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Hearings on Religious Persecution in Sudan
February 15, 2000
(Note: These are unedited and uncorrected transcripts)
Commission members (left to right) Firuz Kazemzadeh, Nina Shea, Executive Director Steven McFarland, Chair David Saperstein, Vice…
Jan 15, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJanuary 14, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett
The following appeared in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs on January 14, 2013.
Former Soviet prisoner and refusenik Natan Sharansky,…
Jan 16, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 16, 2013| By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- USCIRF today called for the immediate release of Saeed Abedeni, an Iranian-American pastor reportedly awaiting a January 21 trial on trumped-up…
Jan 28, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 28, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "The trial and conviction of Pastor Abedini represent an outrageous miscarriage of justice and yet one more damning piece of evidence pointing to…
...that Sudan repeatedly has used its apostasy law over the past two years against Christians and Muslims?Apostasy is the formal abandonment, or renunciation, of a religious faith. Under Article 126 of Sudan’s 1991 Criminal Act, apostasy from Islam is…
Mar 13, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 13, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) yesterday met with family members of Baha'is unjustly imprisoned in Iran. These family…
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…
…that Nowruz, the Persian or Iranian New Year, will be celebrated on March 21?Nowruz marks the beginning of the year in the Iranian calendar during which families and friends in Iran and other countries in the Middle East, Central Asia, and other parts of…
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 14, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONMay 14, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett
The following was published in the Washington Post, On Faith on May 14, 2013.
Fifteen years ago, on May 14, 1998, U.S. House of Representatives voted in…
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…
May 30, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONMay 30, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett
Editor"s note: Katrina Lantos Swett is the chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The views expressed reflect those of USCIRF and…
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs--Iran v. Its People: Abuses Against Religious Minorities
Jun 25, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATION6/20/2013|By Katrina Lantos Swett
The following appaeared in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs on June 20, 2013
In an increasingly volatile world, few threats to peace compare…
Jun 26, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJune 26, 2013 |By Katrina Lantos Swett
Editor"s note: Katrina Lantos Swett is the chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The views expressed are the writer"s own.
The…
...that approximately 500,000 South Sudanese in Sudan are stateless?The status of South Sudanese in Sudan became precarious after South Sudan achieved independence on July 9, 2011. While South Sudan has offered citizenship to Sudanese residents, the…
Sep 23, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 23, 2013 | By USCIRF
Religious Freedom: Iran's Litmus Test
Washington, D.C. - On the eve of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's first ever address to the United Nations General Assembly…
The Christian Science Monitor -- JFK's call for religious freedom can transform places like Pakistan
Nov 8, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 7, 2013 | By Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in the Christian Science Monitor on November 7, 2013.
As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of…
Click here to view the November 2013 Policy Brief,Sudan's Enduring Question: The Role of Shari'ah in the Constitution and Law
The Sudanese government’s imposition of Shari’ah countrywide in 1983, including on the predominantly animist and Christian South, significantly contributed to the onset of Sudan’s 20 year North-South civil war. Today, concerns about Shari’ah being central…
Nov 27, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 26, 2013 | By Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in the Washington Times on November 25, 2013.
WASHINGTON,November 24, 2013 - Earlier this fall, a Sudanese business owner and…
Dec 3, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONDecember 2, 2013 | By Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in the Providence Journal on November 30, 2013.
Washington - As the nation celebrates Thanksgiving, Jewish Americans are also…
Dec 11, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
December 11, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon
The following op-ed appeared in Reuters & the Chicago Tribune on December 10, 2013.
December 10 marks Human Rights Day,…
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…
Dec 31, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONDecember 30, 2013 | By Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in Real Clear World on December 28, 2013.
