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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…
Longworth House Office Building, Room 1302Photo Gallery:
Commission members (left to right): Richard D. Land, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Bishop
William Francis Murphy, Felice D. Gaer, Executive Director Steven T. McFarland,…
University of California at Los Angeles
January 27, 2004
Transcript
Welcome and Introductory Remarks - Michael K. Young, Commission Chair and Dean, George Washington University Law School
Oral Testimony
Panel One
Roger…
U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
"THANK YOU FATHER KIM IL SUNG"
November 15, 2005
Speakers:
MICHAEL CROMARTIE,
THE UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
BISHOP RICARDO RAMIREZ,
THE UNITED…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2002
Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent federal agency advising the Administration…
Transcript
Introductory Remarks by Chair Michael Cromartie
Introductory Remarks by Commissioner Imam Talal Y. Eid
Remarks by Chair Cromartie
...that since 1945 North Korea’s once-diverse and vibrant religious community has largely disappeared?North Korea’s reactions to new sanctions, including its latest nuclear threats and declaration invalidating the 1953 Armistice ending the Korean War,…
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…
Oct 27, 2014
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONOctober 27, 2014 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon
The following op-ed appeared in The Seattle Times on October 24, 2014
NORTH Korea’s release of Jeffrey Fowle, imprisoned for leaving…
Dec 22, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 22, 2014 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the UN General Assembly’s passage on December 18 of a resolution that…
USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George testified on October 27, 2015 before Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at a hearing titled "The Global Crisis of Religious…
Dec 9, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 9, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends the United States and eight other countries for requesting a meeting of the UN Security…
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,…
Aug 30, 2016
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
August 30, 2016 | Daniel I. Mark and Sandra Jolley
The following op/ed appeared in Religion News Service on August 30, 2016
(RNS) Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was a 6-year-old boy when he…
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,…
Click here to view the Policy Update: Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights in North Korea
Nov 30, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2018
USCIRF Statement on Release of New Policy Update on Religious Freedom in North Korea
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
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…
Feb 27, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 27, 2019
USCIRF Urges President Trump to Address Religious Freedom Abuses in North Korea
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom…
Jun 24
WHEN:
Jun 24th 6:59pm…
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 24
WHEN:
Jul 24th 1:00pm
-
Jul 24th 1:00pm…
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…
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 16, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2019
USCIRF Disappointed UN Security Council Did Not Discuss Religious Freedom in North Korea
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on…
Feb 11
WHEN:
Feb 11th 10:30am…
Algeria Chapter - 2020 Annual ReportAlgeria Chapter - 2020 Annual Report Arabic translation
May 29, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2020
USCIRF Commissioner James Carr Adopts Deacon Zhang Wen Shi of North Korea and Pastor A Dao of Vietnam through the Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project
Washington, DC – United States Commission on…
Jul 8, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Releases New Report about Human Rights Advocacy and the North Korea Nuclear Impasse
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
Aug 2, 2020
This op-ed originally appears in The National Interest, on August 2, 2020.
By USCIRF Commissioners James W. Carr and Frederick A. Davie
For years, Deacon Jang Moon Seok ministered to North Koreans…
Advocacy:
Event: FoRB Victims List and Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project Update, February 25, 2021…
Title
2026 Annual Report - Algeria Chapter
File Upload
USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Algeria.pdf
Language
English
Year
2026…
Title
2026 Annual Report - North Korea Chapter
File Upload
USCIRF 2026 Annual Report North Korea.pdf
Language
English
Year…
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…
Read the full report here.
