Displaying results 1 - 14 of 14

How Current Unrest Impacts Religious Freedom in Belarus
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…
Global Blasphemy Laws
Dec 7, 2020       There are 84 countries across the globe with criminal blasphemy laws on the books as of 2020. While only a handful of countries enforce these laws, there are still 84 countries in which a…
2021 Update on Religious Freedom Conditions
Jan 22, 2021       Targeting of religious minorities in Russia, mass atrocities in China, Nigeria as a country of particular concern, and Antisemitism on the rise worldwide. The events of 2020 cast a long…
Unrest in Russia
Feb 12, 2021     Russia is currently experiencing ongoing, widespread anti-corruption protests. These protests demonstrate the largest challenge to government control in almost a decade. Meanwhile, the State Duma…
Enforcing Blasphemy Laws Have Dire Consequences
May 27, 2021 Blasphemy laws criminalize expression that insults or offends religious doctrines. Such laws are often used to restrict freedom of religion or belief. As of 2020, 84 countries still had blasphemy laws. The severity…
Abuses of Traditional Religion in Russia
Oct 29, 2021 USCIRF is deeply concerned about religious freedom conditions in the Russian Federation, which have rapidly deteriorated in recent years as the government increasingly mistreats “traditional” religious communities…
State Department Designations and USCIRF Recommendations: Where do they line up?
Dec 17, 2021 Pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), the State Department is required to issue annual designations for the most egregious violators of religious freedom. In advance of these…
Implications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Part 1: The “Denazification” Narrative
Mar 4, 2022 *Special note: This podcast was recorded on March 3, 2022 and only reflects the events that have occurred up to this date* The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world and created a humanitarian…
Implications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Part 2: The Religious Regulation Framework
Mar 10, 2022 *Special note: This podcast was recorded on March 8, 2022 and only reflects the events that have occurred up to this date* The Russian government has long used religious freedom violations in its efforts to…
Russia’s Religious Freedom Violations in Ukraine
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…
Turkmenistan’s Tight Grip on Religious Freedom
Sep 23, 2022 Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has designated Turkmenistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. After Turkmenistan’s…
Russia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Oct 14, 2022 In April 2017, the Russian Federation banned Jehovah’s Witnesses as an “extremist” organization. In the five years since that designation, law enforcement authorities across Russia have made it a regular practice to raid, detain, and arrest…
The Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia
May 30, 2025  The governments of Central Asia—that is Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—influenced by decades of Soviet rule, maintain similar legislation to combat “extremism.” Each of these governments uses these laws…
Independent Media and its Essential Role in Promoting FoRB throughout Central Asia
Apr 17, 2026  In Central Asia, independent media plays an essential role in shedding light on freedom of religion of belief (FoRB) violations. As a result, Central Asian governments attempt to silence independent journalists and bloggers to conceal…