December 28, 2013 - With the approach of a new year comes the hope of peace…
May 16, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 16, 2014 | USCIRF
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the death sentence against Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a Sudanese Christian woman…
Jun 25, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 25, 2014 | USCIRF
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is gravely concerned about the Sudanese government’s arrest of Meriam Ibrahim Ishag on document…
USCIRF Vice Chair Dr. Zuhdi Jasser testified on July 23 before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at a hearing entitled “The Troubling Case of Meriam…
Nov 10, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 10, 2014 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two anniversaries this month highlight the importance of continually confronting and combatting anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it arises.…
Mar 18, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 18, 2015 | USCIRF
Washington, D.C. – As the Iranian government prepares to respond on March 19 to recommendations made during the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) Universal Periodic Review…
May 28, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONMay 28, 2015 | Katrina Lantos Swett & Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in Deseret News on May 28, 2015
“We do not jail people for their opinions.”
So insisted Iranian Foreign…
Jun 1, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 1, 2015
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the continuing prosecution of Rev. Yat Michael and Rev. Peter Reith who face the death…
Aug 3, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 3, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) this week marks the two-year anniversary of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s assumption of…
Aug 6, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 6, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom welcomes yesterday’s release from detention of Rev. Yat Michael Ruot and Rev. Peter Yein Reith. Rev.…
Sep 22, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 22, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) marks the three-year anniversary of the imprisonment in Iran of Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-…
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…
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…
Dec 21, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 21, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the Sudanese government for charging 25 Muslims with apostasy and public…
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,…
May 13, 2016
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
May 13, 2016 | Robert P. George and Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op/ed appeared in Religion News Service on May 13, 2016
(RNS) The eighth anniversary this Saturday (May 14) of…
Oct 27, 2016
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
October 27, 2016 | By Thomas J. Reese, S.J. and Daniel Mark
The following op-ed appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on October 27, 2016
Abdul Shakoor is a member of the…
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…
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…
Dec 23, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The UN General Assembly on December 19 passed its 14th consecutive resolution which included a condemnation of the Iranian government’s actions against the…
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…
May 12, 2017
The following op-ed appeared in The Wall Street Journal on May 11, 2017
By former USCIRF Commissioner Kristina Arriaga
What will Iran’s May 19 presidential election mean for the Baha’i, the country’s…
May 26, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2017
IRAN: Release Maryam Naghash Zargaran
Commissioner Cliff May Says Religious Prisoners of Conscience “Should be honored for their contributions to society rather…
Jun 22, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2017
SUDAN: USCIRF Urges Secretary of State to Maintain Sanctions
“Sudan has not shown sufficient progress on allowing greater religious freedom”
WASHINGTON, D.C. –…
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom sent the following letter to Secretary Tillerson on May 30, 2017. Click here to read a PDF version of the letter.
The Honorable Rex Tillerson
Secretary of State
2201 C Street, NW…
Aug 10, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2017
IRAN: Religious Prisoner of Conscience Maryam Naghash Zargaran Released
Case Exemplifies Iran’s “Flagrant Disregard for Religious Freedom”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The…
Sep 20, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 20, 2017
IRAN: Mahvash Sabet, Religious Prisoner of Conscience, Released
USCIRF Vice Chairwoman Arriaga cites Sabet’s “courage in the face of persecution and dedication to her faith”…
Oct 7, 2017
USCIRF Chairman Mark says “Sudan is an egregious violator of religious freedom”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is disappointed by the decision to permanently…
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,…
Feb 23, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 23, 2018
USCIRF Concerned by Denial of Lautenberg Refugees from Iran
“These refugees face the imminent danger of return to Iran, where the already dire situation for religious…
Aug 1, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2018
USCIRF Condemns Detentions of Iranian House Church Pastor and Congregants
Chair Dorjee said, “Pastor Nadarkhani and his fellow church members should be immediately…
Aug 27, 2018
This op-ed originally appeared in The Globe Post on September 18, 2018.
