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Nov 14, 2000
The Washington Post
November 14, 2000
By Elliott Abrams
An amendment signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin threatens the "liquidation" of thousands of religious groups at the end of…
Presented by Commissioner Richard D. Land
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
Religion, Politics, and Human Rights
Russian Academy of Public Service
Moscow, Russia
March 18, 2002
Introduction
Russia has been traveling…
"Religious Freedom and U.S. Foreign Policy"
Presented by Commissioner Richard D. Land
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
Religion, Politics, and Human Rights
Russian Academy of Public Service
Moscow, Russia…
As prepared
Presented by Commissioner Elizabeth Prodromou
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
Russian Presidential Administration's Academy of State Service, Moscow, Russia
February 9, 2006
"Human Rights and…
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226
November 27, 2001
Commission members (left to right): Richard D. Land, Nina Shea, The Hon. Charles R. Stith, Executive Director Steven T. McFarland,…
... that in 2012 Vladimir Putin signed into force five new Russian laws that restrict the civil and political rights of Russian civil society, including those of religious communities?Protests erupted across the Russian Federation, but particularly in…
Click here to view January 2013 Policy Brief, Russia: Unruly State of Law.
Jan 11, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 11, 2013| By USCIRF
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom strongly condemns a series of terror attacks that took place on January 10 targeting Pakistani Shi'a Muslims.…
Feb 14, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONFebruary 14, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and Catherine Cosman
The following op-ed appeared in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs on Wednesday, February 13, 2013.
"Russia is now a…
Mar 2, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMARCH 1, 2013| By USCIRF
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) marked the 2nd anniversary of the murder of Shahbaz Bhatti with a renewed call for the Pakistani government…
Apr 1, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
By USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett
Even as we prepare to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, European society's dark past of bigotry haunts our present
The following op-ed appeared…
…that April 8 is Yom Ha Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, but acts of anti-Semitism still occur in Europe?In Russia, xenophobia and intolerance, including anti-Semitism, fuel hate crimes by skinhead groups. In Belarus, the anti-Jewish utterances of…
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom sent the following letter to Secretary of State Kerry on April 12, 2013.
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
I…
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…
...that Europe’s largest internal armed conflict is in Russia’s North Caucasus, particularly Dagestan and Chechnya? The conflict in Russia’s North Caucasus region is the largest internal armed conflict in Europe, pitting Russian government forces against…
May 14, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONMay 14, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett
The following was published in the Washington Post, On Faith on May 14, 2013.
Fifteen years ago, on May 14, 1998, U.S. House of Representatives voted in…
...that particularly severe religious freedom violations are increasingly perpetrated by non-state actors in failing or failed states?One of the greatest emerging threats to freedom of religion or belief comes not from the actions of governments but from…
Jun 28, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 28, 2012 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Russian State Duma on June 26 passed a controversial bill on "causing offense to the sentiments of religious believers." The bill now awaits only…
Jul 2, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 2, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A suicide bomber attacked a Shia neighborhood in Quetta, the capital city of Pakistan's Baluchistan province, on Sunday June 30, killing at least 36…
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…
Click here to view the July 2013 Factsheet: Pakistan’s History of Violence: A Chronology of Targeted Violence against Religious CommunitiesClick here to view the July 2013 Briefing on the Future of Religious Freedom in Pakistan…
Aug 12, 2013
For Your Information
August 12, 2013 | By Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in Foreign Policy on August 9, 2013:
On Sunday, August 11, Pakistan will celebrate National Minorities Day, giving recently-…
Aug 15, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
August 15, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and M. Zuhdi Jasser
The following op-ed appeared in The Moscow Times on August 15, 2013 | Issue…
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,…
Sep 11, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONSeptember 11, 2013 | By Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in CNN World on September 11, 2013.
