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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,…
...that the Eritrean government, one of the most repressive governments in the world where a recent coup attempt just failed, has placed Eritrean Orthodox Church Patriarch Abune Antonios under house arrest since January 2006?Eritrea has been called the…
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 20, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
May 20, 2013| By William Shaw and M. Zuhdi Jasser , and Azizah al-Hibri
When President Obama meets with President Thein Sein of Myanmar (Burma) today, he should emphasize…
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…
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…
Jul 22, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 22, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- USCIRF urges President Obama to raise concerns about religious freedom violations in Vietnam when he meets at the White House with Vietnamese…
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,…
Click here to view the August 2013 Policy Brief, Burma: Implications of Religious and Ethnic Violence
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…
Jan 28, 2014
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
January 27, 2014 | By Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in The Hill on January 27, 2014.
I testified before the Congressional Tom Lantos Human…
USCIRF Commissioner Eric P. Schwartz testified before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing entitled "The Persecution of Religious and Indigenous Communities in Vietnam."
Click here to view the full written testimony…
Jun 11, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2014 | USCIRF
Washington, D.C. – The draft of the ill-advised “Religious Conversion Law” which Burma’s parliament released for public comment would further restrict religious…
Aug 23, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 23, 2014 | USCIRF
Statement of Commissioners M. Zuhdi Jasser and Eric P. Schwartz upon completing a five-day visit to Burma.
This is our first Commissioner-level visit to the…
Click here to view the September 2014 Factsheet: Burma: USCIRF Examines Religious Freedom Violations During Fact-finding Trip to Burma
USCIRF’s report, “Burma: Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights Violations are Hindering Broader Reforms,” reflects findings from a Commissioner-level visit in August 2014. In the report released in November, USCIRF urges the U.S.…
Oct 6, 2014
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONOctober 6, 2014 | By M. Zuhdi Jasser and Hannah Rosenthal
The following op-ed appeared in The Detroit News on October 4, 2014.
On Saturday we will witness a confluence of two holy days of…
Click here to view USCIRF's report, Burma: USCIRF Issues Report on Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights Violations.
Nov 10, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 10, 2014 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the face of escalating violations worldwide of religious freedom, an initiative that the U.S. Commission on International…
Jan 20, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 20, 2015 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This January marks the eighth anniversary of the illegal removal of Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch Abune Antonios from his position as head of the…
Jan 22, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2015 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the package of race and religion bills that Burma’s parliament is…
Aug 18, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONAugust 18, 2015 | Robert P. George and Thomas J. Reese
The following op-ed appeared in The Christian Science Monitor on August 18, 2015
Is Eritrea guilty of crimes against humanity?
The question…
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…
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…
Nov 13, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 13, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls on the government of Burma to protect religious and ethnic minorities during the post-…
Jan 19, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2016
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) solemnly marks the 10 year anniversary tomorrow of the illegal removal and detention of Eritrean…
Feb 19, 2016
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
February 19, 2016 | Thomas J. Reese and Mary Ann Glendon
The following op-ed appeared in the America Magazine on February 19, 2016
Religion in Vietnam today looks markedly…
Apr 14, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sends warm New Year’s greetings to the people of Burma and urges the new government…
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,…
USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. testified on July 15, 2016 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing titled "Blasphemy Laws and Censorship by States and Non-State Actors: Examining Global Threats to Freedom of Expression."
From the…
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…
Nov 10, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 10, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the 10th anniversary of the State Department’s removal of Vietnam’s designation as a “country of particular concern” (or CPC), the U.S. Commission on…
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…
Click here to view the English versionClick here to view the Burmese version
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has monitored religious freedom conditions in Burma (also known as Myanmar) since the Commission first began…
English version Burmese version
Each year since 1999, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Burma as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for its systematic,…
Dec 13, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released…
December 13, 2016
USCIRF at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. publicly released two reports highlighting Burma’s serious religious freedom challenges: Hidden Plight: Christian Minorities in Burma and Suspended in Time: The…
Jan 18, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 20, 2017 marks the 11-year anniversary of the Eritrean government’s illegal removal of Abune Antonios as the rightful Patriarch of the…
Click here to view Religious Freedom in Vietnam: Assessing the Country of Particular Concern Designation 10 Years After its RemovalClick here to view the Vietnamese translation of Religious Freedom in Vietnam: Assessing the Country of Particular…
Feb 8, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released Religious Freedom in Vietnam: Assessing the Country of Particular…
May 15, 2017
Commissioner Jackie Wolcott sent the following letter to Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh and Mrs. Tran Thi Hong on May 15, 2017.Click here to view the Vietnamese translation of the letter.
