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December 13, 2013
December 12, 2013USCIRF Co-Chair Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett testified before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at a hearing entitled “Iran’s Persecution of American Pastor Abedini Worsens.”
Click here to view the full written testimony.
October 28, 2015
USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George testified on October 27, 2015 before Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at a hearing titled "The Global Crisis of Religious Freedom,"Read Testimony before the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee Of the House Foreign Affairs Committee On The Global Crisis of Religious Freedom & Its Challenge to U.S. Foreign Policy
Subcommittee Hearing: The Global Crisis of Religious Freedom (EventID=104112)
July 09, 2019
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
March 18, 2013
March 15, 2013USCIRF Chair, Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett testified on March 15, 2013 before theTom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing on "The Worsening Plight of Religious Minorities in Iran."
Click here to view the full written testimony.
July 12, 2017
USCIRF Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee testified on July 12, 2017 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing titled: "Tibet: Freedom of Religion." Commissioner Dorjee is the first Tibetan Buddhist appointed to serve on USCIRF and was smuggled out of Tibet as a child after the Chinese Communist forces invaded.In his testimony Commissioner Dorjee discussed his personal story of fleeing Tibet and the Chinese government's repression of Tibetan Buddhists, including the demolition of the Larung Gar Buddhist academy and the detention of religious prisoners of conscience. Commissioner Dorjee also provided recommendations to the U.S. Congress and Administration.
Click here to read Commissioner Dorjee's testimony
Click here to watch the hearing
Click here to see the USCIRF 2017 Annual Report chapter on China (in English)
Click here to see the USCIRF 2017 Annual Report chapter on China (in Chinese)
February 15, 2018
On February 14, 2018, Commissioner Dorjee testified before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China on religious freedom violations in Tibet.Written Testimony
Oral Statement
Video Recording of the Hearing
September 28, 2018
On September 27, 2018, then Chair Tenzin Dorjee testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations at a hearing entitled, "China's War on Christianity and Other Religious Faiths.".
In his testimony, Chair Dorjee discussed USCIRF's Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project.
Written Testimony
Video Recording of the Hearing
October 22, 2013
April 23, 2013
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 write today on behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to respectfully urge that the United States raise questions about violations of religious freedom and related human rights in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Bangladesh during the sixteenth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) scheduled for April 2013. The United States also should ensure that these issues are included in the recommendations that result from the UPR. The UPR forum provides a unique opportunity to shine a light on the violations of religious freedom in these countries and to encourage these nations" governments to comply with international norms.
The U.S. State Department has officially identified the government of Uzbekistan as one of the world's worst violators of religious freedom, since its 2006 designation as a "country of particular concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act for perpetrating or tolerating systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations. Similarly poor conditions exist in Turkmenistan, a country USCIRF repeatedly has recommended be designated a CPC. Regarding Russia, USCIRF has placed Russia on our Watch List since 2009 due to the nature and extent of the religious freedom violations perpetrated or tolerated by the government of that country. USCIRF also has monitored conditions in Azerbaijan and Bangladesh.
Specific concerns identified by USCIRF include:
Uzbekistan: The Uzbek government harshly penalizes individuals for independent religious activity regardless of their religious affiliation. A restrictive religion law facilitates state control over all religious communities, particularly the majority Muslim community, but also Christian and other non-Muslim religious groups. The government arrests Muslims and represses individuals, groups, and mosques that do not conform to officially-prescribed practices or that it claims are associated with extremist political programs. Thousands of individuals remain imprisoned as alleged extremists, including many who reportedly are denied due process and subjected to torture. While Uzbekistan does face security threats from groups that advocate or perpetrate violence in the name of religion, vague anti-extremism laws are applied against many Muslims and others who pose no credible threat to security.
Turkmenistan: Severe religious freedom violations have persisted in Turkmenistan for years, and USCIRF has recommended CPC designation since 2000. Despite a few limited reforms undertaken by President Berdimuhamedov after he took office in 2007, the country's laws, policies, and practices continue to violate international human rights norms, including those on freedom of religion or belief. Police raids and other harassment of registered and unregistered religious groups continue. The repressive 2003 religion law remains in force, causing major difficulties for religious groups to function legally. Turkmen law does not allow a civilian alternative to military service and nine Jehovah's Witnesses are currently imprisoned for conscientious objection.
