This hearing focused the disfranchisement of religious minorities Russia. In several cases, authorities unfairly targeted religious groups with excessive force and threatened their right to worship. The hearing examined these cases and what the OSCE and U.S. have done in response. The witness John V. Hanford, III, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, gave testimony about specific measures the State Department has in place in Moscow for addressing this issue and what the administration of President Bush has done to respond directly to these violations.
Members
Hon. Christopher Smith
Co-Chairman
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Hon. Mike McIntyre
Commissioner
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Hon. Josepth Pitts
Commissioner
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Witnesses
Sergey Cherepanov
Deputy Chairman
Presiding Committee, Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses—Russia
Hon. John Hanford III
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Department of State
Larry Uzzell
President
International Religious Freedom Watch
Paul Goble
Senior Research Associate
Eurocollege – University of Tartu, Estonia
Andrew Okhotin
Member
Independent Christian Baptists
Boris Perchatkin
President
American-Russian Relief Committee
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