May 15, 2017…
Jul 19, 2017
The following op-ed originally appeared in Religion News Service on July 19, 2017
By former USCIRF Commissioner Thomas J. Reese, S.J.
(RNS) — Stories speak to the best and worst in all of us,…
Jul 28, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2017
VIETNAM: Religious Prisoner of Conscience Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh Released
USCIRF Urges the United States to Continue Raising Religious Freedom with Vietnam
WASHINGTON…
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…
Oct 11, 2017
USCIRF Vice Chairwoman Kristina Arriaga Testifies Before the House Oversight Committee
Arriaga tells Members that religious freedom violations “have security implications for the United States"
…
Oct 19, 2017
The following op-ed appeared in The Washington Examiner on September 26, 2017
By former USCIRF Commissioner Thomas J. Reese
Torture. Arbitrary arrests and detention without charges. A ban…
Oral StatementAS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
Commissioner Thomas Reese, S.J.
U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom
Vietnam Caucus/Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Briefing on Religious Freedom in Vietnam
October 24, 2017
AS PREPARED FOR…
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,…
Click here to view the April 2018 Country Update, Burma: Insights from USCIRF’s Visits to Burma and Bangladesh
On April 18, 2018, Commissioner Father Thomas Reese testified before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing on the refugee crisis in Eritrea.In his testimony, Chair Reese discussed USCIRF's Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project.…
Oct 9, 2018
This op-ed originally appeared in The Christian Post on September 18, 2018.
By Tenzin Dorjee and Nadine Maenza
It has been more than a year since Burmese authorities began a brutal campaign…
Oct 23, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 23, 2018
Vice Chair Arriaga Expresses Concern About Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ
“I am especially concerned about Thích Quảng Độ’s wellbeing because he will turn 90 on November 27…
Oct 31, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 31, 2018
Burma Not Safe for Returning Rohingyas, Warns USCIRF
WASHINGTON, DC — Responding to the recent announcement by the governments of Burma and Bangladesh that…
Dec 3, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2018
USCIRF Presses for Targeted Sanctions for Atrocities Committed Against Burma’s Rohingya Muslims and Other Religious and Ethnic Communities
Call comes days before…
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:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
Yes…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
Yes…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
Yes…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Orthodox
Reports of Medical Neglect:
Yes…
Jun 24
WHEN:
Jun 24th 6:59pm…
Host: Anurima Bhargava, Commissioner
Country Expert: Tina Mufford, Deputy Director of Research and Policy
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 18, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2019
USCIRF Responds to Travel Ban on Burmese Military Officials
WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, the State Department designated four Burmese military leaders as…
Aug 23, 2019
USCIRF Statement on UN Report of “Genocidal Intent” by Burmese Military in Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Muslims and Others
WASHINGTON, DC -- In response to a report released yesterday by United…
Aug 23, 2019
This op-ed was originally published by Inter Press Service, on August 26, 2019.
By Nadine Maenza and Anurima Bhargava
Monsoon season is currently wreaking havoc on the more than 911,000 Rohingya refugees displaced…
Jul 24
WHEN:
Jul 24th 1:00pm
-
Jul 24th 1:00pm…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Wengel Mermera Central Criminal Investigation Interrogation Center
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Wengel Mermera Central Criminal Investigation Interrogation Center
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Wengel Mermera Central Criminal Investigation Interrogation Center
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Wengel Mermera Central Criminal Investigation Interrogation Center
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant…
Additional Name(s):
Bùi Văn Trung
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Vietnam
Ethnic Group:
Kinh
Religion or Belief:
Buddhist – Hoa Hao…
Additional Name(s):
Bùi Văn Thâm
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Vietnam
Ethnic Group:
Kinh
Religion or Belief:
Buddhist – Hoa Hao…
Additional Name(s):
Nguyễn Hoàng Nam
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Vietnam
Ethnic Group:
Kinh
Religion or Belief:
Buddhist – Hoa Hao…
Additional Name(s):
Lê Thị Hồng Hạnh
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Vietnam
Ethnic Group:
Kinh
Religion or Belief:
Buddhist – Hoa Hao…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Mai Serwa Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Mai Serwa Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Mai Serwa Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Mai Serwa Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Mai Serwa Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Adi Abeto Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Mai Serwa Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
Mai Serwa Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
Mai Serwa Prison
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Eritrea
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Reports of Torture:
No…