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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2000 Contact: Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240 (202) 523-3240 (202) 523-3240 The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote Friday, July 28 to Secretary of State Madeleine…
Mar 15, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 14, 2013| By USCIRF WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today called for Saudi Arabia to release Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Dr. Abdullah bin…
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…
USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett gave the following remarks at a conference, cosponsored by USCIRF and the National Endowment for Democracy on May 7, 2013Introduction Thank you for that kind introduction. It truly is a pleasure to join you today at the…
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…
Jun 26, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJune 26, 2013 |By Katrina Lantos Swett Editor"s note: Katrina Lantos Swett is the chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The views expressed are the writer"s own. The…
Jul 31, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 31, 2013 | By USCIRF The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply concerned by reports that Raif Badawi, a Saudi website editor, was convicted and…
Sep 6, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONSeptember 5, 2013 | By Robert P. George and Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in The Hill on September 5, 2013. Last week, on August 26, Saudi Arabia's appointed Shura Council…
Sep 11, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONSeptember 11, 2013 | By Robert P. George The following op-ed appeared in CNN World on September 11, 2013. Editor's note: Robert P. George is chairman of the U.S. Commission on International…
Sep 25, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATION September 20, 2013 | By Robert P. George The following op-ed appeared in the Christian Science Monitor on September 20, 2013. As the UN General Assembly begins its new session,…
Nov 8, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 7, 2013 | By Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in the Christian Science Monitor on November 7, 2013. As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of…
Dec 3, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONDecember 2, 2013 | By Robert P. George The following op-ed appeared in the Providence Journal on November 30, 2013. Washington - As the nation celebrates Thanksgiving, Jewish Americans are also…
Dec 11, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATION December 11, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon The following op-ed appeared in Reuters & the Chicago Tribune on December 10, 2013. December 10 marks Human Rights Day,…
Jan 28, 2014 FOR YOUR INFORMATION January 27, 2014 | By  Robert P. George    The following op-ed appeared in  The Hill  on January 27, 2014. I testified before the Congressional Tom Lantos Human…
Mar 26, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 26, 2014 | USCIRF The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today urged President Obama during his visit to Saudi Arabia later this week to raise religious freedom…
Jan 9, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply disturbed by the news that a Saudi blogger, Raif Badawi, was publicly flogged 50 times today in…
Many countries around the world have laws that punish expression deemed blasphemous, defamatory of religion, or contemptuous or insulting to religion or religious symbols, figures, or feelings.  The application of these laws has resulted in…
Feb 27, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 27, 2015 | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expresses deep concern about reports this week in both Arabic and English language…
Jun 11, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 11, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wrote to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to urge him to pardon Raif Badawi and…
Jan 5, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 5, 2016 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the execution on January 2 of a prominent Shi’a cleric in Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Nimr al-…
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,…
May 4, 2016 FOR YOUR INFORMATION May 4, 2016 | Robert P. George and Hannah Rosenthal The following op/ed appeared in USA Today on May 3, 2016   Should it be a crime to deny the existence of God? In the Russian city…
USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. testified on July 15, 2016 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing titled "Blasphemy Laws and Censorship by States and Non-State Actors: Examining Global Threats to Freedom of Expression." From the…
Jul 28, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 28, 2016   (USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. holds up a picture of Raif Badawi at a July 2016 Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on blasphemy laws) WASHINGTON, D.C…
Jul 24, 2017 The following op-ed appeared in Deseret News on July 23, 2017 By former USCIRF Commissioner Clifford D. May   Last year, Saudi Arabia unveiled Saudi Vision 2030, a bold plan to transform the kingdom’s oil-…
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Nov 16, 2017 The following originally op-ed appeared in The Hill on November 16, 2017   By former USCIRF Commissioners Daniel Mark and Sandra Jolley   People love lists. And when those lists are in the news,…
Mar 24, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 24, 2018 USCIRF Study Reveals Numerous Passages in Saudi Textbooks Inciting Violence and Intolerance  “USCIRF is disappointed to find inflammatory content remains in…
Click here to view the report Study Revealed Numerous Passages in Saudi Textbooks Advocating Intolerance and Violence.Summary The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had an independent contractor review 12 Saudi high school…
Jul 3, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 3, 2018 USCIRF Condemns Terrorist Attack Against Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan Chair Dorjee said, “This attack is yet another reminder of the crucial link between security and religious…
Oct 4, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 4, 2018 U.S. Delegation Is First Ever to Meet with “Religious Police” in Saudi Arabia USCIRF Delegation Holds Wide Ranging Meetings During Site Visit   WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a…
The full report may be found here. Summary of Findings This follow-on contracted study reviews 22 middle and high school textbooks published by the Saudi government for the 2017-2018 academic year, including the 12 high school books previously reviewed…
Nov 26, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 26, 2018   USCIRF Condemns Reappearance of Content Promoting Hatred and Violence in Saudi Textbooks New report provides evidence of reappearance of inflammatory content against…
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…
Additional Name(s): Raif bin Muhammad Badawi, Raef bin Mohammed Badawi, رائف بن محمد بدوي Gender: Male Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia Ethnic Group: Arab…
Apr 26, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 26, 2019   USCIRF Calls on State Department to Lift Saudi CPC Waiver After Mass Shi’a Execution USCIRF 2019 Annual Report Cites Numerous Violations and Recommends Additional…
On June 27, 2019, Vice Chair Nadine Maenza testified at a Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on violations of the right to freedom of religion of Christian communities around the world.Written Testimony Hearing Webpage
Jul 30, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2019     USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza Calls for Release of Imprisoned Saudi Blogger Raif Badawi His Continued Imprisonment Belies Saudi Government Claims of Greater…
Aug 12, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 12, 2019   USCIRF Applauds Announced Changes to Saudi Male Guardianship System USCIRF Urges Saudi Government to Release Imprisoned Supporters of Women’s Rights   WASHINGTON, DC…
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Additional Name(s): محمد بن حسن الحبيب Gender: Male Current Location: Mabahith Prison, Dammam Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia Ethnic Group: Arab…
Gender: Male Current Location: Abha Prison Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia Ethnic Group: Arab Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other…
Sep 20, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 20, 2019 USCIRF calls for immediate Release of blogger Raif Badawi WASHINGTON DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns Saudi Arabia’s…
Additional Name(s): أحمد الشامري Gender: Male Current Location: Al Qaisumah Detention Center Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia Ethnic Group: Arab…
Click here to view the October 2019 Afghanistan Country Update.
