Mar 10, 2022

*Special note: This podcast was recorded on March 8, 2022 and only reflects the events that have occurred up to this date*

The Russian government has long used religious freedom violations in its efforts to discourage non-conformity and facilitate its brutal occupation of Crimea and the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. In 2016, the government adopted a series of legal reforms that enhanced the scope and penalties of religion and anti-extremism laws. These legal reforms also increased State jurisdiction over monitoring private electronic communications for the purpose of rooting out extremists and missionaries in Russia.

Russia’s religious regulation framework has been used to target Jehovah’s Witnesses, Crimean Tatar Muslims, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and other groups that are seen as posing a threat to the State’s authority. What does this mean for the rest of Ukraine now that it’s under attack from Russia? USCIRF Senior Policy Analyst Jason Morton joins us to explain.

 

Check out our other podcast on this topic: “Religious Implications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Part 1: The ‘Denazification’ Narrative”

Read USCIRF's report on The Global Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Read USCIRF report on The Anti-cult Movement and Religious Regulation in Russia and the Former Soviet Union

Read USCIRF's report on Religious Freedom Violations in the Republic of Chechnya

Mar 8, 2022

USCIRF Releases New Report Highlighting Religious Freedom in Iraq

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Iraq Country Update – This report examines religious freedom conditions in Iraq over the past year. Specifically, it highlights progress as well as challenges facing religious minority groups including Sunni Arabs, Yazidis, Christians, and nontheists in the country. The report also discusses key U.S. policy engagement with the Iraqi government to help improve conditions for these religious communities.

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S State Department place Iraq on its Special Watch List (SWL) for engaging in or tolerating severe religious freedom violations. USCIRF also highlighted conditions in Iraq during a virtual event on accountability for crimes against humanity, as well as a hearing on Ending Genocide: Accountability for Perpetrators. The Iraq chapter of the 2021 Annual Report is also available in Kurdish (Sorani and Kurmanji dialects) and Arabic.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].

 

 

Additional Name(s): Jalal Hassan Labbad, جلال لباد

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia

Ethnic Group: Arab

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Shi'a

Health Concerns: Inability to sleep without medical assistance, a varicocele disorder that causes severe pain, excessive blood collection, and blood in his urine, persistent swelling in his right thigh, loss of focus, and persistent forgetfulness

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: Death

Date of Detainment: February/23/2017

Date of Sentencing: July/31/2022

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Children’s Rights Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Arms Trafficking & Illicit Use of Weapons Harboring a Fugitive Illegal Assembly Terrorism

Jalal Labbad

Extra Bio Info:

Jalal Labbad is imprisoned and sentenced to death for his religious identity and for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On February 23, 2017, authorities arrested Labbad from his family’s home in al-Awamiyah in relation to his participation in protests against the state's treatment of Shi'a citizens in al-Qatif. Labbad was 21 years old at the time of his arrest and accused of crimes that he allegedly committed when he was a minor. 

While detained from February 2017 to December 2017, authorities severely tortured Labbad and placed him in solitary for a total of nine and a half months over the course of two separate occasions reportedly to coerce him into making statements. Labbad was reportedly hospitalized more than one in relation to his torture after suffering from frequent fainting, low blood pressure, weak heartbeat, and severe swelling in his right thigh. Labbad also reportedly suffered/suffers from a range of issues resulting from his torture, including inability to sleep without medical assistance, a varicocele disorder that causes severe pain, excessive blood collection, and blood in his urine, persistent swelling in his right thigh, loss of focus, and persistent forgetfulness. Labbad was also denied access to legal counsel.

In July 2019, Labbad appeared before the Specialized Criminal Court, charged with “participating in demonstrations,” “attending funerals of victims shot by government forces,” “helping to treat and shelter wanted persons who were wounded and with being involved,” and “shooting at and throwing Molotov cocktails at soldiers.” At least one of the charges dates back to when Labbad was 15 years old. Prosecutors were reportedly seeking the death penalty for Labbad.

On July 31, 2022, Labbad was sentenced to death.

On October 4, 2022, the appeals branch of the Specialized Criminal Court upheld Labbad's sentence. 

On an unspecified date, the Supreme Court reportedly upheld Labbad's sentence. He thus faces imminent threat of execution.

Sources:
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