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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…
…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…
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…
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…
Feb 11
WHEN:
Feb 11th 10:30am…
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…
Read the full report here.This report is an examination of religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua following the outbreak of anti-government protests in April 2018 that continue to occur around the country. Throughout this political crisis, the Catholic…
Mar 11, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Nicaragua
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
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…
Jul 20, 2020
This op-ed was originally published by The Washington Examiner, on July 20, 2020.
By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins
In Iraq, the 50th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces has…
Title
Bahrain Chapter - 2020 Arabic Translation
File Upload
Bahrain_Arabic_0.pdf
Language
Arabic
Year
2020…
Title
2026 Annual Report - Nicaragua Chapter
File Upload
USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Nicaragua.pdf
Language
English
Year
2026…
Oct 23
WHEN:
Oct 23rd 3:00pm…
Aug 05
WHEN:
Aug 5th 10:30am…
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 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…
Jun 23
WHEN:
Jun 23rd 10:30am…
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…
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…
Feb 4, 2022
The government of Nicaragua, under the leadership of President Daniel Ortega, has a history of persecuting Catholic clergy, worshipers, and organizations as well as Protestant institutions especially since religious leaders provided sanctuary…
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…
Aug 11, 2022
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Nicaragua
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Nicaragua Country Update…
This report details deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua during the first half of 2022. In March, the government expelled the papal nuncio, the Vatican’s chief diplomat in the country, for unexplained reasons. Most recently, a judge…
Additional Name(s):
Rolando José Álvarez, Rolando Jose Alvarez Lagos
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Sep 9, 2022
Since 2020, USCIRF has recommended that Nicaragua be included on the State Department’s Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom. In 2022, the Nicaraguan government has greatly intensified its…
Additional Name(s):
Enrique Martínez Gamboa, Benito Enrique Martínez
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
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…
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…
Additional Name(s):
Óscar Danilo Benavidez Dávila
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Feb 14, 2023
USCIRF Condemns Nicaragua’s 26-year Prison Sentence for Bishop Rolando Álvarez
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the Nicaraguan government’s sentencing of Catholic Bishop Rolando…
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…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
This comprehensive report features three crosscutting research areas that illuminate the religious freedom challenges facing indigenous communities in Latin America. First, the report provides detailed information about recent religious freedom…
Jun 7, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom Violations Against Indigenous Communities in Latin America
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Religious…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Managua
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture…
Additional Name(s):
Víctor Ticay
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Sistema Penitenciario Nacional Jorge Navarro, Tipitapa
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua…
May 3, 2023
This op-ed was originally published by Religion News Service on May 3, 2023.
By USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel & Vice Chair Abraham Cooper
Denying religious freedom and women’s rights go hand-in-hand.
Over the…
Additional Name(s):
Fernando Israel Zamora Silva
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
Adela Elizabeth Espinoza Tercero
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
La Esperanza prison, Tipitapa, Nicaragua
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua…
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
La Esperanza prison, Tipitapa, Nicaragua
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Sep 14, 2023
USCIRF Releases Updated Blasphemy Factsheet and Blasphemy Law Compendium
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released two new reports:
Legislation Factsheet on Blasphemy – This…
Additional Name(s):
Julio Ricardo Norori Jiménez
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
José Iván Centeno Tercero
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
Cristóbal Reynaldo Gadea Velásquez
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
Álvaro José Toledo Amador
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Date of Detainment:
October/7/2023…
In October 1998, the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) elevated freedom of religion or belief as a U.S. foreign policy priority. This landmark law mandates that U.S. policy include condemning violations of religious freedom abroad and assisting…
Oct 25, 2023
USCIRF Condemns Nicaragua’s Expulsion of Arbitrarily Detained Priests
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the Nicaraguan government’s expulsion of ten arbitrarily detained…
This report documents the text of the 73 national anti-conversion laws on the books around the world. In total, 46 countries have at least one national anti-conversion law in force. Four types of national anti-conversion laws are documented: anti-…
Nov 28, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on National Level Anti-Conversion Laws around the World
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Compendium of National Anti-…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Date of Detainment:
December/20/2023…
Additional Name(s):
Óscar José Escoto Salgado, Óscar Escoto Salgado
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Unspecified
Sentence:
6 Years' Imprisonment…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Unspecified
Sentence:
6 Years' Imprisonment…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Unspecified
Sentence:
6 Years' Imprisonment…
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Unspecified
Sentence:
6 Years' Imprisonment…
Gender:
Unspecified
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Unspecified
Sentence:
6 Years' Imprisonment…
Gender:
Unspecified
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Unspecified
Sentence:
6 Years Imprisonment…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Date of Detainment:
December/26/2023…