Displaying results 1 - 10 of 10

The Hill: Central African Republic turns a blind eye to the persecution of Muslim minority
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…
USCIRF Raises Alarm about Speech Laws that Restrict Religious Freedom in More than Half of African Countries
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  …
The Globe Post: Central Africans Should Not be Denied Their Right to Vote Based on Their Faith
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,…
Factsheet: Nonbelievers in Africa
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…
The Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia
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…
USCIRF Releases Report on the Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia
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 –…
USCIRF Alarmed by Regressive Amendments to Kyrgyz Laws
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…
The Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia
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…
Central Asia Hearing Summary
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…
Kyrgyzstan Country Update
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…