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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…
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 24
WHEN:
Jul 24th 1:00pm
-
Jul 24th 1:00pm…
Click here to view the October 2019 Factsheet on Enforced Disappearances in Malaysia.
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)…
Feb 11
WHEN:
Feb 11th 10:30am…
Read the full report here.This report is an examination of religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua following the outbreak of anti-government protests in April 2018 that continue to occur around the country. Throughout this political crisis, the Catholic…
Mar 11, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Nicaragua
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
Jun 23, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Urges Thailand and Malaysia to Protect Rohingya Muslim Refugees Stranded at Sea
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls on the…
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…
Jul 28, 2020
This op-ed originally appeared in The Diplomat, on July 28, 2020.
By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Commissioner James W. Carr
Several airlines offer direct flights from Burma to Malaysia, but many Rohingya…
Title
2026 Annual Report - Malaysia Chapter
File Upload
USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Malaysia.pdf
Language
English
Year
2026…
Title
2026 Annual Report - Nicaragua Chapter
File Upload
USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Nicaragua.pdf
Language
English
Year
2026…
Oct 23
WHEN:
Oct 23rd 3:00pm…
Aug 05
WHEN:
Aug 5th 10:30am…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Malaysia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Date of Detainment:
February/13/2017…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Malaysia
Religion or Belief:
Muslim – Shi'a
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of Medical…
Click here to view the Rohingya Refugees Factsheet.
This factsheet highlights the conditions of Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia. While the majority of Rohingya refugees have fled from Burma to Bangladesh, a significant number have escaped to…
Oct 8, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Releases Factsheet on Rohingya Refugees in Southeast Asia
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a new report on…
Advocacy:
Press Release: USCIRF Calls Attention to Pastor Raymond Koh on 5th Anniversary of Disappearance, February 11, 2022…
Nov 23, 2020
USCIRF Commissioner Jim Carr Adopts Pastor Raymond Koh through the Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project
WASHINGTON, DC – United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Jim…
Feb 25
WHEN:
Feb 25th 11:00am
-
Feb 25th 12:30pm…
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…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Request that the Malaysian government clarify administrative procedures and develop tangible mechanisms for individuals to…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Laws
Recommendation:Press the Malaysian government to remove the religion field from national ID cards and allow for…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Laws
Recommendation:Urge the Malaysian government to facilitate independent institutions, including the judiciary, in…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Thematic Area: RPOCs
Recommendation:Urge the Malaysian government to acknowledge all peaceful religious activity as legitimate and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Special Watch List
Recommendation:Include Malaysia on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Technical Assistance
Recommendation:As part of U.S. support to build capacity for Malaysian law enforcement, fund and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Thematic Area: IVLP
Recommendation:Expand the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) to include bringing Malaysian lawyers…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Special Watch List
Recommendation:Include Malaysia on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Technical Assistance
Recommendation:Fund and implement training on community-based policing between the U.S.…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Thematic Area: RPOCs
Recommendation:Urge the Malaysian government to repeal the federal and state-level laws criminalizing blasphemy…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Malaysia
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2021 Annual Report
Thematic Area: Diplomacy
Recommendation:Work with Malaysia and regional partners to ensure the safety of migrants and refugees,…
This factsheet documents and contextualizes recent religious freedom violations against Ahmadiyya Muslims, shining a light on the worrying trend of growing state persecution of members of this community. Ahmadiyya Muslims face persecution and…
Oct 18, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on persecution of…
Oct 22, 2021
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community was founded in 1889 in Punjab, India and today has an estimated tens of millions of members globally. Because of the differences between Ahmadiyya beliefs and beliefs in Sunni and Shi…
Nov 5, 2021
USCIRF Releases Factsheet Reiterating its Recommendations for State Department CPC and SWL Designations
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the…
This country update assesses religious freedom conditions in Malaysia during 2021. Malaysia has witnessed unprecedented political instability in recent years—starting on February 24, 2020, with the sudden collapse of the Pakatan Harapan coalition and…
Nov 10, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Malaysia
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious…
Nov 12, 2021
Malaysia has experienced unprecedented political instability in recent years. During this time, Malaysian authorities from various political parties in several states and the federal government have continued to pursue policies to further…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Malaysia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports…
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Malaysia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports…
Feb 4, 2022
The government of Nicaragua, under the leadership of President Daniel Ortega, has a history of persecuting Catholic clergy, worshipers, and organizations as well as Protestant institutions especially since religious leaders provided sanctuary…
