Title

Unregistered Religious Groups in Russia

Thursday, April 14, 2005
11:30am
2200 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC
United States
Members: 
Name: 
Hon. Christopher Smith
Title Text: 
Co-Chairman
Body: 
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Name: 
Hon. Mike McIntyre
Title Text: 
Commissioner
Body: 
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Name: 
Hon. Josepth Pitts
Title Text: 
Commissioner
Body: 
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Witnesses: 
Name: 
Sergey Cherepanov
Title: 
Deputy Chairman
Body: 
Presiding Committee, Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses—Russia
Name: 
Hon. John Hanford III
Title: 
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Body: 
Department of State
Name: 
Larry Uzzell
Title: 
President
Body: 
International Religious Freedom Watch
Name: 
Paul Goble
Title: 
Senior Research Associate
Body: 
Eurocollege - University of Tartu, Estonia
Statement: 
Name: 
Andrew Okhotin
Title: 
Member
Body: 
Independent Christian Baptists
Name: 
Boris Perchatkin
Title: 
President
Body: 
American-Russian Relief Committee

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.

Relevant countries: 
Leadership: