May 12, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Global Overview of Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution –This factsheet highlights the global scale of religious persecution by providing an overview of contexts where large populations have been displaced due to persecution or violence based on religion or belief, including in Afghanistan, Burma, the Central African Republic (CAR), China, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Ukraine, and Vietnam. It also provides an overview of U.S. policy related to these refugee populations, highlighting the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) as a critical pathway for refugees seeking safety in the United States and the U.S. government’s treatment of asylum seekers in expedited removal. Additionally, the factsheet reiterates USCIRF’s recommendations to the U.S. government to further support refugees, including those who have fled religious persecution.
USCIRF monitors the conditions of refugees who have fled severe violations of religious freedom and the U.S. government’s policy responses. As part of this work, USCIRF hosted a hearing in February 2021 on “Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution” and a February 2022 event “USCIRF Conversation on the Global Refugee Compact”. USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report details religious freedom conditions in the countries where religious persecution has driven displacement, including those discussed in this report.
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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): 李佳轩
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Han
Religion or Belief: Falun Gong
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 2 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: July/19/2020
Date of Sentencing: January/14/2022
Current Status: Unknown
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Cult
Li Jiaxuan was imprisoned for her religious activity.
On July 19, 2020, public security officials in Beijing municipality detained 13 Falun Gong practitioners, including Li, living in Beijing for allegedly sharing photos of Beijing street scenes during the COVID-19 pandemic with a publication associated with Falun Gong. Authorities also reportedly seized Falun Gong related materials from the practitioners’ residences.
On January 14, 2022, the Dongcheng People’s Court sentenced Li to two years in prison and fined her 4,000 yuan for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL).
Li's sentence should have ended in July 2022.
Related Cases: Xu Na, Li Zongze, Li Lixin, Zheng Yanmei, Zheng Yujie, Deng Jingjing, Meng Qingxia, Jiao Mengjiao, Zhang Renfei, Liu Qiang
Additional Name(s): 焦梦娇
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Religion or Belief: Falun Gong
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 2 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: July/19/2020
Date of Sentencing: January/14/2022
Current Status: Unknown
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Cult
Jiao Mengjiao was imprisoned for her religious activity.
On July 19, 2020, public security officials in Beijing municipality detained 13 Falun Gong practitioners, including Jiao, living in Beijing for allegedly sharing photos of Beijing street scenes during the COVID-19 pandemic with a publication associated with Falun Gong. Authorities also reportedly seized Falun Gong related materials from the practitioners’ residences.
On January 14, 2022, the Dongcheng People’s Court sentenced Jiao to two years in prison and fined her 4,000 yuan for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL).
Jiao's sentence should have ended in July 2022.
Related Cases: Xu Na, Li Zongze, Li Lixin, Zheng Yanmei, Zheng Yujie, Deng Jingjing, Meng Qingxia, Li Jiaxuan, Zhang Renfei, Liu Qiang