Jan 16, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 16, 2013| By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- USCIRF today called for the immediate release of Saeed Abedeni, an Iranian-American pastor reportedly awaiting a January 21 trial on trumped-up…
Jan 28, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 28, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "The trial and conviction of Pastor Abedini represent an outrageous miscarriage of justice and yet one more damning piece of evidence pointing to…
Mar 13, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 13, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) yesterday met with family members of Baha'is unjustly imprisoned in Iran. These family…
Apr 30, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 30, 2013| By USCIRF
Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal advisory body created by the International Religious Freedom…
May 21, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 21, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the State Department's release of its 2012 International Religious Freedom…
Sep 23, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 23, 2013 | By USCIRF
Religious Freedom: Iran's Litmus Test
Washington, D.C. - On the eve of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's first ever address to the United Nations General Assembly…
Nov 10, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 10, 2014 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two anniversaries this month highlight the importance of continually confronting and combatting anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it arises.…
Mar 18, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 18, 2015 | USCIRF
Washington, D.C. – As the Iranian government prepares to respond on March 19 to recommendations made during the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) Universal Periodic Review…
Aug 3, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 3, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) this week marks the two-year anniversary of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s assumption of…
Sep 22, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 22, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) marks the three-year anniversary of the imprisonment in Iran of Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-…
Apr 20, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes Secretary of State John Kerry’s re-designation on April 15, 2016 of Burma,…
Dec 23, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The UN General Assembly on December 19 passed its 14th consecutive resolution which included a condemnation of the Iranian government’s actions against the…
May 26, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2017
IRAN: Release Maryam Naghash Zargaran
Commissioner Cliff May Says Religious Prisoners of Conscience “Should be honored for their contributions to society rather…
Aug 10, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2017
IRAN: Religious Prisoner of Conscience Maryam Naghash Zargaran Released
Case Exemplifies Iran’s “Flagrant Disregard for Religious Freedom”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The…
Sep 20, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 20, 2017
IRAN: Mahvash Sabet, Religious Prisoner of Conscience, Released
USCIRF Vice Chairwoman Arriaga cites Sabet’s “courage in the face of persecution and dedication to her faith”…
Feb 23, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 23, 2018
USCIRF Concerned by Denial of Lautenberg Refugees from Iran
“These refugees face the imminent danger of return to Iran, where the already dire situation for religious…
Aug 1, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2018
USCIRF Condemns Detentions of Iranian House Church Pastor and Congregants
Chair Dorjee said, “Pastor Nadarkhani and his fellow church members should be immediately…
Oct 10, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10, 2018
Open Letter from USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza to Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
Click here to read the Farsi translation of the letter
October 2018
Washington, D.C…
Oct 24, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2018
Vice Chair Manchin Adopts Two Religious Prisoners of Conscience
“…concrete examples of the Iranian regime’s abysmal treatment of those who seek to exercise their…
Nov 28, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2018
USCIRF Calls for Release of Iranian Prisoner of Conscience Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee
USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin calls for Iraee’s release on the International Day for…
Dec 12, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2018
State Department Names the World’s Worst Violators of Religious Freedom
USCIRF Praises CPC Designation of Pakistan
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on…
Dec 21, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 21, 2018
Open Letter from USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin to Mohammad Ali Taheri
Washington, D.C. –
Mohammad Ali Taheri,
I am writing to you in my capacity as the Vice…
Jan 25, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2019
USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin Calls for Immediate Release of Iranian Prisoner of Conscience Mohammad Ali Taheri
WASHINGTON, DC – Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair of the…
Mar 11, 2019
USCIRF Commissioner Andy Khawaja Adopts Religious Prisoner of Conscience Robert Levinson
12th Anniversary Passes for Missing American Who Disappeared in Iran
WASHINGTON, DC – Andy Khawaja, Commissioner…
Jul 16, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 2019
USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin Calls on Iran to Cease Harassment and Threats Against Prisoner of Conscience Mohammad Ali Taheri
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States…
Jul 25, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2019
USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza Calls for Release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
WASHINGTON, DC – Nadine Maenza, Vice Chair of the United States Commission…
Oct 17, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 17, 2019
USCIRF Releases New Reports on Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Oct 30, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 30, 2019
USCIRF Alarmed Over Systematic Church Closures in Algeria
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply concerned by…
Nov 4, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2019
USCIRF Supports Sanctions on Iranian Official Responsible for Baha’i Persecution
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission…
Nov 12, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 12, 2019
USCIRF Advocacy for Robert Levinson Spurs New Development in Iran
U.S. State Department Also Intensifies Efforts to Free Levinson
