The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom sent the following letter to Secretary of State Kerry on April 12, 2013.
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
I…
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…
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 26, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON D.C. -- The Kazakh government reportedly soon will try two activists for their religious freedom-related activities. Atheist blogger Aleksandr Kharlamov, 63, had been held for four…
Aug 24, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 24, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the violations of religious freedom and human rights taking place in Azerbaijan.…
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
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)…
Mar 9, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 9, 2020
USCIRF Delegation Travels to Azerbaijan to Assess Religious Freedom Conditions
Washington, DC – United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Vice Chairs…
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…
Conscientious objection to military service is frequently connected to freedom of religion or belief, as many conscientious objectors are motivated by deeply-held religious beliefs. The right to conscientious objection is recognized under international…
Nov 10, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report about Global Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
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.…
This report evaluates trends relevant to freedom of religion or belief in Azerbaijan since USCIRF commissioners and staff traveled to the country in early 2020. In recent years, Azerbaijan has implemented some changes that have marked an improvement in…
Mar 18, 2021
USCIRF Releases Country Update on Azerbaijan
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a country update on religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan:…
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…
May 17, 2021
USCIRF Concerned by Azerbaijan Religion Law Amendments, Condition of Ghazanchetsots Cathedral
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is concerned that proposed…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Ensure continued U.S. funding for Radio Azadliq, the Azerbaijani Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and the Azerbaijani Service of the…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: USAID
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Specify freedom of religion or belief as a grant category and area of activity for the U.S. Agency for …
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: Government of Azerbaijan
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Religious Prisoners of Conscience
Recommendation:Release prisoners of conscience—particularly those…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: Government of Azerbaijan
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Permit all religious communities—particularly those located outside of Baku and those belonging to…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: Government of Azerbaijan
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Reform the 2009 law on religious organizations to bring it into conformity with recommendations by the…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: Congress
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:The U.S. Congress should hold public hearings to investigate Azerbaijan’s religious freedom and broader human rights…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Assist the government of Azerbaijan, in collaboration with international partners, to develop an…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Work with the government of Azerbaijan to revise the 2009 religion law to comply with international human…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Azerbaijan on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: Congress
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:The U.S. Congress should hold public hearings to investigate Azerbaijan’s religious freedom and broader human rights…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: Congress
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Allocate funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. Embassy in Baku to restore, preserve,…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Assist the Azerbaijani government, in collaboration with international partners, to develop an alternative…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Work with the government of Azerbaijan to revise the 2009 religion law to comply with international human…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Azerbaijan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Azerbaijan on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Prioritize religious freedom and related human rights into the U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership Dialogue and…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Repeal or amend its religious registration laws, which are frequently used to harass and prosecute religious…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: Other Governments
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Strategy:USCIRF advocates this recommendation with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.--Kazakhstan Religious Freedom…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: Other Governments
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Provide an alternative to military service for conscientious objectors;
Strategy:USCIRF advocates this…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage the Kazakhstani government to open the Congress of the Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Ensure continued U.S. funding for Radio Azattyq, the Kazakh service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), so…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Kazakhstan on the State Department’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Open the Congress of the Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions to representatives of all faiths in…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Ensure continued U.S. funding for Radio Azattyq, the Kazakh service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, to allow for…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Kazakhstan on the State Department’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating violations…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Kazakhstan
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue engaging with the Kazakhstani government through the U.S.-Kazakhstan Religious Freedom Working Group to…
Aug 6, 2021
The Kazakhstani government is implementing promising reforms that could make Kazakhstan Central Asia’s leading example of religious freedom. USCIRF has recommended the U.S. State Department place…
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…
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…
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…
Sep 16, 2022
In 2018, Kazakhstan arrested a group of men for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about Islam and sentenced them to multiple years in prison on fictitious terrorism and incitement-related charges. Last fall,…
Tolerance, Religious Freedom, and Authoritarianism – This report details how authoritarian states promote religious tolerance without necessarily ensuring freedom of religion or belief. It distinguishes between these two concepts and explains the…
Dec 13, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Tolerance Promotion and Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Tolerance, Religious Freedom…