USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett made the following remarks at the announcement of the Defending Freedoms Project on December 6, 2012, a project of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with USCIRF and Amnesty International USA. …
Mar 18, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONMarch 18, 2013| By: Katrina Lantos Swett and M. Zuhdi Jasser
The following op-ed appeared in Roll Call on March 15, 2013.
While the world remains riveted to Egypt"s challenges and Syria"s…
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…
…that the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with USCIRF and Amnesty International USA, has launched the Defending Freedoms Project to increase attention to and support for human rights and religious freedom around the world?Through 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…
Apr 14, 2014
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONApril 14, 2014 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and M. Zuhdi Jasser
The following op-ed appeared in the Global Post on April 10, 2014.
WASHINGTON — Last week's Formula 1 automotive racing event…
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)…
Feb 13, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Reports on Religious Freedom Conditions in Bahrain and Iraq
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Read the full report here.This report highlights improvements and notes areas of concern regarding religious freedom in Bahrain in 2019. While Bahrain continues to allow freedom of worship to most religious groups, Shi’a Bahrainis face systematic and…
Jun 9, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Commends Bahrain for Release of Prisoner of Conscience Nabeel Rajab
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commended the government of…
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 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.…
Click here for the Bahrain Country Update
This country update examines religious freedom conditions in Bahrain. Throughout 2020, Bahrain continued to systematically restrict religious freedom for its Shi’a Muslim population. The government…
Dec 17, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Bahrain
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious…
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 4, 2021
For the first time in years, Bahrain was not included in the list of countries that USCIRF recommends for the State Department’s Special Watch List (SWL). The government of Bahrain has made incremental improvements…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Urge the Bahraini government to clarify the terms and enforcement of the 2016 amendment to article 5 of the 2005 Political…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Work with the Bahraini government to continue to implement reforms consistent with the Bahrain Indepen-dent Commission of…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Press the Bahraini government to enforce existing laws, including Royal Decree 36 of 2012 and Royal Decree 95 of 2018,…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue to train security officials, prosecutors, and judges to better address sectarian violence and incitement by enhancing…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Press Bahrain’s government to ensure freedom of religion and reduce sec-tarian incitement by passing the bill pending in the…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Bahrain Country Update
Recommendation:Release an updated assessment of the Bahraini government’s implementation of the BICI reportrecommendations, with a…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Bahrain Country Update
Recommendation:Continue to provide guidance and training for Bahrain’s security services to prepare for Ashura observances in ways…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: U.S. Congress
Source: 2019 Bahrain Country Update
Recommendation:Continue to conduct periodic fact-finding missions and congressional delegation trips to Bahrain to assess religious…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Bahrain on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Publish an updated assessment of Bahrain’s compliance with the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report, with…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue to provide guidance and training for Bahrain’s security services to prepare for Ashura observances in ways that protect…
Status: partially_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: U.S. Congress
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Highlight in religious freedom and human rights-related hearings and other official proceedings Bahrain’s treatment of…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Bahrain Country Update
Recommendation:The United States should continue to raise these restrictions on religious freedom with Bahrain’s government…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: U.S. Congress
Recommendation:When the next administration nominates a new U.S. ambassador to Bahrain, Congress should examine as part of the confirmation process what steps they will take…
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…
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 16, 2021
The United Nations marks November 16 each year as the International Day for Tolerance. Religious tolerance is one key component of tolerance overall. Governments in the Middle East have increasingly espoused a doctrine of religious tolerance…
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…
This report provides an overview of Kazakhstan’s religion law and its recent amendments to that law, and details how authorities use this legislation to target and regulate religious groups. Amendments passed in December 2021 did not reflect Kazakhstan’…
Dec 22, 2022
USCIRF Releases Report on Religion Law Amendments in Kazakhstan
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following report:
Kazakhstan Issue Update – This report provides an…
Jan 5, 2023
Authoritarian states promote religious tolerance without necessarily ensuring freedom of religion or belief. Last month, USCIRF released a report distinguishing between these two concepts and explains the origins of religious tolerance…
May 1, 2023
USCIRF Releases 2023 Annual Report Highlighting Worsening Religious Freedom Conditions Around the World
Includes new recommendations of Cuba and Nicaragua as Countries of Particular Concern and Sri Lanka for the Special Watch List
Washington,…
View the 2023 Annual Report
Highlights from USCIRF’s 2023 Annual Report
Numbers-at-a-Glance
17 countries recommended for “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation
2 new countries recommended for CPC designation
11…
May 15, 2023
USCIRF Welcomes the Release of State Department’s 2022 International Religious Freedom Report
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends the State Department…
Jun 15, 2023
USCIRF Delegation Travels to Kazakhstan to Assess Religious Freedom Conditions
Washington, DC - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Nury Turkel and staff traveled to Almaty and Astana,…