Displaying results 1 - 13 of 13

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…
Santería in Cuba
Mar 5, 2021 Santería is a syncretic religion that incorporates elements of Catholicism with the religion of the Yoruba people, who were brought as slaves to Cuba from the Congo basin and West Africa in the 16th century. While…
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…
Protests in Cuba Impact Religious Freedom
Jul 27, 2021 Cuba’s government has long been responsible for violating its citizens right to freedom of religion or belief. In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department again place Cuba on its Special…
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…
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…