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May 3, 2006
U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING RELEASE OF 2006 ANNUAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE ON COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN…
Sep 1, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As President Obama soon will visit Laos to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, the U.S. Commission on International…
Oct 29, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 29, 2018
USCIRF Calls on Yemen to Release Persecuted Baha’is
The accused include eight women and a teenage girl and the penalty for many is death
WASHINGTON, DC — Tenzin…
Jan 3, 2019
WASHINGTON, DC – Andy Khawaja, Commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), today announced his adoption of Hamid Kamal Mohammad bin Haydara, a Yemeni member of the Baha’i…
Jul 1, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2019
USCIRF Calls on Houthi Court in Yemen to Overturn Death Sentence for Religious Prisoner of Conscience Hamid bin Haydara…
Oct 9, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2019
USCIRF Responds to Yom Kippur Attack in Germany
Washington, DC (Oct. 9, 2019) – Based on emerging reports of the killing of at least two people near a…
Oct 13, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2019
WASHINGTON DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is alarmed over reports that a Houthi court in Yemen may deport and confiscate the assets…
Dec 24, 2019
USCIRF Welcomes the State Department’s Designations of the World’s Worst Violators of Religious Freedom
Hopes to See Strong Action in Response
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious…
Jan 24, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 24, 2020
USCIRF Honors International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Cautions Against Rising Anti-Semitism
WASHINGTON, DC – On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January…
Mar 23, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 23, 2020
USCIRF Deplores Houthi Order to Execute Hamid bin Haydara and Dissolve Baha’i Institutions in Yemen
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious…
Apr 9, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 9, 2020
USCIRF Calls on Houthis in Yemen to Abide by Commitment to Release Hamid bin Haydara
Washington DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges…
May 6, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Laos
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the…
Jun 2, 2020
USCIRF Applauds Executive Order to Advance International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC –The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order on…
Jun 16, 2020
Gayle Manchin Elected as Chair of Bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Tony Perkins and Anurima Bhargava as Vice Chairs
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today elected…
Jun 19, 2020
USCIRF Welcomes Senator Charles Schumer’s Appointment of Frederick A. Davie to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) announced on June 17…
Jul 31, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Commends Release of Religious Prisoner of Conscience Hamid Bin Haydara and 5 Other Baha’is in Yemen
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Aug 21, 2020
USCIRF Calls for Action on UN International Day Commemorating the
Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recognizes the United Nations’…
Sep 22, 2020
USCIRF Urges Administration to Increase Refugee Resettlement Ceiling
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today reiterated its recommendation that the U.S.…
Oct 7, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2020
USCIRF Releases Ritual Slaughter Factsheet Highlighting Range of Restrictions across Europe
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Oct 9, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Releases New Report about Attacks against Houses of Worship and Religious Leaders in Burkina Faso
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
Oct 9, 2020
Welcome to USCIRF's new series! In USCIRF Spotlight, we discuss major topics in the news and explore how they impact religious freedom around the globe. For this week's episode, listen to what our…
Nov 17, 2020
The United Nations system has several structures and entities that were created to address human rights concerns globally, many of which are relevant to universal right to freedom of religion or…
Dec 11, 2020
USCIRF Releases Factsheet on Brunei
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a new report on ongoing religious freedom issues in Brunei:
Brunei Factsheet –…
Dec 15, 2020
Several religious groups, including followers of Judaism and Islam, mandate that animals are uninjured (unstunned) prior to killing. However, nearly a third of European countries limit…
Dec 30, 2020
Since it's independence in 1984, Brunei has operated with a dual legal system: one secular and one Shari’a, the latter only enforceable for Bruneian Muslims. However, the Syariah Penal Code Order 2013 blurs…
Jan 15, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Key U.S. Government IRF Vacancies for Biden Administration to Fill
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the…
Feb 5, 2021
USCIRF Welcomes Announcement that Refugee Ceiling will Increase Next Fiscal Year
Encourages Prioritization of the Most Vulnerable
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Feb 11, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Houthis for Summoning 19 Baha’is to Stand Trial on Spurious Charges
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned Houthi authorities for…
Mar 2, 2021
USCIRF Applauds U.S. Senate Bipartisan Efforts to Create the Senate Human Rights Commission
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) applauds the reintroduction of a…
Mar 30, 2021
USCIRF Highlights Impact of Financial Restrictions on Civil Society
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following factsheet on the impact of…
Apr 14, 2021
USCIRF Releases Report on Antisemitism in Europe and Implications for U.S. Policy
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a new report titled “…
Apr 20, 2021
USCIRF Reiterates its Call to Urgently Increase the Refugee Ceiling
Encourages Prioritization of the Most Vulnerable
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) joins in the…
Apr 22, 2021
USCIRF released its 2021 Annual Report documenting developments over the past year, and providing policy recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion of freedom of religion or belief abroad. In its…
