Jan 17, 2018
This Op-Ed appeared originally in Religion News Service on January 11, 2018.
By former USCIRF Commissioners Sandra Jolley and Kristina Arriaga
(RNS) — For most pastors, the beginning of a new…
Aug 2, 2020
This op-ed originally appears in The National Interest, on August 2, 2020.
By USCIRF Commissioners James W. Carr and Frederick A. Davie
For years, Deacon Jang Moon Seok ministered to North Koreans…
Conscientious objection to military service is frequently connected to freedom of religion or belief, as many conscientious objectors are motivated by deeply-held religious beliefs. The right to conscientious objection is recognized under international…
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…
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…
This report documents the North Korean government’s religious freedom violations based on primary information gathered over the past year from in-person interviews with North Korean defectors who are survivors, witnesses, and perpetrators of these…
Aug 18, 2021
USCIRF Releases Report Highlighting Religious Freedom Violations in North Korea
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a new report titled “Organized…
Dec 10, 2021
Religious freedom conditions in Turkey continue to follow a disappointing, negative trajectory. The Hagia Sophia conversion, the continued closure of the Halki Seminary, government meddling in the internal affairs…
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-…