The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, in cooperation with the National Endowment for Democracy, invites you to a panel discussion on "The Threat to Civic and Religious Freedom in Russia" on Thursday, December 14, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. until 12 noon. The meeting will take place on the occasion of the release of the Commission'sPolicy Focus on Russia.The Commission and the NED are pleased to announce the participation of Ludmilla Alexeeva, noted Russian human rights defender and Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, as a panelist.

Since Vladimir Putin gained the presidency of Russia in 2000, the Russian government has steadily retreated from democratic reform, endangering significant gains in human rights made since the end of the Soviet era, including in the areas of freedom of religion or belief. Developments indicating that progress toward democracy is being halted, if not reversed, include: curtailments of media freedom and of the independence of political parties; tighter restrictions on nongovernmental organizations, religious communities, and other civil society groups; harassment of human rights organizations; legal restrictions on freedom of assembly; constraints on the use of popular referenda; and President Putin's decision to end the direct popular election of regional governors. The panel will discuss these and other issues related to the backlash against democracy in Russia.

Moderator
Carl Gershman, President, NED

Speakers

Felice Gaer, Chair, USCIRF
Michael Cromartie, Vice-Chair, USCIRF
Nadia Diuk, Senior Director, Europe and Eurasia, NED
Ludmilla Alexeeva, Chair, Moscow Helsinki Group

Main Conference Room
National Endowment for Democracy
1025 F Street NW, Suite 800
Washington DC 20004

Please respond by noon on Tuesday, December 12,
by calling 202-378-9691 or by e-mail to  [email protected]

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2006

Contact:
Angela Stephens, Assistant Communications Director,
(202) 523-3240, ext. 114

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent, bipartisan federal agency, is concerned by recent reports of torture, intimidation of witnesses, and other due process violations by Chinese authorities in the prosecutions of blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng and the three sons of exiled Uighur human rights advocate Rebiya Kadeer.

"These cases to silence human rights defenders demonstrate that Beijing's vows to fully promote the rule of law are, thus far, still empty promises," said Felice D. Gaer, Chair of the Commission. "Through these reported violations of due process, freedom of speech and association, and freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, the Chinese government has either actively targeted Chen Guangcheng and the Kadeer family, or it has failed to rein in abusive local officials. Either way, it is complicit in unacceptable acts."

The cases of Chen Guangcheng and the Kadeer family come at a time of worsening human rights conditions in China, reflecting an ongoing crackdown on religious and ethnic minorities and human rights activists. During the past year, USCIRF has received reports nearly every week of raids on unregistered religious gatherings and multiple cases of arrest, detention and harassment of religious leaders, journalists, and human rights lawyers and activists.

Chen Guangcheng, a prominent legal activist, is being tried on charges of incitement to disrupt traffic and to commit vandalism following his well-publicized efforts to expose cases of forced abortion and forced sterilization in Shandong province. At a retrial hearing on November 27, three witnesses for the defense failed to appear in court, reportedly due to government efforts to intimidate them. These witnesses had signed affidavits stating that, before Chen's original trial in October, police tortured them in order to force them to give testimony implicating Chen. Their whereabouts remain unknown amid reports that at least one of them was kidnapped by local police prior to the start of the retrial. In addition, one of Mr. Chen's lawyers was temporarily detained at the start of last week's retrial. On the day after the hearing, local police abducted and beat Chen's wife, Yuan Weijing, leaving her hospitalized. On December 1, without considering any evidence outside of confessions that are credibly alleged to have been obtained through torture, the court upheld Chen's original conviction and again sentenced him to 4 years and 3 months imprisonment.

Also on November 27, sentences were announced against Alim and Kahar Abdureyim, two sons of Rebiya Kadeer. Ms. Kadeer was exiled to the United States in March 2005 following 6 years of imprisonment due to her efforts to combat Chinese government repression of ethnic Uighurs. Her son Alim Abdureyim was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment, while Kahar was ordered to pay a fine for charges related to allegations of tax fraud. Because the arrest of Kadeer's sons coincided with efforts of local authorities to prevent members of the Kadeer family from meeting with a U.S. Congressional staff delegation to discuss human rights conditions for Uighurs, observers suspect the charges appear to be politically motivated. In the case, local officials seized all financial records from the offices of the family business in Urumqi and have not permitted lawyers access to the documents in order to formulate a defense. The condition of Ablikim, a third son of Kadeer, detained on more serious subversion charges, remains unknown. Reports claim that all three sons were tortured to confess their guilt to the charges against them.

