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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…
Title
2025 Annual Report - Sri Lanka Chapter
File Upload
Sri Lanka 2025 USCIRF Annual Report.pdf
Language
English
Year
2025…
Sep 28, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
September 28, 2015 | Daniel I. Mark and Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on September 27, 2015
Washington hosted two dramatically…
Oct 21, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 21, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the October 14 release by the U.S. State Department of its International Religious…
Nov 30, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 30, 2015 | M. Zuhdi Jasser and Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in The Christian Science Monitor on November 30, 2015
Pope Francis arrived yesterday in the troubled…
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,…
Dec 2, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2016
WASHINGTON, DC – With the passing of Fidel Castro on November 25, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges the Cuban government to take a…
May 9, 2017
CUBA: USCIRF Condemns the Expulsion of Félix Yuniel Llerena López from the University of CubaUSCIRF Calls on the University to Reinstate Félix as a Student and for the Castro Government to Cease Its Harassment of Him…
Sep 18, 2017
The following op-ed appeared in The Hill on September 18, 2017
By former USCIRF Commissioners Sandra Jolley and Jackie Wolcott
Addressing religious freedom violations is always hard, but when…
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,…
Jul 30, 2018
This op-ed originally appeared in The Hill on July 27, 2018.
By former USCIRF Commissioners Tenzin Dorjee and Kristina Arriaga
To the surprise of many, there is a foreign policy issue on which…
Dec 11, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2018
USCIRF Calls on Cuba to Cease Harassment of Religious Leaders, Strengthen Religious Freedom Language in New Constitution
Current Draft Weakens…
Apr 24, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2019
USCIRF Condemns Cuban Authorities’ Crackdown on Homeschooling Pastor and Wife
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
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 16, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 2019
USCIRF Statement on Cuba Preventing Religious Leaders from Attending International Religious Freedom Meeting
WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the prohibition of…
Jul 24
WHEN:
Jul 24th 1:00pm
-
Jul 24th 1:00pm…
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
…
Feb 11
WHEN:
Feb 11th 10:30am…
Mar 10, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Cuba
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
Apr 3, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 3, 2020
USCIRF Welcomes the Release of Ayda Expósito, Calls for Release of Other Religious Prisoners of Conscience in Cuba
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International…
USCIRF Welcomes the Release of Pastor Ramón Rigal, Calls for Release of Roberto Jesus Quinones Haces
Jul 1, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Welcomes the Release of Pastor Ramón Rigal, Calls for Release of Roberto Jesus Quinones Haces
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Aug 14, 2020
This op-ed originally appeared in The Globe Post, on August 14, 2020.
By USCIRF Vice Chairs Anurima Bhargava and Tony Perkins
Over half-a-million Central Africans remain displaced outside of their country,…
Title
2023 Annual Report - Central African Republic Chapter
File Upload
Central African Republic (CAR).pdf
Language
English
Year…
Title
2026 Annual Report - Cuba Chapter
File Upload
USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Cuba.pdf
Language
English
Year
2026…
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…
Oct 23
WHEN:
Oct 23rd 3:00pm…
Dec 10
WHEN:
Dec 10th 9:30pm…
Aug 05
WHEN:
Aug 5th 10:30am…
This factsheet explores the role that religion plays in escalating violence committed by and against Fulani communities in west and central Africa. Predominantly Muslim and historically associated with cattle herding and livestock rearing, Fulani…
Oct 1, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Releases New Report about Religious Tensions and Fulani Communities in West and Central Africa
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Date of Detainment:
August/6/2021…
Factsheet: The Santería Tradition in Cuba
Factsheet on the Santería Tradition in Cuba - This factsheet provides a brief overview of the traditions of the Santeria community in Cuba and highlights the religious freedom violations that…
Feb 22, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Santería in Cuba
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following factsheet on the Santería tradition in…
Mar 5, 2021
Santería is a syncretic religion that incorporates elements of Catholicism with the religion of the Yoruba people, who were brought as slaves to Cuba from the Congo basin and West Africa in the 16th century.
While…
Apr 19, 2021
Read full article
This op-ed was originally published by Washington Examiner, on April 15, 2021.
Written by Commissioners Frederick A. Davie and James W. Carr.
