Displaying results 1 - 100 of 289

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 November 13, 2001 Contact: Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent government agency advising the…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8, 2002 Contact: Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27 WASHINGTON - The upcoming visit of Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov affords President Bush and the Secretary of State the…
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…
...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…
. . . that Uzbekistan pressures neighboring Central Asian countries to return asylum seekers who have fled Uzbek government repression of their religious freedoms?Since Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991, its government has systematically and…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
May 13, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 13, 2015 | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Andijon massacre.  On May 13, 2005, as…
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…
Dec 10, 2015 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONDecember 10, 2015 | Mary Ann Glendon and Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in The National Interest on December 10, 2015 December 10 marks Human Rights Day, the sixty-seventh…
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,…
Aug 30, 2016 FOR YOUR INFORMATION August 30, 2016 | Daniel I. Mark and Sandra Jolley The following op/ed appeared in Religion News Service on August 30, 2016   (RNS) Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was a 6-year-old boy when he…
Dec 9, 2016 The following op-ed appeared in Religion New Service on December 9, 2016 By former USCIRF Commissioners Kristina Arriaga and John Ruskay   Pwint Phyu Latt is a Muslim peace activist in Burma who sought to…
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 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: Uzbekistan Ethnic Group: Armenian Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other Reports of…
Additional Name(s): Ruhiddin Fahrutdinov, Ruhiddin Fazlitdinovich Fahrutdinov Gender: Male Perpetrator: Uzbekistan Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni…
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…
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  …
Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Read the full report here.This report provides an assessment of religious freedom conditions in Uzbekistan, where USCIRF commissioners and staff traveled twice over the course of 2019. Although Uzbekistan has taken some important initial steps to allow…
Jan 31, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 31, 2020   USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Uzbekistan   Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
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 7, 2020 This op-ed originally appeared on Newsweek By USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins and Vice Chair Gayle Manchin.  From the coronavirus pandemic to the use of surveillance, freedom of religion or belief…
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…
Jul 9, 2020 This op-ed originally appears in The Diplomat, on July 9, 2020. By USCIRF Commissioners Nadine Maenza and Nury Turkel For many years, Uzbekistan presented a bleak picture in a region notorious for poor human…
Jul 17, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USCIRF Releases Report on the Anti-cult Movement and Religious Regulation in Russia and Central Asia Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
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…
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,…
Additional Name(s): Khayrullo Turdiyevich Tursunov Gender: Male Current Location: Investigation Prison No. 5 in Karshi (Shaykhali Prison) Perpetrator: Uzbekistan…
Title 2023 Annual Report - Central African Republic Chapter File Upload Central African Republic (CAR).pdf Language English Year…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Uzbekistan Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Uzbekistan.pdf Language English Year…
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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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…
Additional Name(s): Annamurad Atdayev, Атдаев Аннамурад Нурмухаммедович, Atdaýew Annamyrat Nurmuhammedowiç Gender: Male Perpetrator: Turkmenistan Ethnic Group: Turkmen…
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)…
Oct 30, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   USCIRF Welcomes Legal Reform Efforts in Uzbekistan, Urges Conformity with International Standards WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
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…
Jan 22, 2021       Targeting of religious minorities in Russia, mass atrocities in China, Nigeria as a country of particular concern, and Antisemitism on the rise worldwide. The events of 2020 cast a long…
Mar 11, 2021 There have been notable improvements to religious freedom conditions in Uzbekistan in recent years. The government’s ongoing effort to revise the restrictive 1998 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious…
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…
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…
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: Uzbekistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Thematic Area: Religious Prisoners of Conscience Recommendation:Press for at the highest levels and work to secure…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Uzbekistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Thematic Area: Religious Prisoners of Conscience Recommendation:Urge the Uzbek government to close the notorious…
Status: partially_implemented Year: Country: Uzbekistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Work with the Uzbek government to revise the 1998 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Uzbekistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Establish a binding agreement with the Uzbek government, as authorized under section 405(c) of IRFA, on…
Status: implemented Year: Country: Uzbekistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Thematic Area: Religious Prisoners of Conscience Recommendation:Press at the highest levels for the immediate release…
Status: partially_implemented Year: Country: Uzbekistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Work with the government of Uzbekistan to revise the 1998 religion law to comply with international…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Uzbekistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Maintain Uzbekistan on the State Department’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Uzbekistan Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Allocate funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. Embassy in Tashkent to…