Displaying results 1 - 100 of 189

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…
Jul 8, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJuly 8, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett The following appeared in Eurasia Review on July 4th, 2013. Last Saturday, on June 29, I was honored to speak in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to the Ahmadiyya…
Nov 13, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 12, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon The following op-ed appeared in CNN World on November 12, 2013. Editor's note: Katrina Lantos Swett is Vice Chairwoman of…
USCIRF Vice Chair Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett testified on Friday, April 4 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission during a hearing entitled, "The Plight of Religious Minorities in India." Click here to view the full written testimony…
Feb 6, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 6, 2015 | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends President Obama for deepening relations with India while also recognizing…
Mar 3, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 3, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The Indian government today failed to issue visas to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in time for a long planned…
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…
Click here to view Constitutional and Legal Challenges Faced by Religious Minorities in India
Feb 8, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 8, 2017   WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report, Constitutional and Legal Challenges Faced by Religious Minorities in India, examines India’s constitution and national and state laws…
The full report may be found here.Summary of Findings The right to freely choose and change one’s religion is protected under international law, as is the right to manifest one’s beliefs through teaching those beliefs. While there is a right to propagate…
Dec 11, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2018   New USCIRF Report: Anti-Conversion Laws on the Rise in South Asia USCIRF Calls on U.S. to Press South Asian Governments to Rescind These Laws   WASHINGTON, DC –…
Jun 26, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 26, 2019 USCIRF Statement on Mob Lynching of Muslim Man in India WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the reported murder of Tabrez Ansari by a mob in the eastern state of Jharkhand in India…
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
Aug 27, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [AUGUST 27, 2019]   USCIRF Statement on Indian Government’s “Religious Test” for Muslims in Assam   WASHINGTON, DC – Residents of the northeastern Indian state of Assam face an August…
Jul 24 WHEN: Jul 24th 1:00pm - Jul 24th 1:00pm…
Jan 08 WHEN: Jan 8th 1:30pm…
Oct 1, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2019 On October 2, the world will commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In honor of Gandhi’s life and principles, United States Commission on International…
Click here to view the India Issue Brief.
Nov 19, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 19, 2019     Fate of Nearly 2 million in Assam, India Examined in New USCIRF Report   WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Dec 9, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2019 USCIRF Raises Serious Concerns and Eyes Sanctions Recommendations for Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in India, Which Passed Lower House Today WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission…
Feb 19, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  February 19, 2020   USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
Click here to view the February 2020 Factsheet on The Citizenship (Amendment) Act in IndiaIn December 2019, the Indian Parliament passed into law the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). This law provides a fast track to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim…
Apr 14, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 14, 2020 USCIRF Welcomes Indian Supreme Court Decision on Assam Detention Centers as a First Step Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: China Ethnic Group: Han Religion or Belief: Christian – Church of Almighty God Reports of…
Jul 20, 2020 This op-ed was originally published by The Washington Examiner, on July 20, 2020. By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins In Iraq, the 50th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces has…
Title 2026 Annual Report - India Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report India.pdf Language English Year 2026…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Kyrgyzstan Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Kyrgyzstan.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…
Nov 06 WHEN: Nov 6th 2:00pm…
Jul 25 WHEN: Jul 25th 5:00pm - Jul 25th 7:00pm…
Jul 16 WHEN: Jul 16th 4:00pm - Jul 18th 2:00pm…
Mar 04 WHEN: Mar 4th 2:30pm…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Ethnic Group: Tamil Religion or Belief: Christian – Catholic Health Concerns: Parkinson's disease,…
Click here to view the report Violating Rights: Enforcing the World’s Blasphemy Laws USCIRF’s groundbreaking report examines the enforcement of blasphemy laws worldwide. Blasphemy laws criminalize expressions that insults or offends religious doctrines.…
Dec 9, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: USCIRF Releases Groundbreaking Report on the Enforcement of Blasphemy Laws Globally WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a…
Feb 4, 2021   As the Biden administration begins to formulate its broader human rights policy, USCIRF highlights several priority countries when it comes to international religious freedom. Condemning and preventing…
