May 30, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2019
USCIRF Statement on UN’s Adoption of Resolution Establishing Day to Commemorate Victims of Violence Based on Religion
WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s adoption by consensus on Tuesday of a resolution designating August 22 as the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued the following statement:
“We applaud the UN General Assembly for adopting this resolution, which acknowledges and honors victims of violence based on religion or belief around the world,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “But we must not stop at condemnation. Like-minded governments must also increasingly work together to hold perpetrators accountable, whether they are state or nonstate actors responsible for the abuses.”
The resolution was co-sponsored by Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Nigerian, Pakistan, Poland, and the United States. This will be the first year that the UN and member states will observe a day commemorating victims and survivors of religious persecution.
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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 Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.
May 23, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2019
USCIRF Statement on Senate Committee’s Holding China’s Human Rights Abusers Accountable
WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s unanimous vote to pass the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today issued the following statement:
“We commend the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for upholding our country’s ideals about justice, human dignity, and religious freedom by passing this bill out of committee,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “In particular, we applaud Senators Rubio and Menendez for standing up to the Chinese government’s brutal assault on the fundamental freedoms and dignity of the millions who suffer in these camps. For almost two decades, USCIRF has been sounding the alarm on the flagrant violations of human rights taking place in Xinjiang, and we urge the full Senate and the House of Representatives to approve this bill so that the full weight of the U.S. government can be brought to bear on those who are perpetrating these shocking abuses.”
The bipartisan legislation takes steps to hold Chinese government officials accountable for the ongoing, brutal repression of Uighur and other Muslims in Xinjiang, where more than 800,000 to possibly more than two million people are believed to be held in internment camps. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the bill, which currently has 33 cosponsors.
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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 Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.
May 23, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2019
USCIRF Condemns Russian Court’s Decision to Uphold Conviction of Religious Prisoner of Conscience Dennis Christensen
Decision reflects growing dangers faced by Russia’s religious minorities
WASHINGTON, DC – Kristina Arriaga, vice chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), today condemned the decision by a court in Oryol, Russia, to uphold the conviction and sentencing of Dennis Christensen, a Jehovah’s Witness, to six years’ imprisonment on charges of “organizing the activity of an extremist organization.” In May 2017, Russian authorities arrested Mr. Christensen and 15 other Jehovah’s Witnesses after a court branded the local branch of the organization an “extremist” group.
“Dennis Christensen’s case is part of the Putin government’s increasing intimidation and persecution of communities like the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” said Arriaga, who advocates on behalf of Mr. Christensen as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “The authorities accuse Mr. Christensen of participating in extremist activities, but there is nothing threatening or dangerous about him. The Russian government targeted him as a committed member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, because it considers his beliefs and practices ‘deviant’.”
In its recently released 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF again recommended that Russia be designated a “country of particular concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act. In November 2018, the U.S. State Department placed Russia on a Special Watch list for “engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.”
Russian law provides only vague definitions of “extremism” that authorities exploit to target a wide range of peaceful religious and political practices. USCIRF recently published a factsheet on anti-extremism legislation showing how governments like Russia’s use such laws to target religious communities, especially minority groups with perceived international ties. USCIRF also published a special report in 2018 focusing on anti-extremism legislation in Russia.
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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 Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.