Editor's note: Robert P. George is chairman of the U.S. Commission on International…
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,…
Sep 25, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 25, 2013| By USCIRF
On Sunday September 22, reportedly the worst attack on Pakistani Christians in that nation's history took place. On that day, two suicide bombers attacked the All…
Oct 18, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 18, 2013| USCIRF
During his October 23 White House meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, USCIRF urges President Obama to raise concerns about the dire religious freedom…
The Christian Science Monitor -- JFK's call for religious freedom can transform places like Pakistan
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…
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…
Feb 5, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 5, 2014 | USCIRF
The upcoming Sochi Winter Olympics has thrust Russia into the world spotlight. The Kremlin’s increasing intolerance, however, deserves equal, if not greater, attention.…
Click here to view the August 2014 Factsheet: Pakistan: Violence Towards Religious Communities in Pakistan
Nov 10, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 10, 2014 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two anniversaries this month highlight the importance of continually confronting and combatting anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it arises.…
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…
Dec 1, 2014
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONDecember 1, 2014 | By Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett and Dr. Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in The Moscow Times on November 26, 2014. The op-ed also appeared in the Kyiv Post.…
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…
Mar 17, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 17, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sunday, March 15, the day an official U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) delegation to Pakistan departed the country, Pakistani…
May 14, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 14, 2015 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Pakistani Taliban splinter group now reportedly affiliated with ISIL, on May 13 murdered at least 45 Ismaili Muslims in Karachi. The killers…
Jun 3, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJune 3, 2015 | Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon
The following op-ed appeared in The National Interest on June 3, 2015
A court in Afghanistan recently sentenced eleven police officers…
Jul 27, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJuly 27, 2015 | By: M. Zuhdi Jasser and Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in The Moscow Times on July 26, 2015
How will Europe's human rights court respond to a…
Aug 11, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONAugust 11, 2015 | Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon
The following op-ed appeared in Foreign Policy on August 10, 2015
As their nation celebrates National Minorities Day on Tuesday, August…
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 14, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONOctober 14, 2015 | Mary Ann Glendon and Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in the Atlantic Council on October 14, 2015. This op-ed also appeared in Newsweek.
"We cannot stand…
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 30, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 30, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns in the strongest possible terms the heinous attack on an Ahmadi Muslim factory and…
Jan 27, 2016
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
January 27, 2016 | M. Zuhdi Jasser and Thomas J. Reese
The following op-ed appeared in USA Today on January 27, 2016
As the United States and the world today mark International…
Feb 1, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the arrest, detention, and sentencing of Abul Shakoor, an 80-year…
Mar 1, 2016
Pakistan: On Fifth Anniversary of Shahbaz Bhatti Assassination, USCIRF Calls for Reform and Repeal of Blasphemy Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on March…
Mar 18, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two years ago today, Russia unlawfully annexed the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, cynically using the Orthodox “culture, civilization, and…
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,…
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…
Jul 8, 2016
Click here to view this press release in Russian.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 7 signed into law a package of anti-terrorism…
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…
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…
Oct 14, 2016
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
October 14, 2016 | Kristina Arriaga and Sandra Jolley
The following op-ed appeard in Newsweek Pakistan on October 14, 2016
“I raise my voice… not so I can shout, but so that…
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…
Dec 9, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the raid by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on the…
Apr 3, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2017
RUSSIA: Russia Suspends Jehovah’s Witnesses
USCIRF Condemns Actions That Would Eliminate the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Legal Existence in Russia
Washington, D.C. – Russia…
Apr 20, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2017
RUSSIA: Supreme Court Outlaws the Jehovah’s Witnesses
USCIRF Condemns Russian Supreme Court Decision Banning the Jehovah’s Witnesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S.…
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…
Apr 28, 2017
The following op-ed appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on April 27, 2017
By former USCIRF Commissioners Thomas J. Reese and Daniel Mark
On April 26, the U.S. Commission on International…
May 19, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2017
RUSSIA: Release Bagir Kazikhanov
USCIRF Commissioner John Ruskay tells the Russian Government to
“Stop Equating Peaceful Religious Behavior with Terrorism…
Jul 17, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2017
RUSSIA: Jehovah’s Witnesses Banned After Supreme Court Rejects Appeals
USCIRF Condemns the Banning of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on…
Jul 26, 2017
Commissioner John Ruskay sent the following letter to Russian religious prisoner of conscience Bagir Kazikhanov.Click here to read the Russian translation of the letter.
