Additional Name(s): Elvin Mürvətoğlu

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Azerbaijan

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Shi'a

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: 2 Years, 3 Months' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: March/13/2020

Date of Sentencing: September/25/2020

Current Status: Unknown

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Association

Nature of Charges: Arms Trafficking & Illicit Use of Weapons

Elvin Muradov

Extra Bio Info:

Elvin Muradov was imprisoned for his expression and religious activity.

On March 13, 2020, police detained Muradov, a poet and member of the unregistered Muslim Unity Movement (MUM) organization.

On March 16, 2020, it was revealed that Muradov had been charged with "illegally purchasing, transferring, selling, storing, transporting, and carrying firearms, accessories, supplies, and explosives" (Art. 228.1 ACC).  His family alleges that he was targeted for writing poems and songs about imprisoned MUM leader Taleh Bagirzade.

On September 25, 2020, the Narimanov District Court sentenced Muradov to two years and three months in prison.

Muradov's sentence should have ended. 

Sources:

Dec 21, 2021

USCIRF Condemns the Chinese Government’s Additional Sanctions on USCIRF Commissioners

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the Chinese government’s additional sanctions against USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza, Vice Chair Nury Turkel, and Commissioners Anurima Bhargava and James W. Carr. Earlier in the year, the Chinese government had also sanctioned USCIRF Commissioner Tony Perkins in addition to former USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Commissioner Johnnie Moore.

“We are not surprised to see the Chinese government impose additional baseless sanctions in response to growing concern over its egregious human rights and religious freedom violations, especially its genocidal policies against Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang. As we have said before—USCIRF will not be silenced,” stated USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza. “The Chinese government needs to end its state-led oppression of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Christians, Falun Gong practitioners, and others, rather than implementing misguided sanctions.”

USCIRF has consistently highlighted the Chinese government’s religious freedom violations. This month, USCIRF applauded President Joseph R. Biden for implementing a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics given the Chinese government’s ongoing atrocities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and other human rights abuses. USCIRF had recommended this action in  its 2020 and 2021 Annual Reports.

USCIRF also commends the U.S. House and Senate for passing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (H.R. 6252), and urges President Biden to swiftly sign the bill into law. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act creates a “rebuttable presumption” that all goods and products from the XUAR are made with forced labor and bans their import, unless the U.S. Customs and Border Protection certifies by “clear and convincing evidence” that forced labor was not involved. The law requires the imposition of financial and visa sanctions on foreign persons, including Chinese officials, who are found to have engaged in, be responsible for, or facilitated forced labor in the XUAR.

“The Chinese government’s so-called sanctions are an act of desperation because the international community is standing up against its genocidal policies,” USCIRF Vice Chair Nury Turkel stated. “Genocide and crimes against humanity in China are not simply ‘internal affairs,’ the Chinese Communist Party’s frequent excuse to deflect responsibility. As a state party to the Genocide Convention, and members of the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council, China must be held to its commitment to international law and universal human rights standards. The U.S. government should not back down on supporting human rights and religious freedom for all in China, and neither will USCIRF, as we stand together in unity on this important issue.”

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended the U.S. government redesignate China as a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. In November 2021, the U.S. Department of State redesignated China as a CPC. 

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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].

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Health Concerns: Depression, diabetes, anxiety, poor eyesight

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Date of Detainment: October/5/2020

Date of Release: February/2/2023

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Identity Reporting on Religious Freedom Conditions or Documenting Religious Freedom Violations

Nature of Charges: Breach of Privacy & Disclosure Fabricating & Destroying Evidence Hate Speech Illicit Financing Terrorism Treason & Sedition

Siddique Kappan

Extra Bio Info:

Siddique Kappan was detained on for his religious identity and for reporting on religious freedom conditions. 

On October 5, 2020, authorities arrested Kappan, a Muslim journalist, on his way to Hathras District in Uttar Pradesh to cover a rape case of a Dalit girl that sparked nationwide protests. Kappan was reportedly held incommunicado for two days.

On October 7, 2020, Uttar Pradesh authorities revealed that Kappan was being investigated for sedition (Sec. 124-A IPC), "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc." (Sec. 153A IPC), “deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs” (Sec. 295A IPC), “knowingly holding property derived or obtained from the commission of a terrorist act” (Sec. 14 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)), raising funds for terrorist acts (Sec. 17 UAPA), “destroying digital evidence” (Sec. 65 Information Technology Act), and “breach of confidentiality and privacy” (Sec. 72 Information Technology Act).

In February 2021, India’s Enforcement Directorate filed charges against Kappan and four others, claiming that they were members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and had been involved in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, and protests surrounding the death of the Dalit woman in Hathras.

On April 4, 2021, the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh police filed a roughly 5,000 page charge sheet against Kappan.  They reportedly accused him of only reporting “to incite Muslims.” The chargesheet also included text from 36 articles Kappan wrote about ongoing religious and sectarian issues in India.  According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Kappan's lawyer and family have not yet received the full chargesheet, thus hindering his defense. 

On April 15, 2021, the Supreme Court granted Kappan bail for five days to visit his ill mother.

On April 21, 2021, Kappan tested positive for COVID-19 after falling in the bathroom the day before.  He was reportedly transferred to a Delhi hospital on April 30, 2021, and then later returned to prison on May 7, 2021.

In June 2021, a Mathura court dropped a breach of peace charge against Kappan.

On December 13, 2021, a Mathura court transferred Kappan’s case to a special court of the National Investigation Agency in Lucknow.

On September 9, 2022, the Supreme Court granted bail to Kappan. He was not released from jail due to other pending charges. 

On December 23, 2022, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Kappan.

On February 2, 2023, Kappan was released from prison.

In addition to catching COVID-19, Kappan reportedly suffers from depression, diabetes, anxiety, and poor eyesight.  He was reportedly unable to receive adequate medical care while imprisoned.

Related Cases: Atikur Rahman

Sources:
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