May 3, 2021
USCIRF Congratulates Outgoing Chair, Gayle Manchin, Welcomes New Chair, Anurima Bhargava
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) congratulated its former Chair Gayle Manchin…
May 4, 2021
USCIRF Welcomes President Biden’s Announcement to Raise the Refugee Ceiling
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes President Joseph R. Biden’s announcement…
May 5, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report on Violent Islamist Groups in the Central Sahel
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on…
May 12, 2021
USCIRF Welcomes the Release of State Department’s 2020 International Religious Freedom Report
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) congratulates the State…
May 14, 2021
The central Sahel region of West Africa is currently home to an extremely complex and fluid landscape of Islamist insurgent actors that stem from both locally grown and foreign movements. Several violent insurgent…
May 14, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2021
USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel Makes Fortune's List of
World's 50 Greatest Leaders
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Jun 11, 2021
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. The Special Rapporteur identifies existing and emerging obstacles to the…
Jun 11, 2021
USCIRF Releases Factsheet Highlighting Nonbelievers in Africa
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report highlighting the…
Jun 15, 2021
Nadine Maenza Elected as Chair of Bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Nury Turkel as Vice Chair
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Jun 25, 2021
Ethiopia has been going through a democratic transition amidst a civil war that broke out in Tigray at the end of 2020. In November of last year, a massacre took place in Tigray that was slow to be reported in…
Jul 30, 2021
USCIRF Welcomes White House Nominations for International Religious Freedom Roles
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes President Joseph R. Biden’s…
Aug 3, 2021
USCIRF Welcomes President Biden’s Appointments of Khizr Khan and Sharon Kleinbaum
Washington, DC – President Joseph R. Biden announced the appointments of Khizr Khan and Sharon Kleinbaum to the U.S. Commission on…
Sep 10, 2021
Islam plays a significant role in Africa’s past and present, with at least 500 million Muslims living in Africa today. While many Muslims in Africa practice their faith in peace and harmony, across the region some…
Sep 15, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report on Houthi Religious Repression in Yemen
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new country update…
Oct 20, 2021
USCIRF Troubled by Violent Attacks on Durga Puja Procession in Bangladesh
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed its deep concern about the attacks this…
Oct 21, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Sri Lanka Country…
Nov 23, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Violations in Belarus
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following report on religious…
Dec 3, 2021
From 1992-1995, Bosnia endured a brutal ethno-religious war, as Bosnian Serbs ethnically cleansed their Muslim neighbors in the east of the country. The 1995 Dayton Accords, brokered by the United States, ended the…
Dec 3, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Protecting Religious Freedom Online
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following factsheet on safeguarding…
Dec 17, 2021
USCIRF Welcomes Confirmation of a New Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
USCIRF Looks Forward to Working with Ambassador Hussain
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious…
Jan 21, 2022
Across central and eastern Africa there are many dynamics at play, including political crises and violent insurgencies, both of which pose challenges to freedom of religion or belief. These trends and developments…
Jan 27, 2022
USCIRF Observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Calls for Swift Confirmation of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
Washington, DC – On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the U.S.…
Apr 8, 2022
Article 18 of both the United Nations Human Rights Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects not only the right to believe in and practice a religion and to change religion, but…
Apr 13, 2022
USCIRF Applauds Permanent Reauthorization of Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the permanent…
Apr 27, 2022
Frederick A. Davie Reappointed as USCIRF Commissioner
Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer has reappointed Commissioner Frederick A. Davie to the U.S. Commission on International…
May 13, 2022
USCIRF Welcomes Reappointed and Newly Appointed Commissioners, Expresses Gratitude to Outgoing Commissioners
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the…
May 16, 2022
To combat the human rights and religious freedom violations that have occurred as a result of online hate speech, some social media companies now regulate speech on their platforms. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and…
May 20, 2022
Expedited Removal is the U.S. immigration law process that allows officers in the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, to quickly deport noncitizens who arrive at U.S. ports of entry or cross the border without…
Jun 10, 2022
USCIRF Welcomes Senator Mitch McConnell’s Appointments of Abraham Cooper and Eric Ueland to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)…
Jun 15, 2022
USCIRF Welcomes President Joe Biden’s Appointment of Stephen Schneck to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – President Joseph R. Biden announced on June 15, 2022 the appointment of…
Jun 21, 2022
Nury Turkel Elected as Chair of Bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Abraham Cooper as Vice Chair
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Jun 24, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Qatar
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Increasing Religious Freedom Restrictions on…
Jul 22, 2022
Several major political events occurred in South Asia over the last year. The Taliban, whom USCIRF has recommended for years as an “Entity of Particular Concern” (EPC), took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.…
Aug 4, 2022
In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale and unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine, falsely claiming that it aimed to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the country. While many people are broadly aware of the…
