WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following hearing:
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN EURASIA
Are Governments Keeping Their Commitments?
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
10:45 a.m.
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Room 106
Live Webcast: http://www.youtube.com/HelsinkiCommission
WITNESSES:
- Sam Brownback, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom
In his first Congressional hearing since his confirmation, Ambassador Brownback will testify on religious freedom in participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation. OSCE commitments on human rights and freedoms are the strongest, most comprehensive of any security organization in the world. Yet some of its participating States chronically have been among the worst violators of religious freedom–often in the name of countering terrorism or extremism–and designated by the United States as Countries of Particular Concern.
The Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, Public Law 114-281, requires the President to release Country of Particular Concern designations–required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998–no later than 90 days after releasing the annual International Religious Freedom Report. The State Department issued the latest report, covering 2017, on May 27, 2018. Designations will hopefully be released by this hearing and will reveal whether:
- Uzbekistan will be designated for the Special Watch List, given the government’s reforms, or re-designated as a Country of Particular Concern
- Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have been re-designated as Countries of Particular Concern
- Russia has been designated for the Special Watch List or as a Country of Particular Concern
- Government of Russia-controlled separatist authorities and forces in eastern Ukraine have been designated as Entities of Particular Concern
- Kazakhstan has been designated for the Special Watch List because of its draft religion law
Even if designations have not been released by December 11, the Helsinki Commission will still explore these and other subjects, including religious freedom in Western Europe, like potentially restrictive amendments to the religion law in Bulgaria; restrictions on religious animal slaughter; restrictions on construction of houses of worship; and conscience rights.