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 27, 2021 Blasphemy laws criminalize expression that insults or offends religious doctrines. Such laws are often used to restrict freedom of religion or belief. As of 2020, 84 countries still had blasphemy laws. The severity…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Press the Indian government to allow a USCIRF delegation to visit the country and meet with stakeholders to…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Work with the Indian government to create a multiyear strategy to ebb the flow of hate crimes targeting…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Strengthening the training and capacity of state and central police to prevent and punish cases of religious…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Encouraging passage of the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to establish national and state…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Assisting the Ministry of Law and Justice to work with state prosecutors to increase the rate of prosecutions…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Increase the U.S. Embassy’s focus on religious freedom and related human rights through continued visits to…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Advocate for the Indian central government to ensure that the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act is not used…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Designate India as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating systematic,…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: Administration Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Strengthen the U.S. Embassy’s and consulates’ engagement with religious communities, local officials, and…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: Congress Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:The U.S. Congress should continue to hold hearings highlighting religious freedom conditions in India and U.S. policy toward…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Designate India as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating systematic,…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: Administration Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Impose targeted sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Advance human rights of all religious communities in India and promote religious freedom and dignity and…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: U.S. Department of State Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:Condemn ongoing religious freedom violations and support religious organizations and human rights groups being…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: India Recommended To: Congress Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report Recommendation:The U.S. Congress should continue to raise religious freedom concerns in the U.S.-India bilateral relationship and highlight…
Jul 7, 2021 USCIRF Condemns Death of Jesuit Priest Imprisoned in India Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemned in the strongest terms the deliberate neglect and…
Aug 19, 2021 We have seen a significant deterioration in religious freedom conditions in South Asia in recent years. Blasphemy cases, forced conversions, attacks on houses of worship, hate speech, and violence targeting…
Sep 2, 2021 For the past two years, USCIRF has recommended that India be designated a Country of Particular of Concern (CPC) by the State Department due the government’s promotion of Hindu nationalist policies resulting in…
Dec 07 WHEN: Dec 7th 10:00am - Dec 7th 11:00am…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Health Concerns: Depression, diabetes, anxiety, poor eyesight…
Gender: Male Current Location: Tihar Jail, Delhi Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: Yes Reports of…
Gender: Male Current Location: Tihar Jail, Delhi Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Gender: Female Current Location: Tihar Jail, Delhi Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Hindu Reports of Torture: No Reports of Medical Neglect:…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Hindu Reports of Torture: No Reports of Medical Neglect:…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Additional Name(s): Shifa ur-Rahman Gender: Male Current Location: Tihar Jail, Delhi Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Additional Name(s): Mohammad Umar Gautam Gender: Male Current Location: Lucknow Jail, Lucknow Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim –…
Additional Name(s): Qazi Jahageer Alam Qasmi Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Health Concerns: Pregnant Reports of…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Additional Name(s): Jam Singh Dindore, Jansingh Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant…
Additional Name(s): An Singh Ninama, Ann Singh Gender: Unspecified Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant…
Additional Name(s): Mangu Singh Gender: Unspecified Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant Reports…
Additional Name(s): Nandu Nathanael Singh Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Additional Name(s): Ramesh Vasunia Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other…
Additional Name(s): Kumtu Vasunia Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Gender: Unspecified Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Unspecified Caste: Dalit Reports of Torture: No…
Gender: Male Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other Reports of Torture: No Reports of…
Gender: Female Current Location: Bastar Perpetrator: India Religion or Belief: Adivasi Reports of Torture: No…
Apr 16, 2022 This op-ed was originally published by USA Today on April 16, 2022. By USCIRF Commissioners Jim Carr and Fred Davie The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has long advocated for the…
Apr 25, 2022 USCIRF Releases 2022 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. Policy  Recommends Afghanistan as Country of Particular Concern Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious…
View the 2022 Annual Report Highlights from USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report   Numbers-at-a-Glance 15 countries recommended for “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation 1 new country recommended for CPC designation 12…
Apr 25, 2022 This op-ed was originally published by The Hill on April 25, 2022. By USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza and Vice Chair Nury Turkel As the world is trying to resume some semblance of normalcy, it is abundantly clear that…
May 6, 2022 Since 2020, USCIRF has recommended that India be designated a Country of Particular of Concern, or CPC, due to the Indian government’s promotion of Hindu nationalism, and engagement and facilitation of systematic,…