Aug 12, 2022
USCIRF Welcomes President Joe Biden’s Appointment of Mohamed Hag Magid to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – President Joseph R. Biden announced on August 10, 2022, the appointment…
Aug 19, 2022
Sri Lanka is an ethnically and religiously diverse country but has had a history of intercommunal violence, most recently heightened in the decade following the end of a civil war in 2009. Conflict among the…
Oct 19, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Blasphemy in Southeast Asia
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Blasphemy and Related Laws in ASEAN Member Countries…
Oct 21, 2022
Seven out of ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations have blasphemy laws currently enshrined in their legal codes. USCIRF’s recent issue update reviews these blasphemy laws and their enforcement within this…
Oct 27, 2022
USCIRF Observes International Religious Freedom Day
Calls for U.S. Special Adviser on IRF within the National Security Council
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commemorates…
Nov 17, 2022
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom Implications of
Official and Favored Religions
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Global Overview of…
Nov 23, 2022
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Sri Lanka Country Update – This report provides an…
Dec 2, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB)…
Dec 13, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Tolerance Promotion and Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Tolerance, Religious Freedom…
Dec 16, 2022
Pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the U.S. Department of State designates Countries of Particular Concern, places countries on its Special Watch List, and designates Entities of Particular Concern. As part of this…
Jan 5, 2023
Authoritarian states promote religious tolerance without necessarily ensuring freedom of religion or belief. Last month, USCIRF released a report distinguishing between these two concepts and explains the origins of religious tolerance…
Jan 12, 2023
Governments around the world use many different strategies to control or repress religion, but a common tactic is for the state to elevate a particular religion to a special status in ways that can marginalize different faiths or belief…
Jan 19, 2023
In 2016, Congress passed the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act which mandated that USCIRF maintain a list of individuals targeted for their religion or belief. In 2019, USCIRF launched its Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB)…
Jan 27, 2023
USCIRF Observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day by remembering the six million Jews…
Feb 9, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Concerns in Central Africa
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Religious Freedom Concerns in…
Feb 16, 2023
USCIRF Expresses Concern for the Integrity of Religious Sites in Jerusalem Area
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reiterates the importance of ensuring freedom of worship and maintaining…
Feb 24, 2023
USCIRF Concerned by Religious Freedom Implications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today marked the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale military…
Apr 4, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Report on African Traditional and Indigenous Religions
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on African traditional and indigenous…
May 5, 2023
USCIRF Documents 2,000 Victims, Calls Attention to Millions Persecuted for Religion or Belief
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today surpassed 2,000 individuals included in its …
May 11, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom in Houthi-Controlled Areas of Yemen
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom in…
May 12, 2023
USCIRF Thanks Outgoing Commissioner Sharon Kleinbaum
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expresses gratitude to Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum for her time and commitment to promoting freedom of religion or…
May 15, 2023
USCIRF Welcomes the Release of State Department’s 2022 International Religious Freedom Report
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends the State Department…
Jun 2, 2023
USCIRF Calls for Immediate Release of Baha’is Forcibly Disappeared by the Houthis in Yemen
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns last week’s Houthi attack on a peaceful gathering of Yemeni…
Jun 5, 2023
Abraham Cooper Elected as Chair of Bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Frederick A. Davie as Vice Chair
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Jun 7, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom Violations Against Indigenous Communities in Latin America
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Religious…
Jul 5, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Reports on Russia’s Religious Freedom Violations
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new reports on religious freedom conditions in the…
Jul 14, 2023
USCIRF Welcomes President Biden’s Appointment of Susie Gelman to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – President Joseph R. Biden announced today the appointment of Susie Gelman to the U.S. Commission on…
Jul 24, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Concerns in the European Union
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom issues in the…
Aug 17, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Nepal
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom issues in Nepal:
Nepal…
Sep 8, 2023
USCIRF Concerned by France’s Expanding Interpretation of Ban on Religious Outfits in Public Schools
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is troubled by France’s decision to prohibit the…
Oct 3, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Kyrgyzstan
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Kyrgyzstan Country Update - This report provides an…
Oct 11, 2023
USCIRF Condemns Religious Incitement Over Israel-Gaza Conflict
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemned religious incitement related to the emerging conflict between Israel and…
Nov 3, 2023
USCIRF Alarmed by Attacks on Religious Sites During Armed Conflict
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed alarm over an increase in the destruction of religious sites. In both…