WASHINGTON, DC – Months…
Dec 5, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 5, 2019
USCIRF Condemns Arrests of Baha’is During Iran Protests
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the…
Dec 9, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2019
USCIRF Raises Alarm about Speech Laws that Restrict Religious Freedom in More than Half of African Countries
Briefing Tomorrow to Feature New Report and Recommendations
…
Dec 23, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 20, 2019
USCIRF Welcomes Sanctions Against Iranian “Hanging Judges” Responsible for Severe Religious Freedom Violations
Washington, DC – The U.S.…
Jan 13, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 13, 2020
USCIRF Concerned for Welfare of Iran’s Religious Minorities Amidst Heightened Protest Activity
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on…
Jan 29, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 29, 2019
USCIRF Condemns Iranian Government Measures Targeting Baha’is
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Mar 26, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2020
USCIRF Saddened Over Presumed Death of Robert Levinson, Calls on Iran to Repatriate Him and Free Religious Prisoners of Conscience
Washington, DC – The United States Commission…
Apr 16, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2020
USCIRF Religious Prisoner of Conscience Mr. Mohammed Ali Taheri Granted Asylum in Canada
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Aug 12, 2020
USCIRF Releases Iran Factsheet Highlighting Senior Sanctioned Officials Responsible for Egregious Religious Freedom Violations
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
Nov 19, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Supports Sanctions on Iran’s Intelligence Minister and Islamic Revolution Mostazafan Foundation
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Jan 15, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Crackdown on Baha’i Religious Observance, Land Ownership in Iran
Washington, D.C. - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the alarming escalation of…
Jan 25, 2021
USCIRF Troubled by Escalating Persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Algeria
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is troubled by reports of escalating repression…
Jan 27, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Mistreatment of Religious Prisoner of Conscience Golrokh Iraee in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns Iranian authorities’…
Feb 24, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Killing of Gonabadi Sufi Activist by Iranian Officials
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns in the strongest terms the deliberate medical…
Mar 16, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Shari’a and LGBTI Persons
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following factsheet on governments’ use of…
Apr 21, 2021
USCIRF Releases 2021 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. Policy
No Longer Recommends Three Countries for Special Watch List
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom…
Apr 26, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Additional Prison Sentence for Iranian Religious Prisoner of Conscience
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the government of…
May 10, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Iran’s Crackdown on Baha’i Community
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the Iranian government’s alarming escalation of…
Jun 23, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Recent Court Decisions in Algeria Against Christians
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned several court decisions in Algeria that restrict Christians’ religious…
Aug 5, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Destruction of Baha’i Homes in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today strongly condemned the destruction of Baha’i homes in the town of…
Aug 6, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report on Iran’s Escalation of Religious Repression
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new country update…
Sep 1, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on Destruction of Cemeteries
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on the destruction of…
Oct 18, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on persecution of…
Oct 19, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Algeria
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Algeria…
Oct 20, 2021
USCIRF Releases Report Highlighting Religious Freedom Violations against Muslims in Africa
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new…
Nov 5, 2021
USCIRF Releases Factsheet Reiterating its Recommendations for State Department CPC and SWL Designations
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the…
Nov 17, 2021
USCIRF Appalled at Administration’s Removal of Nigeria from List of Violators of Religious Freedom
Welcomes State Department’s Additional Designations of Russia and Algeria
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious…
Apr 15, 2022
USCIRF Calls for Permanent Release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Following Furlough
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed Iran’s temporary…
Apr 25, 2022
USCIRF Releases 2022 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. Policy
Recommends Afghanistan as Country of Particular Concern
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious…
May 13, 2022
USCIRF Calls on Iran to Remove Restrictions on Golrokh Iraee Following Release from Prison
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed relief that…
Jul 14, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Repression in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Iran Country Update – This country update reports on…
Jul 22, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Iranian Propaganda Against Religious Minorities
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a new report titled “Religious…
Aug 4, 2022
USCIRF Condemns Crackdown on Religious Minorities in Iran
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the Iranian government’s increased crackdown on…
Sep 21, 2022
USCIRF Condemns Iran’s Government For Killing of Young Woman with “Improper Hijab”
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned Iran’s religious police for the death of 22-year-old…
Oct 14, 2022
USCIRF Calls for UN Commission of Inquiry on Iran After Crackdowns on Protests Against Mandatory Hijab
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today called on the…
Nov 4, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Law and Religion in Algeria
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom conditions in Algeria:
Law and…
Nov 15, 2022
USCIRF Condemns Iran’s Death Sentences for Protesters Asserting Religious Freedom and Other Rights
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) deplores Iran’s pursuit of death sentences on…
