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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2000 Contact: Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240 (202) 523-3240 (202) 523-3240 The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote Friday, July 28 to Secretary of State Madeleine…
Mar 15, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 14, 2013| By USCIRF WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today called for Saudi Arabia to release Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Dr. Abdullah bin…
Click here to view USCIRF's report, Promoting and Protecting Religuous Freedom in Syria .
Apr 19, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal agency created to monitor religious freedom abuses abroad and make policy recommendations to 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 16, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 16, 2013 | By USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C.- The two-year armed conflict in Syria has left at least 80,000 people dead and more than 5 million displaced. In his May 13, 2013 press conference with…
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…
Click here to view the July 2013 Factsheet: Syria’s Refugee Crisis and its Implications
Jul 26, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON D.C. -- The Kazakh government reportedly soon will try two activists for their religious freedom-related activities. Atheist blogger Aleksandr Kharlamov, 63, had been held for four…
Jul 31, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 31, 2013 | By USCIRF The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply concerned by reports that Raif Badawi, a Saudi website editor, was convicted and…
Sep 6, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONSeptember 5, 2013 | By Robert P. George and Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in The Hill on September 5, 2013. Last week, on August 26, Saudi Arabia's appointed Shura Council…
Sep 25, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATION September 20, 2013 | By Robert P. George The following op-ed appeared in the Christian Science Monitor on September 20, 2013. As the UN General Assembly begins its new session,…
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…
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,…
Jan 15, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 14, 2014| USCIRF The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today urged the U.S. government to emphasize the plight of religious minorities and the protection of…
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…
Mar 26, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 26, 2014 | USCIRF The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today urged President Obama during his visit to Saudi Arabia later this week to raise religious freedom…
Jan 9, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply disturbed by the news that a Saudi blogger, Raif Badawi, was publicly flogged 50 times today in…
Many countries around the world have laws that punish expression deemed blasphemous, defamatory of religion, or contemptuous or insulting to religion or religious symbols, figures, or feelings.  The application of these laws has resulted in…
Feb 27, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 27, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the abduction of more than 200 Assyrian Christians by militants of the…
Feb 27, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 27, 2015 | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expresses deep concern about reports this week in both Arabic and English language…
Mar 16, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 16, 2015 | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 15 marked the 4th anniversary of the protests in Damascus, Aleppo and Daraa which set the stage for the Syrian conflict.  On this sad…
Jun 11, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 11, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wrote to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to urge him to pardon Raif Badawi and…
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…
Dec 1, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 1, 2015 USCIRF Calls for Continued Syrian Refugee Resettlement Rigorous individualized vetting allows the United States to both welcome Syrian refugees and protect security.…
Dec 7, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 7, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today issued the following statement:   USCIRF calls on the U.S. government to…
Jan 5, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 5, 2016 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the execution on January 2 of a prominent Shi’a cleric in Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Nimr al-…
Mar 14, 2016 For Immediate Release March 14, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 15 marks the 5th anniversary of the peaceful protests that set the stage for the Syrian conflict.  This conflict has spawned a…
Mar 18, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MArch 18, 2016   Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the State Department’s decision proclaiming that groups including Yazidis,…
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 Chairman Robert P. George testified on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing entitled "Confronting the Genocide of Religious Minorities: A Way Forward."From the testimony: "USCIRF in 2015 called on the U…
May 4, 2016 FOR YOUR INFORMATION May 4, 2016 | Robert P. George and Hannah Rosenthal The following op/ed appeared in USA Today on May 3, 2016   Should it be a crime to deny the existence of God? In the Russian city…
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…
Jul 28, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 28, 2016   (USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. holds up a picture of Raif Badawi at a July 2016 Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on blasphemy laws) WASHINGTON, D.C…
Nov 10, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON, D.C. – As coalition forces begin the liberation of Mosul, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) notes that November 13 is the one-year…
Mar 15, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 15, 2017   WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 15 marks the 6th anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict. Since the conflict began, an estimated 400,000 people have been killed;…
Apr 27, 2017 The following op-ed appeared in the Georgetown University Berkley Forum on April 26, 2017. The op-ed also appeared in Religious Freedom Institute: Cornerstone.   By former USCIRF Commissioner Thomas J. Reese…
Jun 9, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   USCIRF Commends House Passage of Genocide Accountability Act Urges Senate Action USCIRF declares that “the perpetrators of genocide must be held to account”   WASHINGTON, D.C. –…
Jul 24, 2017 The following op-ed appeared in Deseret News on July 23, 2017 By former USCIRF Commissioner Clifford D. May   Last year, Saudi Arabia unveiled Saudi Vision 2030, a bold plan to transform the kingdom’s oil-…
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Oct 5, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 5, 2017   H.R. 390: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes Genocide Bill USCIRF Chairman Mark calls committee action “a key step toward helping victims of ISIS genocide”  …
