USA – USCIRF Launches the Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List

USCIRF | Oct. 8, 2019


WASHINGTON, DC –United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chair Tony Perkins and Vice Chair Gayle Manchin today announced the launch of the Freedom of Religion of Belief (FoRB) Victims List, which is contained in a public online database. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), as amended by the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, requires USCIRF to:

make publicly available to the extent practicable, … lists of persons [USCIRF] determines are imprisoned or detained, have disappeared, been placed under house arrest, been tortured, or subjected to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy…”

The FoRB Victims List was publicly unveiled today at the International Religious Freedom Roundtable on Capitol Hill. Speaking at this event, Chair Perkins said, “We are thrilled to debut the FoRB Victims List. One of our hopes for this project is to work collaboratively to build and maintain a robust FoRB victims database that increases awareness of the grave plight of victims of religious freedom violations.”

“The launch of this database is an exciting development in the Commission’s history. Together, we can make the FoRB Victims List a central pillar of USCIRF’s engagement with the religious freedom advocacy community,” said Vice Chair Manchin.

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