Toggle navigation menu.
Helsinki Default Banner

Helsinki Commissioners Decry Lack of Religious Freedom in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

WASHINGTON – Following a briefing held today, U.S. Helsinki Commissioners called for immediate steps by the governments of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to uphold the right of individuals to freely profess and practice their faith consistent with their commitments as signatories to the Helsinki Final Act.

“In a part of the world where prospects for human rights are generally bleak, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan stand out as particularly egregious violators of religious freedom,” said Commission Chairman Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS). “As the panelists at today’s briefing made clear, there remains a mountain to climb when it comes to bringing both countries into compliance with the standards that their presidents agreed to when they personally signed the Helsinki Final Act. Respect for the right to freedom of worship is an important indicator for other fundamental freedoms.”

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, is a U.S. Government agency that monitors progress in the implementation of the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords. The Commission consists of nine members from the United States Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.

“The absence of religious freedom and freedom of conscience in both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is of deep concern and demands closer scrutiny. Practicing one’s religious convictions is, after life itself, one of the most basic rights. The faith communities in these countries face many reprisals and Uzbekistan should be designated a ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ and we should seriously reconsider Turkmenistan,” said Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) who opened the briefing with a statement.

Under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, the U.S. President can designate certain states to be “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) if he finds there are “particularly severe violations of religious freedom” occurring. “Particularly severe violations” means there are “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom” taking place. The 2005 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom was issued on November 8. Neither Uzbekistan nor Turkmenistan were identified as CPCs when other countries were designated after the release of the report.

“I was surprised when the State Department failed to list Uzbekistan as a Country of Particular Concern in its religious freedom report. As to Turkmenistan, the minimal progress we had seen earlier seems to have stalled – more must be done,” added Commission Ranking Member Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD).

“Ensuring the full enjoyment of religious liberties in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is a priority of our government,” said Commission Member Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) following the briefing. “I hope Mr. Karimov and Mr. Niyazov will do more to fulfill their international commitments, so that all of their citizens can exercise their inalienable rights to religious freedom.”

Both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have committed, as OSCE participating States, to guarantee freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. Uzbekistan has been cited for persecuting Muslims and has grown increasingly repressive of other faiths. Turkmenistan has also repressed the practice of Islam and harassed the free practice of minority religions.

“Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are clearly the worst of the worst in the OSCE region. As President Bush said in his second inaugural speech to oppressed peoples everywhere, ‘the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors.’ Unless significant changes occur soon, the United States must consider both countries as prime candidates for CPC designation,” said Chairman Brownback.

Media contact

Category
Country
Issue
Date
Filter Topics Open Close
Press Releases

Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Cohen Celebrates ...

Aug 01, 2024

WASHINGTON—Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s 56-nation Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Political Prisoners, today welcomed news that three journalists and Paul Whelan, wrongly detained and imprisoned by Russian authorities on trumped-up charges, have been released in a prisoner exchange. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: “I have been […]

screen-reader-text
Press Releases

HELSINKI COMMISSION SENDS APPEAL TO GEORGIAN PRESIDE...

Apr 28, 2023

WASHINGTON— The leadership of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, Chairman Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02), Co-Chairman Senator Ben Cardin (MD), and Ranking Members Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Senator Roger Wicker (MS) sent a letter to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili urging her to intervene to break […]

screen-reader-text
Hearings

CHURCH, STATE, AND RUSSIA’S WAR ON UKRAINE

Apr 27, 2023

The Putin regime has long used the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to consolidate its power at home and abroad. Under the leadership of Patriarch Kirill, the ROC has explicitly endorsed Russia’s war on Ukraine, even blessing weapons for the invasion. Churches under the mantle of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) had long been viewed […]

screen-reader-text
Press Releases

Congressmen Cohen and Wilson Introduce Resolution Re...

Oct 28, 2022

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, and the Commission’s Ranking Member, Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02), today introduced a resolution recognizing October 30 as International Day of Political Prisoners. Congressman Cohen was recently named the Special Representative on Political Prisoners […]

screen-reader-text
Statements

Congressmen Cohen and Wilson Introduce Resolution Re...

Oct 28, 2022

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, and the Commission’s Ranking Member, Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02), today introduced a resolution recognizing October 30 as International Day of Political Prisoners. Congressman Cohen was recently named the Special Representative on Political Prisoners […]

screen-reader-text
Press Releases

CO-CHAIRMAN COHEN APPOINTED AS OSCE PARLIAMENTARY AS...

Jul 21, 2022

WASHINGTON—Margareta Cederfelt, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), has appointed Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09) as the first-ever OSCE PA Special Representative on Political Prisoners. “I welcome the chance to serve as the voice of political prisoners across the OSCE region,” said Co-Chairman Cohen. “Every day, we witness more political arrests of […]

screen-reader-text
Articles

Chairman Cardin, OSCE participating States Commit to...

Feb 15, 2022

By Ryn Hintz, Paulina Kanburiyan, and Worth Talley, Max Kampelman Fellows, and Shannon Simrell, Representative of the Helsinki Commission to the U.S. Mission to the OSCE On February 7 – 8, 2022, the OSCE’s Polish Chair-in-Office organized a high-level conference in Warsaw on Combating Anti-Semitism in the OSCE Region with the support of OSCE’s Office […]

screen-reader-text
Logo_tile_368x331
Press Releases

Helsinki Commission Commemorates 45 Years of Advanci...

Jun 03, 2021

WASHINGTON—To commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, on June 3, Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) and commission leaders Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statements: “The Helsinki Commission has played a vital role in elevating […]

screen-reader-text
Press Releases

Cardin, Hudson Pledge Support to Ukraine in Bilatera...

May 03, 2021

WASHINGTON—In response to increased Russian aggression against Ukraine, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) and Commissioner Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08) initiated an exceptional bilateral meeting with members of the Ukrainian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) on April 30.  Chairman Cardin, who serves as Head of the U.S. Delegation to the Assembly, […]

screen-reader-text
Helsinki Commission Logo 1500x770
Digests

Helsinki Commission Digital Digest: April 2021

Apr 30, 2021

screen-reader-text
Press Releases

Wicker, Shaheen Reintroduce Bill to Hold Russia Acco...

Apr 22, 2021

WASHINGTON—Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (NH) today reintroduced the bipartisan Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act (S.1310). It is a companion bill to H.R. 496, introduced by Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), which unanimously passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday. “The Kremlin’s current repression in Ukraine mirrors an […]

screen-reader-text
Press Releases

Helsinki Commissioners Reintroduce Ukraine Religious...

Jan 29, 2021

WASHINGTON—Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Commissioner Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05) yesterday reintroduced the bipartisan Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act (H.R. 496) in the House of Representatives. The House unanimously passed the original legislation, which targets Russia’s religious freedom violations in Ukraine, on November 18, 2020. “The Kremlin and its proxies […]

screen-reader-text