Religious freedom conditions in North Korea remain among the worst in the world, yet the U.S. government for decades has tended to prioritize security concerns over human rights rather than integrating the two issues as…
Dec 10
WHEN:
Dec 10th 9:30pm…
Aug 05
WHEN:
Aug 5th 10:30am…
Nov 12
WHEN:
Nov 12th 11:00am
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Nov 12th 12:00pm…
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…
Additional Name(s):
Jang Moon Seok
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
North Korea
Ethnic Group:
Korean
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant…
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…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
North Korea
Ethnic Group:
Korean
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Reports of Torture…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
North Korea
Ethnic Group:
Korean
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Reports of Torture…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
North Korea
Ethnic Group:
Korean
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Health Concerns:
Stomach issues…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
North Korea
Ethnic Group:
Korean
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Reports of Torture…
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…
Jun 23
WHEN:
Jun 23rd 10:30am…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Freedom of Information
Recommendation:Expand existing radio programming transmitted into North Korea and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Security and Human Rights
Recommendation:Include, whenever possible, both the Special Envoy and the…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Fill the current vacancy and maintain the Special Envoy for North Korean t g human rights issues as a full-time…
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…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Sanctions
Recommendation:Make any future discussions regarding the easing or lifting of sanctions…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Pressure the North Korean governmen to grant international human rights monitors unfettered access to document…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: Congress
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Work with the administration to clarify the conditions under which Congress would approve the partial or complete lifting…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Freedom of Information
Recommendation:Instruct the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s Open Technology Fund to…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Urge the North Korean government to grant international human rights monitors unfettered access to document…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Fill the current vacancy and maintain the Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues as a fulltime,…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: CPC status
Recommendation:Redesignate North Korea as a CPC
Actions Taken:The DPRK was…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: Congress
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Sanctions
Recommendation:Work with the administration to clarify the conditions under which Congress would approve…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Sanctions
Recommendation:Integrate security and human rights as complementary objectives in U.S. policy…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: United Nations
Recommendation:Urge the North Korean government to grant international human rights…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Government positions
Recommendation:Fill and maintain the position of Special Envoy for North Korean…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: North Korea
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Designate North Korea as a CPC
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Algeria
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Algeria on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Algeria
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage U.S. Embassy officials to meet with the National Commission for Non-Muslim Religious Groups and other relevant…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Algeria
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage U.S. Embassy officials to attend and observe court proceedings on church closures and against Ahmadiyya Muslims to…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Algeria
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Recommendation:Monitor the impact of changes in the new constitution regarding freedom of conscience and advocate that the government…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Algeria
Recommended To: U.S. Congress
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Recommendation:Hold public hearings to encourage Algeria to reverse decisions that have led to religious freedom violations and reform…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Algeria
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Algeria on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Algeria
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage U.S. Embassy officials to meet with the Commission for Non-Muslim Religious Groups to clarify and assess its process…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Algeria
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Condition future cultural exchange programs between the United States and Algeria on the improvement of religious freedom…
Aug 18
WHEN:
Aug 18th 11:00am
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Aug 18th 12:00pm…
This report documents the North Korean government’s religious freedom violations based on primary information gathered over the past year from in-person interviews with North Korean defectors who are survivors, witnesses, and perpetrators of these…
Aug 18, 2021
USCIRF Releases Report Highlighting Religious Freedom Violations in North Korea
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a new report titled “Organized…
Aug 31
WHEN:
Aug 31st 11:00am
-
Aug 31st 12:00pm…
Destruction of Cemeteries – This factsheet outlines international human rights law that defines the obligations of governments to protect the cultural heritage of religious communities’ cemeteries. Additionally, it describes specific examples…
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…
Additional Name(s):
حميد سوداد
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Algeria
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Reports of…
This factsheet documents and contextualizes recent religious freedom violations against Ahmadiyya Muslims, shining a light on the worrying trend of growing state persecution of members of this community. Ahmadiyya Muslims face persecution and…
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…
This country update examines religious freedom conditions in Algeria, which have deteriorated to a degree that has led USCIRF to recommend that the U.S State Department include Algeria on its Special Watch List since 2020. Although Algeria’s…
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…
This report documents trends in religious freedom violations against Muslims during the last two years. While many Muslims in Africa practice their faith in peace and harmony, some Muslims have been denied their freedom of religion or belief across the…
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…
Additional Name(s):
Slimane Bouhafs, سليمان بوحفص
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Algeria
Ethnic Group:
Amazigh
Religion or Belief:
Christian –…
Oct 22, 2021
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community was founded in 1889 in Punjab, India and today has an estimated tens of millions of members globally. Because of the differences between Ahmadiyya beliefs and beliefs in Sunni and Shi…
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 5, 2021
In recent years, Algerian authorities have shown more hostility towards religious minorities, forcibly closing dozens of Protestant churches and prosecuting Ahmadiyya Muslims for gathering without authorization for…
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 16, 2022
This op-ed was originally published by USA Today on April 16, 2022.
By USCIRF Commissioners Jim Carr and Fred Davie
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has long advocated for the…
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…
View the 2022 Annual Report
Highlights from USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report
Numbers-at-a-Glance
15 countries recommended for “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation
1 new country recommended for CPC designation
12…
Apr 25, 2022
This op-ed was originally published by The Hill on April 25, 2022.
By USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza and Vice Chair Nury Turkel
As the world is trying to resume some semblance of normalcy, it is abundantly clear that…