Displaying results 1 - 100 of 140

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…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2002 Contact: Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27 WASHINGTON - Religious-freedom conditions in Turkmenistan are extremely poor and respect for freedom of religion there is…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2003 Contact: Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27 The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply concerned over the recent passage of a harshly…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 2004 Contact: Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) will hold two public, on-the-record briefings on "…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 28, 2004 Contact: Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27 WASHINGTON - "The Commission believes that Turkmenistan should be designated a ‘country of particular concern' (CPC)…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2005 Contact: Julia Leikin (202) 775-3240 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) invite you to a public briefing on…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 8, 2005 Contact: Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 20, 2007 Contact: Judith Ingram, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 127 WASHINGTON-The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is calling for reform of Turkmenistan's repressive…
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.  …
...that Turkmenistan is the most closed of the post-Soviet countries?Since 2007, Turkmenistan has been led by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The country’s first president who died in 2006, Saparmurat Niyazov, oversaw one of the world’s most…
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…
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…
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…
…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…
Aug 22, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONAugust 21, 2013 | By Robert P. George and Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in The Washington Post on August 21, 2013. Although religious freedom is a pivotal human right,…
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…
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,…
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,…
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…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
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
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Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
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…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
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…
Jun 24, 2020 This op-ed originally appeared on Eurasianet, on June 24, 2020.  By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Commissioner Gary Bauer The government of Turkmenistan is one of the most repressive regimes in the…
Aug 13, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USCIRF Releases New Report about Religious Prisoners in Turkmenistan’s Gulag Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the…
Title Bahrain Chapter - 2020 Arabic Translation File Upload Bahrain_Arabic_0.pdf Language Arabic Year 2020…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Turkmenistan Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Turkmenistan.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…
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…
Read the full report here. Turkmenistan is one of the most consistent violators of religious freedom. USCIRF has recommended Turkmenistan as a Country of Particular concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) since 2000. Since…
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Additional Name(s): Annamurad Atdayev, Атдаев Аннамурад Нурмухаммедович, Atdaýew Annamyrat Nurmuhammedowiç Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen…
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…
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 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…
View the 2021 Annual Report          
May 11, 2021 USCIRF Welcomes Amnesty of Jehovah’s Witness Prisoners in Turkmenistan Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the presidential pardon of all 16 Jehovah’s Witness conscientious…
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: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:USCIRF recommends that the State Department redesignate Turkmenistan as a CPC under IRFA. Actions…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Lift the waiver on taking action as a consequence of Turkmenistan’s CPC designation to hold the government of…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Identify Turkmenistan government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom…
Status: partially_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Press for at the highest levels and work to secure the immediate release of individuals imprisoned for…
Status: implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Ensure continued U.S. funding for Radio Azatlyk, the Turkmen service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL),…
Status: partially_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Redesignate Turkmenistan as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in systematic,…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Impose targeted sanctions on Turkmenistani government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations…
Status: partially_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Press at the highest levels to secure the identification and immediate release of individuals imprisoned…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Redesignate Turkmenistan as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing,…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Take presidential action to limit security assistance to Turkmenistan under IRFA Section 405(a)(22) to hold…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Impose targeted sanctions on Turkmenistan government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations…
Status: partially_implemented Year: Country: Turkmenistan Recommended To: The Administration Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Urge the government of Turkmenistan to provide a civilian alternative to military service and to release…
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…