced Song to seven years and six months in prison for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL).
Song was taken to Henan Women’s Prison to serve her sentence.
On an unspecified date, Song was released from prison.
Publicly Available Information:
- "CHINA: The Church of Almighty God: Prisoners Database (1663 cases)" Human Rights Without Frontiers