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,…
Mar 24, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 24, 2018 USCIRF Study Reveals Numerous Passages in Saudi Textbooks Inciting Violence and Intolerance  “USCIRF is disappointed to find inflammatory content remains in…
Click here to view the report Study Revealed Numerous Passages in Saudi Textbooks Advocating Intolerance and Violence.Summary The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had an independent contractor review 12 Saudi high school…
Jul 30, 2018 This op-ed originally appeared in The Hill on July 27, 2018. By former USCIRF Commissioners Tenzin Dorjee and Kristina Arriaga To the surprise of many, there is a foreign policy issue on which…
Oct 4, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 4, 2018 U.S. Delegation Is First Ever to Meet with “Religious Police” in Saudi Arabia USCIRF Delegation Holds Wide Ranging Meetings During Site Visit   WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a…
The full report may be found here. Summary of Findings This follow-on contracted study reviews 22 middle and high school textbooks published by the Saudi government for the 2017-2018 academic year, including the 12 high school books previously reviewed…
Nov 26, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 26, 2018   USCIRF Condemns Reappearance of Content Promoting Hatred and Violence in Saudi Textbooks New report provides evidence of reappearance of inflammatory content against…
Nov 29, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 29, 2018   USCIRF Applauds Passage of H.R. 390 by Congress    WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today applauded…
Dec 11, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2018   USCIRF Welcomes President Trump Signing the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act    WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on…
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…
Additional Name(s): Raif bin Muhammad Badawi, Raef bin Mohammed Badawi, رائف بن محمد بدوي Gender: Male Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia Ethnic Group: Arab…
Apr 26, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 26, 2019   USCIRF Calls on State Department to Lift Saudi CPC Waiver After Mass Shi’a Execution USCIRF 2019 Annual Report Cites Numerous Violations and Recommends Additional…
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 30, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2019     USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza Calls for Release of Imprisoned Saudi Blogger Raif Badawi His Continued Imprisonment Belies Saudi Government Claims of Greater…
Aug 12, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 12, 2019   USCIRF Applauds Announced Changes to Saudi Male Guardianship System USCIRF Urges Saudi Government to Release Imprisoned Supporters of Women’s Rights   WASHINGTON, DC…
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Additional Name(s): محمد بن حسن الحبيب Gender: Male Current Location: Mabahith Prison, Dammam Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia Ethnic Group: Arab…
Gender: Male Current Location: Abha Prison Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia Ethnic Group: Arab Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other…
Sep 20, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 20, 2019 USCIRF calls for immediate Release of blogger Raif Badawi WASHINGTON DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns Saudi Arabia’s…
Oct 9, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2019   USCIRF Statement on Turkish Offensive in Northeast Syria   WASHINGTON, DC – In response to news reports that Turkey has launched airstrikes on the border region of…
Additional Name(s): أحمد الشامري Gender: Male Current Location: Al Qaisumah Detention Center Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia Ethnic Group: Arab…
Click here to view USCIRF's 2019 Kazakhstan Country Update.
Oct 17, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 17, 2019   USCIRF Releases New Reports on Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Iran   Washington, DC  – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Host: Gayle Manchin, Vice ChairSubject Experts: Zack Udin and Kirsten Lavery     For more information, please contact Henry Young at [email protected].
Dec 13, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 13, 2019 USCIRF Calls for Immediate Release of Saudi Blogger Raif Badawi WASHINGTON DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns Saudi Arabia’s…
The full report may be found here. Saudi Arabia has taken some limited steps toward greater religious freedom in 2019 while continuing to restrict it in other ways. On a positive note, Saudi Arabia eased religious restrictions on women’s mobility in…
Jan 30, 2020 For Immediate Release January 29, 2020   USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Saudi Arabia   Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Mar 25, 2020 This op-ed was originally published by The Hill, on March 25, 2020.  By USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza and Congressman James P. McGovern              …
Additional Name(s): Bolatbek Dyusenbekovich Nurgaliyev Gender: Male Current Location: Investigation Prison LA-155/18, Turksib, Almaty Perpetrator: Kazakhstan…
Additional Name(s): Ernar Samatovich Samatov Gender: Male Current Location: Investigation Prison LA-155/18, Turksib, Almaty Perpetrator: Kazakhstan…
Additional Name(s): Beket Tastanbekovich Mynbasov Gender: Male Current Location: Investigation Prison LA-155/18, Turksib, Almaty Perpetrator: Kazakhstan…
USCIRF ADVOCATE: Nadine Maenza Advocacy: Release of Raif Badawi an Overdue and a Necessary Step for Saudi Arabia…
Jul 25, 2020 This op-ed originally appeared in Newsweek, on July 25, 2020. By USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava and Commissioner Nadine Maenza As the world passively watches, Turkey is currently amassing troops on its…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Kazakhstan Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Kazakhstan.pdf Language English Year…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Syria Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Syria.pdf Language English Year 2026…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Saudi Arabia File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Saudi Arabia.pdf Language English Year 2026…
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…
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Nov 5, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   USCIRF Releases Report on the Saudi Guardianship System Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a new report on Saudi religious…
Click here for the Report on the Saudi Guardianship System   This report describes Saudi Arabia’s guardianship system and explains how it restricts religious freedom in the country. It briefly reviews the history of guardianship laws in Saudi…
Read the full Issue Update: The Global Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses   This update describes official discrimination against Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world, with a particular focus on countries where members have been imprisoned for…
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…
Feb 10, 2021 USCIRF Calls for Magnitsky Sanctions on Saudi Officials Following Release of Loujain al-Hathloul Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed relief over…
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