Feb 11, 2022
USCIRF Calls Attention to Pastor Raymond Koh on 5th Anniversary of Disappearance
Washington, DC – The U.S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called for answers on the disappearance of Pastor…
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…
Aug 11, 2022
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Nicaragua
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Nicaragua Country Update…
This report details deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua during the first half of 2022. In March, the government expelled the papal nuncio, the Vatican’s chief diplomat in the country, for unexplained reasons. Most recently, a judge…
Aug 11, 2022
Malaysia maintains a unique dual legal system divided into civil and religious courts. In recent decades, the influence of these religious courts, which are based on the Shaf’i school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence…
Additional Name(s):
Rolando José Álvarez, Rolando Jose Alvarez Lagos
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Sep 9, 2022
Since 2020, USCIRF has recommended that Nicaragua be included on the State Department’s Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom. In 2022, the Nicaraguan government has greatly intensified its…
This report reviews blasphemy laws and their enforcement within the region of the Associate of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), highlighting recent cases and providing analysis on related laws. Blasphemy is defined as “the act of insulting or showing…
Oct 19, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Blasphemy in Southeast Asia
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Blasphemy and Related Laws in ASEAN Member Countries…
Oct 21, 2022
Seven out of ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations have blasphemy laws currently enshrined in their legal codes. USCIRF’s recent issue update reviews these blasphemy laws and their enforcement within this…
Additional Name(s):
Enrique Martínez Gamboa, Benito Enrique Martínez
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
Óscar Danilo Benavidez Dávila
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Feb 14, 2023
USCIRF Condemns Nicaragua’s 26-year Prison Sentence for Bishop Rolando Álvarez
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the Nicaraguan government’s sentencing of Catholic Bishop Rolando…
Mar 08
WHEN:
Mar 8th 10:00am
-
Mar 8th 11:00am…
May 1, 2023
USCIRF Releases 2023 Annual Report Highlighting Worsening Religious Freedom Conditions Around the World
Includes new recommendations of Cuba and Nicaragua as Countries of Particular Concern and Sri Lanka for the Special Watch List
Washington,…
View the 2023 Annual Report
Highlights from USCIRF’s 2023 Annual Report
Numbers-at-a-Glance
17 countries recommended for “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation
2 new countries recommended for CPC designation
11…
May 15, 2023
USCIRF Welcomes the Release of State Department’s 2022 International Religious Freedom Report
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends the State Department…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
This comprehensive report features three crosscutting research areas that illuminate the religious freedom challenges facing indigenous communities in Latin America. First, the report provides detailed information about recent religious freedom…
Jun 7, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom Violations Against Indigenous Communities in Latin America
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Religious…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Managua
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture…
Additional Name(s):
Víctor Ticay
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Sistema Penitenciario Nacional Jorge Navarro, Tipitapa
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua…
May 3, 2023
This op-ed was originally published by Religion News Service on May 3, 2023.
By USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel & Vice Chair Abraham Cooper
Denying religious freedom and women’s rights go hand-in-hand.
Over the…
Additional Name(s):
Fernando Israel Zamora Silva
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
Adela Elizabeth Espinoza Tercero
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
La Esperanza prison, Tipitapa, Nicaragua
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua…
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
La Esperanza prison, Tipitapa, Nicaragua
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
This comprehensive report explores the bureaucratization of religion in four countries in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. This bureaucratization is a phenomenon that occurs through the use of administrative mechanisms to…
Sep 7, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on The Bureaucratization of Religion in Southeast Asia
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
The Bureaucratization of Religion…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Sep 14, 2023
USCIRF Releases Updated Blasphemy Factsheet and Blasphemy Law Compendium
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released two new reports:
Legislation Factsheet on Blasphemy – This…
Additional Name(s):
Julio Ricardo Norori Jiménez
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
José Iván Centeno Tercero
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
Cristóbal Reynaldo Gadea Velásquez
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Additional Name(s):
Álvaro José Toledo Amador
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture:
No
Reports of…
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Nicaragua
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Catholic
Date of Detainment:
October/7/2023…
In October 1998, the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) elevated freedom of religion or belief as a U.S. foreign policy priority. This landmark law mandates that U.S. policy include condemning violations of religious freedom abroad and assisting…
Oct 25, 2023
USCIRF Condemns Nicaragua’s Expulsion of Arbitrarily Detained Priests
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the Nicaraguan government’s expulsion of ten arbitrarily detained…
This report documents the text of the 73 national anti-conversion laws on the books around the world. In total, 46 countries have at least one national anti-conversion law in force. Four types of national anti-conversion laws are documented: anti-…