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…
Nonbelievers in Africa Factsheet – This factsheet assesses conditions for nonbelievers in Africa, which includes those who identify as atheist, agnostic, freethinker, humanist, secularist, and individuals who do not identify with any religion. Evidence…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Include on the Special Watch List
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Establish high-level panel on human rights protection with international stakeholders and CAR authorities…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Fund justice programs, including the SCC
Status: partially_implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Assist CAR government in ensuring Muslims have a future in the country
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Increase humanitarian assistance
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Increase engagement with CAR authorities, the United Nations (UN), and international donors to ensure that…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Assisting the UN Security Council in sanctioning armed actors responsible for organizing and/or engaging in…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Funding programs to reestablish and professionalize CAR’s judiciary and to support the Special Criminal Court (…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Press CAR authorities to undertake initiatives to ensure that Muslims have a future in the country by:…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Central African Republic
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Increase funding for peace and security initiatives; bolster humanitarian assistance for refugees, IDPs,…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: U.S. State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Religious prisioners
Recommendation:Highlight religious freedom violations in specific prisoner of conscience…
Status: partially_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Travel
Recommendation:Prioritize adequate coverage of religious freedom issues as well as access to…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Restrictions on religious activities
Recommendation:Press the Cuban government to include in the new constitution…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Travel
Recommendation:Facilitate multi-entry visas for both registered and unregistered Cuban religious leaders to…
Status: partially_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: U.S. State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Multilateral engagement
Recommendation:Encourage key countries, particularly those in Latin America, to ensure…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: U.S. State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Designation
Recommendation:Maintain Cuba on the State Department’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Sanctions
Recommendation:Impose targeted sanctions on Cuban government agencies and officials responsible for severe…
Status: partially_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Journalism
Recommendation:Ensure that programs that support independent journalism in Cuba are responsive in…
Status: partially_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Travel
Recommendation:Enable the processing of visas in Havana for religious leaders, along with activists…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: U.S. State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Designation
Recommendation:Maintain Cuba on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Sanctions
Recommendation:Impose targeted sanctions on Cuban government agencies and officials responsible for severe…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Public statements
Recommendation:Publicly denounce violations of religious freedom and related human rights in Cuba and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: The Administration
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Travel
Recommendation:Encourage Cuban authorities to extend an official invitation for an unrestricted visits by USCIRF…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Cuba
Recommended To: Congress and the Administration
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Recommendation:Increase opportunities for Cuban religious leaders from both registered and unregistered religious communities…
This country update examines recent progress made and ongoing challenges in CAR. Due to peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts, sectarian violence and religious targeting reduced in CAR in 2020. However, Central African religious minorities…
Jun 28, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Central African Republic
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new…
Jul 9, 2021
In 2015, USCIRF for the first time recommended the Central African Republic (CAR) be designated by the State Department a Country of Particular Concern for systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious…
Jul 13, 2021
USCIRF Condemns the Detention of Religious Leaders Amid Protests in Cuba
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) denounced the detention of religious leaders during…
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Ethnic Group:
Yoruba
Religion or Belief:
Santería
Sentence:
8 Years…
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Ethnic Group:
Yoruba
Religion or Belief:
Santería
Sentence:
8 Years…
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
Guamajal prison in Villa Clara
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Ethnic Group:
Yoruba
Religion or Belief:
Santería…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Provincial Prison, Santa Clara
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Ethnic Group:
Yoruba
Religion or Belief:
Santería…
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Ethnic Group:
Yoruba
Religion or Belief:
Santería
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Date of Detainment:
July/11/2021…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Date of Detainment:
July/11/2021…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Reports of Torture:
Yes…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Sentence:
1 Year's House Arrest…
Jul 27, 2021
Cuba’s government has long been responsible for violating its citizens right to freedom of religion or belief. In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department again place Cuba on its Special…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Cuba
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Sentence:
9 Months' Imprisonment…
Thousands of Cubans took to the streets nationwide on July 11, 2021 to call for greater freedom and relief from the country’s economic and COVID-19 crises. Cuban authorities responded by detaining, often violently, an estimated 700 demonstrators and…
Sep 20, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Protests in Cuba and Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following factsheet on the July 11…
Sri Lanka is a diverse country where complex ethno-religious divisions contribute to tension among the various communities. Despite protections guaranteed by the constitution and international law, Muslims and other religious minorities suffer abusive…
Jan 21, 2022
Across central and eastern Africa there are many dynamics at play, including political crises and violent insurgencies, both of which pose challenges to freedom of religion or belief. These trends and developments…
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…
Apr 26, 2022
On April 25, 2022, USCIRF released its 2022 Annual Report, which documents developments in international religious freedom from 2021. The report provides recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion…
This factsheet highlights the global scale of religious persecution by providing an overview of contexts where large populations have been displaced due to persecution or violence based on religion or belief, including in Afghanistan, Burma, the Central…
Jun 16, 2022
USCIRF began monitoring religious freedom conditions in Central African Republic (CAR) in 2013 when the country descended into civil conflict. After seven years of recommending that CAR be designated a country of…
This report analyzes the ways in which Cuba’s newly approved constitution dilutes freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) guarantees compared with the previous constitution. The government of Cuba exercises extraconstitutional control over religious groups…
Jul 5, 2022
USCIRF Releases Report on the New Constitution and Religious Freedom in Cuba
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a new report titled “…
Aug 02
WHEN:
Aug 2nd 3:00pm
-
Aug 2nd 4:00pm…
This report provides an overview of religious freedom conditions in Sri Lanka in 2022. This past year, the country sank into a severe economic crisis that precipitated a serious lack of fuel and basic necessities. As a result of this crisis and overall…
This report provides an overview of religious freedom conditions in Cuba in 2022. Throughout 2022, the Cuban government continued to tightly control religious activity, using many of the same repressive tactics as in previous years, such as surveillance…
Dec 21, 2022
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Cuba
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Cuba Country Update – This report provides an overview of…
This factsheet highlights challenges facing freedom of religion or belief in several countries in Central Africa, such as Central African Republic (CAR), Cameroon, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The politicization of religious identity and…