"The ongoing neglect of rule of law in China is a serious concern. U.S. leaders have made clear to Beijing that progress in rule of law and human rights, including religious freedom, are critical to U.S.-China relations," added Gaer. "The Commission urges the U.S. government to press Chinese authorities to implement more effectively rule of law reforms and human rights protections. Everyone's right to due process and to freedom from torture should be protected in China, and the Chinese government should take immediate steps to ensure that these rights are not denied in the cases of Chen Guangcheng and the Kadeer family."

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

Felice D. Gaer, Chair • Michael Cromartie, Vice Chair • Elizabeth H. Prodromou, Vice Chair •Nina Shea, Vice Chair • Preeta D. Bansal•Archbishop Charles J. Chaput• Khaled Abou El Fadl• Richard D. Land• Bishop Ricardo Ramirez• Ambassador John V. Hanford III,Ex-Officio • Joseph R. Crapa, Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2006

Contact:
Angela Stephens, Assistant Communications Director,
(202) 523-3240, ext. 114

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan, independent federal agency, is concerned about actions taken by authorities in Kazakhstan that fail to live up to international standards of religious freedom. "Recent steps against the Hare Krishnas and members of other religious communities indicate that the government of Kazakhstan, regrettably, is moving in the wrong direction with regard to respecting the universal right to freedom of religion or belief," said Felice D. Gaer, Chair of the Commission.

"In view of Kazakhstan's deteriorating record of respect for human rights and religious freedom, the Commission calls on the U.S. government to oppose the current bid by Kazakhstan to become the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) chair in 2009, and to protest the various actions undertaken by the government of Kazakhstan which fall short of its international obligations to respect freedom of religion or belief." Commission Chair Gaer continued. "Such a bid should only be considered at next week's OSCE Ministerial in Brussels if Kazakhstan takes immediate verifiable steps to implement its OSCE human rights pledges, including on freedom of religion or belief."

On November 21, 2006, Kazakh riot police reportedly demolished 13 of the 66 homes owned and occupied by members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness in their agricultural community outside the city of Almaty. A spokesman for the Hare Krishna community expressed concern that their temple may also be slated for destruction. Although Kazakh officials claim that the dispute is purely economic in nature, only homes owned by Hare Krishna members were destroyed.

During the raid, two buses of riot police closed off all access to the site. Police also launched a news blockade about the action; a camera was confiscated and officials from the OSCE Center in Almaty were prevented from reaching the farm.

This was not the first time Kazakh authorities have tried to confiscate this religious community's land. In April 2006, Kazakh authorities had tried to bulldoze the homes belonging to the Hare Krishnas, but retreated in the presence of journalists.

This time, the houses were demolished, although the Hare Krishna community had been told that no action would be taken before the report of a state Commission set up to resolve the dispute was made public.

The demolition of the Hare Krishna-owned houses occurred on the same day that President Nursultan Nazarbayev was in London for a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair seeking his support for Kazakhstan's bid to be the OSCE chairman-in-office in 2009. In London, members of Britain's Hindu community protested the demolition of the Hare Krishna property in Kazakhstan.

This action against the Hare Krishna community is the latest in a series of developments over the past two years that signal a retreat from Kazakhstan's previously positive record of respect for the right to religious freedom. These developments include:

-- In July 2005, President Nazarbayev amended the "national security" law requiring all religious groups to register with the government. Activity by unregistered religious organizations is banned. Although most groups do not report difficulties in obtaining registration, the pre-2005 Kazakhstan Law on Religious Associations did not require a religious community to register with the state. Only 10 signatures were needed to register a religious association.

-- In February 2005, President Nazarbayev signed new legislation on extremist activity which granted increased oversight authority to a state agency. According to the OSCE, these anti-extremism measures lack a clear definition of "extremism" and could be arbitrarily applied to religious and other groups.

-- Beginning in late 2004, Kazakh authorities took measures to increase control over mosques and imams in south Kazakhstan who want to remain independent of the state.

-- Baptists, Pentecostals and other Protestant Christians have been subjected to heavy fines for unregistered religious activity in the past year. State institutions, including schools, actively discourage children from attending religious services, particularly in the case of Protestants.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.