July 26, 2017…
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"
…
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,…
Jan 31, 2018
This Op-Ed appeared originally in the Atlantic Council's blog, UkraineAlert, on January 31, 2018.
By Clifford D. May and Thomas J. Reese, S.J.
(Atlantic Council) - In 2017, for the first time ever, the US…
Inventing Extremists: The Impact of Russian Anti-Extremism Policies on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Click here to view the report Inventing Extremists: The Impact of Russian Anti-Extremism Policies on Freedom of Religion or BeliefExecutive Summary
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commissioned this report to examine…
Feb 13, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 13, 2018
USCIRF Mourns Death of Leading Pakistani Human Rights Defender
USCIRF Chairman Mark says Ms. Jahangir “will always be remembered as a fearless advocate for human rights”…
Jul 24, 2018
This op-ed originally appeared in Religion News Service on July 24, 2018.
By Gayle Manchin and Johnnie Moore
(RNS) - This week, as hundreds of religious leaders, nonprofit heads and government officials…
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…
Aug 7, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 7, 2018
At Gathering of 37,000 Ahmadi Muslims, USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore Vows to Make Religious Freedom in Pakistan a Priority
Commissioner Moore also formally adopts…
Sep 26, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2018
Vice Chair Arriaga Adopts Two Religious Prisoners of Conscience
Vice Chair Arriaga said, “These two cases are examples of the Russian government ‘securitizing’ religion…
Oct 31, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 31, 2018
USCIRF Welcomes Pakistani Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Death Sentence Against Asia Bibi
WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Commission on International…
Nov 27, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 27, 2018
USCIRF Statement on Tomorrow’s Hearing of Russian Prisoner of Conscience Ivan Matsitsky
WASHINGTON, DC – United States Commission on International Religious…
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 –…
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…
Feb 7, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 7, 2019
USCIRF Condemns Russian Conviction of Danish Prisoner of Conscience Dennis Christensen
Proof of Putin Escalating Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, says Vice Chair…
Feb 26, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 26, 2019
USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore Calls on Pakistan to Release Prisoner of Conscience Abdul Shakoor
WASHINGTON, DC – Johnnie Moore, Commissioner of the United…
Additional Name(s):
Mariya Vladimirovna Troshina, Трошина Мария Владимировна
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Additional Name(s):
Nataliya Igorevna Sorokina, Сорокина Наталия Игоревна
Gender:
Female
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Additional Name(s):
Valeriy Vasilyevich Moskalenko, Москаленко Валерий Васильевич
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's…
Additional Name(s):
Feliks Khasanovich Makhammadiyev, Махаммадиев Феликс, Махаммадиев Феликс Хасанович
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian…
Additional Name(s):
Sergey Alekseyevich Britvin, Бритвин Сергей Алексеевич
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Additional Name(s):
Vadim Anatolevich Levchuk, Левчук Вадим Анатольевич
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Additional Name(s):
Shamil Shapiyevich Sultanov, Султанов Шамиль Шапиевич
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Additional Name(s):
Valentin Pavlovich Osadchuk, Осадчук Валентин Павлович
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Additional Name(s):
Aleksey Vladimirovich Budenchuk, Буденчук Алексей, Буденчук Алексей Владимирович
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian –…
Additional Name(s):
Andrey Garafetanovich Stupnikov, Ступников Андрей Гарафетанович
Gender:
Male
Current Location:
Detention Center No. 1, Kirov
Perpetrator:
Russia…
Additional Name(s):
Dennis Ole Christensen, Кристенсен Деннис Оле
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Ethnic Group:
Danish
Religion or Belief:…
Additional Name(s):
Sergey Gennadyevich Klimov, Климов Сергей Геннадьевич
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Additional Name(s):
Dmitriy Viktorovich Barmakin, Бармакин Дмитрий Викторович
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah's Witness…
Additional Name(s):
Мацицкий Иван Владимирович
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Scientologist
Reports…
Mar 19, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 19, 2019
USCIRF Welcomes Release of Religious Prisoner of Conscience Abdul Shakoor
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Additional Name(s):
Aleksander Akopov, Aleksandr Andreevich Akopov, Акопов Александр Андреевич
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
Russia
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Jehovah…