Host: Gayle Manchin, Vice ChairSubject Experts: Zack Udin and Kirsten Lavery     For more information, please contact Henry Young at [email protected].
Dec 13, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 13, 2019 USCIRF Calls for Immediate Release of Saudi Blogger Raif Badawi WASHINGTON DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns Saudi Arabia’s…
The full report may be found here. Saudi Arabia has taken some limited steps toward greater religious freedom in 2019 while continuing to restrict it in other ways. On a positive note, Saudi Arabia eased religious restrictions on women’s mobility in…
Jan 30, 2020 For Immediate Release January 29, 2020   USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Saudi Arabia   Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Mar 25, 2020 This op-ed was originally published by The Hill, on March 25, 2020.  By USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza and Congressman James P. McGovern              …
Mar 25, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2020 USCIRF Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack against Sikh House of Worship in Kabul Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly…
USCIRF ADVOCATE: Nadine Maenza Advocacy: Release of Raif Badawi an Overdue and a Necessary Step for Saudi Arabia…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Afghanistan Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Afghanistan.pdf Language English Year…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Saudi Arabia File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Saudi Arabia.pdf Language English Year 2026…
May 7, 2013 USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett gave the following remarks at a conference, cosponsored by USCIRF and the National Endowment for Democracy on May 7, 2013 Introduction Thank you for that kind introduction. It…
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Nov 5, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   USCIRF Releases Report on the Saudi Guardianship System Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a new report on Saudi religious…
Click here for the Report on the Saudi Guardianship System   This report describes Saudi Arabia’s guardianship system and explains how it restricts religious freedom in the country. It briefly reviews the history of guardianship laws in Saudi…
Read the full Issue Update: The Global Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses   This update describes official discrimination against Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world, with a particular focus on countries where members have been imprisoned for…
Click here to view the report Violating Rights: Enforcing the World’s Blasphemy Laws USCIRF’s groundbreaking report examines the enforcement of blasphemy laws worldwide. Blasphemy laws criminalize expressions that insults or offends religious doctrines.…
Feb 10, 2021 USCIRF Calls for Magnitsky Sanctions on Saudi Officials Following Release of Loujain al-Hathloul Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed relief over…
Feb 25 WHEN: Feb 25th 11:00am - Feb 25th 12:30pm…
Factsheet on Shari’a and LGBTI Persons – In some countries around the world, criminal laws provide for the death penalty based on religious interpretations. This factsheet highlights countries with death penalty laws that target the LGBTI community…
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…
Mar 26, 2021 In some countries around the world, religion-based laws are used by governments to impose capital punishment against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons. All of the 10 countries…
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…
View the 2021 Annual Report          
Apr 29, 2021 Read full article This op-ed was originally published by TIME, on April 28, 2019. By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Commissioner Nadine Maenza.
Apr 30, 2021 The program to resettle refugees to the United States has existed since 1980, with strong bipartisan support. Earlier this month, President Biden signed an emergency declaration to speed up refugee admissions into…
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Jun 17, 2021 USCIRF Condemns Saudi Arabia’s Latest Execution of Shi’a Man Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the Saudi government for executing Mustafa…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Press the Afghan government to acknowledge the significant threat to freedom of religion or belief posed…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Press the Afghan government to acknowledge the significant threat to freedom of religion or belief posed…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Administration Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Ensure the integration of religious freedom concerns with related issues such as countering religious extremism and…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Congress Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Ensure the integration of religious freedom concerns with related issues such as countering religious extremism and…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Urge the Afghan government to revoke the 2004 media law prohibiting “un-Islamic” writings and overturn…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Afghanistan Government Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Urge the Afghan government to revoke the 2004 media law prohibiting “un-Islamic” writings and overturn…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Administration Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Culture to ensure—and, if possible, in…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Afghanistan Government Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Culture to ensure—and, if…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Culture to create a civic…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Culture to advocate for the…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Include Afghanistan on the State Department’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Ensure that protections for freedom of religion or belief are integrated into any future negotiations…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Administration Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Thematic Area: Houses of Worship Recommendation:Integrate religious freedom concerns, including the protection of houses of…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministries of Education, Information and Culture, and Hajj and Religious Affairs to…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Congress Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:The U.S. Congress should appropriate funding specifically for the protection of freedom of religion or belief in…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Include Afghanistan on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Incorporate protections for freedom of religion or belief into U.S.-supported peace negotiations between…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Administration Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Thematic Area: Houses of Worship Recommendation:Integrate religious freedom concerns, including the protection of houses of…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Facilitate cooperation between faith leaders and scholars of all religions in Afghanistan to foster…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Afghanistan Recommended To: Congress Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:The U.S. Congress should appropriate funding specifically for the protection of freedom of religion or belief in…