Dec 22, 2022
USCIRF Condemns Sentencing of Baha’i Women in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemned Iran’s sentencing of two Baha’i woman who were former members of the imprisoned Yaran Iran,…
Mar 3, 2023
USCIRF Outraged by Suspected Poison Attacks on Girls Attending School in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is outraged over reports of ongoing poison attacks affecting hundreds of…
Mar 7, 2023
USCIRF Relieved by Release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
Calls for Release of All Prisoners of Conscience in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed relief over news…
Mar 8, 2023
USCIRF Observes International Women’s Day
Brings Attention to Religious Freedom Violations Abroad Against Women
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commemorates International Women’s Day, and…
Apr 19, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Report on Sexual and Gender Based Violence Against Religious Freedom Protesters in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on…
May 1, 2023
USCIRF Releases 2023 Annual Report Highlighting Worsening Religious Freedom Conditions Around the World
Includes new recommendations of Cuba and Nicaragua as Countries of Particular Concern and Sri Lanka for the Special Watch List
Washington,…
May 8, 2023
USCIRF Alarmed by Worldwide Blasphemy Enforcement
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is alarmed by the continued enforcement of blasphemy provisions around the world and condemns efforts to…
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…
Aug 9, 2023
USCIRF Condemns Recent Arrests and Jailing of Baha’is in Iran
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the Iranian government’s recent mass arrests and jailing of members of the…
Aug 14, 2023
USCIRF Calls On Congress to Protect Religious Minorities Fleeing Iran
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) again called on Congress to reauthorize the bipartisan Lautenberg Amendment, a…
Sep 12, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Iran Country Update – This report provides an overview of…
Sep 14, 2023
USCIRF Releases Updated Blasphemy Factsheet and Blasphemy Law Compendium
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released two new reports:
Legislation Factsheet on Blasphemy – This…
Sep 15, 2023
USCIRF Calls Attention to Iran’s Brutal Violence and Mass Arrests on One-Year Anniversary of Mahsa Zhina Amini’s Killing
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) marks the one-year anniversary…
Nov 15, 2023
USCIRF Condemns Iran’s Religious Persecution of Baha’is
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the Iranian government’s recent spate of arrests of Baha’is across the country. Since…
Nov 20, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Garb and International Human Rights Law
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Religious Garb Restrictions and…
Nov 28, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on National Level Anti-Conversion Laws around the World
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Compendium of National Anti-…
Jan 4, 2024
USCIRF Calls for Congressional Hearing after State Department Fails to Designate Nigeria and India as Countries of Particular Concern
Azerbaijan Added to State Department’s Special Watch List
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on…
Mar 13, 2024
USCIRF Calls for Accountability for Iran’s Crimes Against Humanity
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges the U.S. government to support a United Nations (UN) Security Council referral…
Mar 15, 2024
USCIRF Calls Attention to Prevalence of Anti-Muslim Hate Around the World
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is alarmed at the proliferation of incidents and expressions of anti-Muslim…
May 1, 2024
USCIRF Releases 2024 Annual Report with New Recommendations for U.S. Policy
Highlights State of Religious Freedom Abroad after 25 Years of IRFA
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
May 6, 2024
USCIRF Calls for Additional Sanctions Amidst New Harsh Enforcement of Iran’s Mandatory Hijab Law
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls for additional sanctions on Iranian authorities and…
Jun 17, 2024
USCIRF Condemns Severe Medical Mistreatment of Imprisoned Gonabadi Sufi in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is concerned by reports that Iranian officials are denying needed medical…
Aug 8, 2024
USCIRF Releases Report on Government Misinformation and Disinformation and Religious Freedom
Washington, DC –The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following report:
Misinformation and…
Sep 16, 2024
USCIRF Calls for International Accountability on Two-Year Anniversary of Mahsa Zhina Amini’s Killing
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today marks the two-year anniversary of Iranian…
Oct 8, 2024
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom in Algeria
Washington, DC –The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report:
Algeria Country Update - This report provides an update on…
Nov 8, 2024
USCIRF Abhors Recent Spate of Egregious Religious Freedom Violations in Iran
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the persistent egregious violations of religious freedom in Iran.…
Feb 20, 2025
USCIRF Urges Resumption of Lautenberg-Specter Program
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges the Trump administration, as it reviews U.S. refugee policy, to prioritize reopening the legal pathway…
Mar 25, 2025
USCIRF Releases 2025 Annual ReportWashington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released its 2025 Annual Report. The report documents religious freedom conditions in 2024 and recommends policy…
Apr 10, 2025
USCIRF Calls on Trump Administration to Seek Iranian Concessions on Religious Freedom in Oman DiscussionsWashington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges the Trump administration to demand accountability…
Jul 28, 2025
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in IranWashington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report:Iran Country Update – This report evaluates the Islamic Republic of…
Aug 6, 2025
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Houthi-Controlled Areas of YemenWashington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on religious freedom in Houthi-controlled…
Sep 9, 2025
Promoting Religious Freedom is a Vital Atrocity Prevention ToolWashington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on the link between atrocity prevention and international religious…
Sep 25, 2025
Congress Takes Encouraging, Bipartisan Steps on International Religious Freedom Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the introduction of H.Res 738. This resolution demonstrates…
Oct 20, 2025
Torture and Ill Treatment are Tools of Violating Religious FreedomWashington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on religious freedom and torture:…