Russia: Over the past year, religious freedom conditions in Russia deteriorated further, along with associated rights of freedom of speech and association. Concerns include the application of laws on religious and non-governmental organizations to violate the rights of allegedly "non-traditional” religious groups and Muslims; the use of the extremism law against religious groups and individuals not known to use or advocate violence, particularly Jehovah"s Witnesses and readers of Turkish Muslim theologian Said Nursi; intolerance of religious groups deemed "alien” to Russian culture; and the government's failure to adequately address xenophobia, including anti-Semitism, which results in sometimes lethal hate crimes. In addition, an arsenal of restrictive new laws against civil society was passed in 2012, and a draft blasphemy bill before the Duma, would, if passed, further curtail the freedoms of religion, belief and expression.
Azerbaijan: Despite the government's claims of official tolerance, religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan have deteriorated over the past few years. During 2012, religious organizations were closed and non-violent religious activity was punished with detentions, fines and other penalties. The Azeri government applied the repressive religion law adopted in 2009 that curtails a range of religious activities. The religion law was amended in 2010 and 2011 to increase penalties for religion law violations. Unregistered religious activity is illegal and the activities of registered groups are tightly regulated.
Bangladesh: While over the past year Bangladesh continued to take positive steps in rectifying past religious freedom violations, non-state actors targeted religious minorities, such as Buddhists, Ahmadis, and Hindus, with impunity in 2012 and 2013. The government was slow to respond to violence targeting Hindus after the February 2013 conviction and death sentence by hanging by the country's International War Crimes Tribunal of a Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Delawar Hossain Sayedee. Over 80 individuals died, and dozens of temples, shrines, homes and businesses were burned down.
The UPR process offers a unique opportunity for U.S. representatives to ask hard questions of these nations, whose records on religious freedom and related human rights are profoundly troubling. We urge the United States to take the lead in raising these important issues at the UPR, as well as encouraging likeminded countries to do the same. Doing so would publicly reaffirm that the promotion of religious freedom remains a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy and a concern to the international community.
Sincerely,
Katrina Lantos Swett
Chair
June 18, 2015
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom sent the following letter to Secretary Kerry on June 18, 2015.
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
I write to you on behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to respectfully urge that the United States raise questions about violations of religious freedom and related human rights in China during the seventh session of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED). Until the regular schedule of the Human Rights Dialogue resumes, the S&ED is the most significant bilateral mechanism through which the United States can raise issues regarding freedom of religion or belief in China.
USCIRF was pleased to see the recent Department of State press statement issued on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests noting the continuing human rights abuses in China. USCIRF agrees that the Chinese government must do more to uphold its international commitments. Increasingly China sees itself as a leader in the global community of nations, yet continues to bristle when other nations like the United States encourage needed human rights improvements that would bring the country’s policies more in line with internationally agreed standards. Despite these objections, or perhaps because of them, the United States must remain steadfast in pressing the Chinese government to honor human rights.
When it comes to religious freedom, there is no shortage of examples that need urgently to be addressed. In the name of fighting terrorism, Chinese officials at the central and regional levels have increased religious repression of Uighur Muslims, most recently cracking down yet again on this beleaguered community’s right to carry out religious practices and activities during Ramadan. Heavy-handed and indiscriminate measures such as these targeting Uighur Muslims have contributed to a dramatic increase in harassment, arrests, and overall violence. Tibetan Buddhists also have experienced harsher policies in recent years. Last month’s 20-year anniversary of the disappearance of the Panchen Lama was a stark reminder of the Chinese government’s long-standing vilification not just of the Dalai Lama, but of the entire Tibetan Buddhist population and faith. Sadly, the corresponding number of self-immolations among this community continues to rise in response to the repressive hands of the government.
In 2014, Chinese Protestants and Catholics experienced religious freedom violations markedly more severe than at any time in recent memory. The Chinese government’s unprecedented and deliberate interference, harassment, and demolition of religious structures targeted both unregistered and registered churches, as well as clergy and laypeople. In a new and disturbing development, the government began striking out at house church pastors and religious practitioners by labeling individuals as “cult” leaders, and it continues to name groups like Falun Gong as “evil cults.” The general climate of repression of human rights defenders, civil society activists, journalists, and academics is just as bleak, and the number of prisoners of conscience continues to grow.
The S&ED offers a valuable opportunity for U.S. representatives to press China for reform, as its record on religious freedom and related human rights remains profoundly troubling. We respectfully urge the U.S. delegation to privately and publicly raise these important issues in the S&ED, including, as appropriate, calling for the release of prisoners of conscience. Doing so would reaffirm that the promotion of religious freedom remains a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy with China and lay the groundwork to similarly express these concerns when China’s President Xi Jinping makes an expected visit to the United States in September this year.
Sincerely,
Robert P. George
Chairman