Nov 09

WHEN:

Nov 9th 3:30pm - Nov 9th 4:30pm

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

USCIRF Conversation: Religious Freedom in the Sahel Region of Africa

Thursday, November 9, 2023
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Virtual Event

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) hosted a virtual event evaluating the status of religious freedom in the Sahel region of Africa, including Mali, Niger, and Sudan.

The Sahel region of Africa is experiencing a general deterioration in freedom of religion or belief. The conditions for religious communities are highly unlikely to improve due to the presence of violent insurgent Islamist groups, an ongoing ethnic and religious conflict, weak states, and the continual political intervention of the military. Since 2017, the activities of the Russian-backed Wagner Group have further complicated the political system at the national, state, and local level within Sudan as well as in Mali and now Niger. This conversation examined the complex and constantly changing security context in the Sahel and considered recommendations to the U.S. government on ensuring freedom of religion or belief in the region.

USCIRF Vice Chair Frederick A. Davie and Commissioner Frank Wolf joined guest panelists Katherine Zimmerman, Dr. Aaron Zelin, and Dr. Eric Patterson to discuss the regression of freedom of religious or belief in recent years. USCIRF Policy Analyst Michael Ardovino moderated the conversation, which included questions from the audience.

Panelists

  • Frederick A. Davie¸ Vice Chair, USCIRF
    Remarks
  • Frank Wolf, Commissioner, USCIRF
    Remarks
  • Katherine Zimmerman, Fellow at American Enterprise Institute
    Remarks
  • Dr. Aaron Zelin, Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Director of the Islamic State Worldwide Activity Map Project
    Remarks
  • Dr. Eric Patterson, President of the Religious Freedom Institute
    Remarks

Moderator

  • Michael Ardovino, 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].

Gender: Female

Perpetrator: Iran

Religion or Belief: Unspecified

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Date of Detainment: October/29/2023

Date of Release: November/15/2023

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Resisting State-Imposed Religious Systems Women’s Rights

Nature of Charges: Unknown

Nasrin Soutudeh

Extra Bio Info:

Nasrin Soutudeh was detained on a religious basis.

On October 29, 2023, Iranian authorities arrrested Soutudeh, an Iranian human rights activist and lawyer, during the funeral of Armita Geravand, a 17-year-old girl who fell into a coma and died after being beaten on the Tehran metro, reportedly by security officers, for wearing improper hijab. Soutudeh is currently being held in Qarchak Prison in Varamin. She was reportedly severely beaten during her arrest and began a hunger and medicine strike on the day of her arrest. 

On November 13, 2023, Soutudeh was reportedly forcibly transferred to Evin Prison. Soutudeh reportedly ended her hunger strike but did not receive adequate medical care for severe asthma tied to cardiac issues while in Qarchak Prison.

On November 15, 2023, Soutudeh was released from prison after posting bail. 

Iran has repeatedly targeted Soutudeh for defending women activists who protested Iran’s mandatory headscarf laws. Soutudeh was released from Evin prison on temporary medical furlough in November 2020 after contracting COVID-19. She was again granted temporary medical furlough in January 2021 for heart problems, and had an additional two-week medical furlough coinciding with the Persian New Year in March 2021. On April 5, 2021, she returned to prison until a five-day medical furlough in July 2021.

Sources:

Oct 31, 2023

USCIRF Delegation Travels to Sri Lanka to Assess Religious Freedom Conditions

Washington, DC – United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioners Stephen Schneck and David Curry traveled with staff to Colombo, Trincomalee, and Jaffna in Sri Lanka this month and held meetings to assess religious freedom concerns.

“We appreciated the opportunity to meet with Sri Lankan officials, religious leaders, civil society, academics, and journalists to discuss religious freedom issues in the country,” said USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck. “USCIRF acknowledges that religious communities have taken initiative to establish inter-faith dialogues at the local level, however, the Sri Lankan government must amend or repeal current discriminatory policies and legislation to allow for greater religious freedom for Hindu, Christian, and Muslim minority communities.”

USCIRF remains concerned about the Sri Lankan government’s detention of religious minorities through arbitrary use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act. Prisoners of conscience, human rights defenders, and religious minority communities report fears of surveillance by authorities. Additionally, in the north and east of the country, the Sri Lankan Department of Archeology has increasingly collaborated with local authorities and Buddhist clergy to facilitate the expropriation of Muslim and Hindu religious sites.  

“Challenges regarding the registration of places of worship, particularly churches and mosques, must be addressed by authorities. USCIRF urges the Sri Lankan government, at both the local and national levels, to pass guidelines that allow for a more transparent registration process,” said USCIRF Commissioner David Curry. “We also call for Sri Lankan authorities to offer more robust protection to religious minorities who report increased acts of discrimination, including intimidation, violence, and hate speech.”

In 2023, USCIRF recommended Sri Lanka be included on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe religious freedom violations. USCIRF highlighted these concerns in its 2023 Annual Report and in a Country Update on Religious Freedom Conditions in Sri Lanka.

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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 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].

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