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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…
Laos Chapter - 2015 Annual ReportLaos Chapter - 2015 Annual Report (Lao Translation)
Laos Chapter - 2014 Annual Report
Laos Chapter - 2014 Annual Report (Lao Translation)
Laos Chapter - 2013 Annual Report
Laos Chapter Summary - 2013 Annual…
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…
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,…
Sep 1, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As President Obama soon will visit Laos to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, the U.S. Commission on International…
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…
The report documents ASEAN’s and the Member States’ approaches to the freedom of religion or belief, underscores the religious freedom-related challenges in the region that transcend country borders, and emphasizes the strategic importance of robust U.S…
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…
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…
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…
Read the full report here.This report provides a country update on religious freedom conditions in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In 2016, the Lao government updated its regulation of religious freedom with the Decree on Management and Protection…
May 6, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Laos
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the…
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
Laos Chapter - 2019 Lao Translation
File Upload
Laos 2019_Lao translation.pdf
Language
Lao
Year
2019…
Title
2026 Annual Report - Kyrgyzstan Chapter
File Upload
USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Kyrgyzstan.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…
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)…
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…
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.
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: Laos
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Laws
Recommendation:Urge the Lao government to Amend Decree 315 in order to clarify administrative procedures and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Laos
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Funding
Recommendation:Support programs that increase understanding and awareness of Lao government policies and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Laos
Recommended To: U.S. Congress
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Diplomacy
Recommendation:Send regular congressional delegations to Laos and hold hearings focused on religious freedom and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Laos
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: IVLP
Recommendation:The United States should provide more opportunities through IVLP for Lao government officials and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Laos
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Funding
Recommendation:U.S. government increase support for such programs in order to build upon the recent improvements…
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,…
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…
Laos’ Decree 315 Factsheet – This factsheet assesses the religious freedom implications of Decree 315, the implementation of the decree, as well as the ongoing internal review conducted by the government of Laos. Issued in 2016, Decree 315 was an…
Sep 16, 2021
USCIRF Releases Factsheet on Laos’ Decree 315
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report highlighting the religious freedom implications of Laos’ Decree on…
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 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…
Feb 9, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Concerns in Central Africa
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Religious Freedom Concerns in…
Across west and central Africa, escalating violence and abuses against Fulani Muslim civilians are negatively impacting religious freedom for many communities. Governments and state-backed forces in Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic…
Apr 27, 2023
USCIRF Releases New Report on Abuses against Fulani Muslim Civilians
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on abuses against Fulani Muslim civilians…
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…
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…
Jan 4, 2024
USCIRF Calls for Congressional Hearing after State Department Fails to Designate Nigeria and India as Countries of Particular Concern
Azerbaijan Added to State Department’s Special Watch List
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on…
May 1, 2024
USCIRF Releases 2024 Annual Report with New Recommendations for U.S. Policy
Highlights State of Religious Freedom Abroad after 25 Years of IRFA
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
Highlights from USCIRF’s 2024 Annual Report
Numbers-at-a-Glance
17 countries recommended for “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation
1 new country recommended for CPC designation
11 countries recommended for the State Department’s “Special…
Four years after USCIRF’s 2020 publication on the global persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, countries continue to prosecute and impose harsh penalties on the community for their religious beliefs and peaceful religious activities. Hundreds of Jehovah’s…
Nov 22, 2024
USCIRF Releases Report on Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following report:
Religious Freedom Challenges for Jehovah’s…
Central Asian governments’ legislation, including extremism laws, has been influenced by decades of Soviet rule of the region. When the governments of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan enforce extremism laws, they…
Dec 31, 2024
USCIRF Releases Report on the Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report:
The Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia –…
Jan 31, 2025
USCIRF Alarmed by Regressive Amendments to Kyrgyz Laws
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) decries recent amendments to the religion law and related legislation in Kyrgyzstan. The…
Mar 25, 2025
USCIRF Releases 2025 Annual ReportWashington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released its 2025 Annual Report. The report documents religious freedom conditions in 2024 and recommends policy…
Highlights from USCIRF’s 2025 Annual ReportNumbers-at-a-Glance16 countries recommended for “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation12 countries recommended for the State Department’s “Special Watch List” (SWL)7 entities recommended…
May 30, 2025
The governments of Central Asia—that is Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—influenced by decades of Soviet rule, maintain similar legislation to combat “extremism.” Each of these governments uses these laws…
Jul 8, 2025
USCIRF Sent a Delegation to Kyrgyzstan to Assess Religious FreedomWashington, DC – United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chair Vicky Hartzler and Vice Chair Asif Mahmood led a delegation to Kyrgyzstan in late…
Sep 25, 2025
Congress Takes Encouraging, Bipartisan Steps on International Religious Freedom Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the introduction of H.Res 738. This resolution demonstrates…
On September 9, 2025, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a hearing: Laws Regulating Religion in Central Asia. USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler and Vice Chair Asif Mahmood led the hearing. Members of civil society…
In June 2025, a USCIRF delegation traveled to Kyrgyzstan to meet with civil society and government officials to discuss religious freedom conditions, including the passage of the 2025 religion law and amendments to related legislation. These legislative…
Oct 24, 2025
New Religion Law in Kyrgyzstan Marks the Deterioration of Religious FreedomWashington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Kyrgyzstan:Kyrgyzstan…
Dec 30, 2025
In June 2025, USCIRF commissioners traveled to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to assess religious freedom conditions. During the delegation, USCIRF confirmed that both governments continue to arbitrarily apply a broad and vague legislative…
Apr 17, 2026
In Central Asia, independent media plays an essential role in shedding light on freedom of religion of belief (FoRB) violations. As a result, Central Asian governments attempt to silence independent journalists and bloggers to conceal…