Oct 27, 2022

To commemorate this year’s International Religious Freedom Day and the 24th Anniversary of the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998, USCIRF reflects on the important role civil society plays in promoting freedom of religion or belief abroad.

Greg Mitchell, Co-Chair of the IRF Roundtable, joins Elizabeth Cassidy, Director of Research and Policy at USCIRF, to assess the U.S. government’s efforts to promote freedom of religion or belief abroad over the past 24 years, and to discuss the IRF Roundtable’s establishment and civil society advocacy.

Read the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

Additional Name(s): Шарифуллин Фарит Азатович

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Russia

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 18 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: February//2020

Date of Sentencing: October/19/2022

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Religious Activity Religious Association Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Forgery Illicit Financing Terrorism

Farit Sharifullin

Extra Bio Info:

Farit Sharifullin is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In February 2020, authorities arrested Sharifullin after accusing him of organizing and participating in meetings for the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir organization and collecting contributions for it.

On October 19, 2022, the Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg sentenced Sharifullin to 18 years in prison for "financing terrorist activities" (Art. 205.1-1 RCC), "organizing the activities of an organization…recognized as terrorist" (Art. 205.5-1 RCC), and “forging an official document…with the aim of concealing another crime or facilitating its commission” (Art. 327-4 RCC).

On September 4, 2023, the Military Court of Appeal upheld Sharifullin's sentence.

Related: Marsel Gimaliev

Sources:

Additional Name(s): Mikhail Ivanovich Burkov, Бурков Михаил Иванович

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Russia

Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 6 Years, 2 Months' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: June/23/2023

Date of Sentencing: June/23/2023

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism

Mikhail Burkov

Extra Bio Info:

Mikhail Burkov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 25, 2022, the Tyndinskiy District Court of the Amur Region sentenced Burkov to six years and two months in prison for “organizing the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-1 RCC). Burkov and others were accused of holding worship services and “home-based Bible studies." Religious materials seized were used as evidence. Burkov was taken into custody following the verdict.

On December 27, 2022, the Amur Regional Court overturned Burkov's conviction and ordered a retrial. He was released following the decision.

On June 23, 2023, the Tyndinskiy District Court of the Amur Region sentenced Burkov to six years and two months in prison. He was taken into custody following the verdict. 

On September 5, 2023, the Amur Regional Court upheld Burkov's sentence.

Related Cases: Vladimir Bukin, Valeriy Slashchev, Sergey Yuferov

Sources:
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