By former Commission Chair Daniel Mark
Hamed bin Haydara, a leader of the Baha’i faith in Yemen, has been imprisoned…
Oct 10, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10, 2018
Open Letter from USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza to Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
Click here to read the Farsi translation of the letter
October 2018
Washington, D.C…
Oct 24, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2018
Vice Chair Manchin Adopts Two Religious Prisoners of Conscience
“…concrete examples of the Iranian regime’s abysmal treatment of those who seek to exercise their…
Nov 28, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2018
USCIRF Calls for Release of Iranian Prisoner of Conscience Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee
USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin calls for Iraee’s release on the International Day for…
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…
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…
Dec 21, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 21, 2018
Open Letter from USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin to Mohammad Ali Taheri
Washington, D.C. –
Mohammad Ali Taheri,
I am writing to you in my capacity as the Vice…
Jan 25, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2019
USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin Calls for Immediate Release of Iranian Prisoner of Conscience Mohammad Ali Taheri
WASHINGTON, DC – Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair of the…
Jan 28, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28, 2019
USCIRF Denounces Violence Against Demonstrators in Sudan
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is concerned…
Mar 11, 2019
USCIRF Commissioner Andy Khawaja Adopts Religious Prisoner of Conscience Robert Levinson
12th Anniversary Passes for Missing American Who Disappeared in Iran
WASHINGTON, DC – Andy Khawaja, Commissioner…
Additional Name(s):
جمالالدین خانجانی
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Evin Prison
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í…
Additional Name(s):
Golrokh Ebrahimi-Irayi, گلرخ ابراهیمی ایرایی
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
Evin Prison, Tehran
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group…
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 18, 2019
For Immediate Release June 18, 2019
USCIRF Encouraged by Appointment of Special Envoy to Sudan, Urges Close Scrutiny of Religious Freedom During Transition
Washington, DC -- In response to an…
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 16, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 2019
USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin Calls on Iran to Cease Harassment and Threats Against Prisoner of Conscience Mohammad Ali Taheri
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States…
Jul 25, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2019
USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza Calls for Release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
WASHINGTON, DC – Nadine Maenza, Vice Chair of the United States Commission…
Additional Name(s):
Vahid Roghangir, محمد روغنگیر
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group:
Fars
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant…
Additional Name(s):
Yousef Nadarkhani, یوسف ندرخانی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group:
Fars
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant…
Additional Name(s):
سوادا آغاسر
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group:
Armenian
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Orthodox…
Additional Name(s):
Majid Reza Souzanchi Kashan, مجیدرضا سوزنچی کاشانی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant…
Additional Name(s):
پژمان شهریاری
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group:
Fars
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í…
Additional Name(s):
محبوب حبیبی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group:
Fars
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í…
Additional Name(s):
فرزاد همایونی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group:
Fars
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í…
Additional Name(s):
عادل نعیمی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í
Health Concerns:
Diabetes, Hypertension…
Additional Name(s):
آزیتا رفیعزاده
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í
Reports of Torture:…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í
Health Concerns:
Heart, kidney, eye disease
Reports of Torture…
Additional Name(s):
منوچهر رحمانی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group:
Fars
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í…
Additional Name(s):
سهراب نقیپور
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Ethnic Group:
Fars
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í…
Additional Name(s):
نگین قدمیان
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í
Health Concerns:
Dental issues…
Additional Name(s):
شهنام جذبانی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í
Reports of Torture:
Yes…
Additional Name(s):
Vahed Kholousi Derakkshan, واحد خلوصی درخشان
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Bahá`í…
Additional Name(s):
سعید گودرزی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture…
Additional Name(s):
محسن عزیزی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture:…
Additional Name(s):
حیدر تیموری
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture…
Additional Name(s):
رسول هویدا
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture:…
Additional Name(s):
جعفر احمدی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture:…
Additional Name(s):
اردشیر عشایری
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture…
Additional Name(s):
مهدی کیوانلو
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture…
Additional Name(s):
احسان ملکمحمدی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture…
Additional Name(s):
مجید رشیدی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture:…
Additional Name(s):
علیاکبر داداشی
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Iran
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Sufi
Reports of Torture…