CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL

On behalf of 150 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge members of Congress to co-sponsor the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, (H.R. 6210 or S. 3471), to ensure that American product supply chains are not funding the Chinese governments oppression of the Uyghurs and other Muslim groups in Xinjiang. Forced labor programs are a chilling component of the CCPs brutal campaign of repression of Xinjiangs Muslims religious freedoms. Chinas government is estimated to imprison over 1 million Muslims in reeducation camps where they face separation from their families, indoctrination, and torture. Unfortunately, the nightmare for many of these Muslims does not end at the walls of the camps. Chinese government officials coerce many former camp prisoners and local Muslim residents to work in government approved factories and other workplaces as part of their larger campaign to destroy their cultural identity and bring them under the complete control of the state. Congress should ensure that American dollars are not funding this oppression through the importation of products made by forced labor from the Xinjiang Region. The New York Times reported that the products made off the backs of these oppressed people are going into several global supply chains of products such as textiles and personal protective equipment that are going to consumers in the United States. On behalf of 91 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our deepest concerns about the urgent crisis in Hong Kong, which represents a clear and present danger to religious freedom and all other fundamental rights and freedoms. The President has rightly said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is absolutely smothering freedom in Hong Kong and that such behavior will not go unpunished. We have nonetheless reached the day the communist regime actualizes this unacceptable crackdown with its formal adoption of a national security law that violates Chinas international treaty commitments and that will render this once-free territory just another enslaved Chinese city suffering savage oppression. We must not allow this to happen without imposing real and material costs on the CCP. Fortunately, the Defense Department has illuminated a way in which this can be swiftly accomplished-one that both conforms to longstanding U.S. statutory requirements and unmistakably demonstrates our resolve. On June 24, the Pentagon produced a list of twenty Communist Chinese military companies that are doing business, directly or indirectly, in this country. Pursuant to P.L. 105-261, Sec. 1237, the President is authorized by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to penalize such Peoples Liberation Army-tied corporations. By swiftly shutting down their operations inside the United States and terminating their access to our capital markets, we can simultaneously advance our national security interests and deliver a strong response to the CCP suppression of Hong Kong. We urged this action as a much needed and very tangible demonstration of our nations solidarity with the people of Hong Kong and those elsewhere in China who are already being denied religious and other freedoms. On behalf of 60 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge emergency measures to ensure open and free access to the internet for those facing a resurgence of human rights abuses in China. The Chinese governments crackdown on the freedom of Hong Kongs people and its deadly COVID-19 misinformation campaigns pose an urgent threat to global human rights. The Chinese governments Great Firewall is actively censoring the free flow of information on the internet. The messages of brave protestors standing for freedom in Hong Kong cannot reach mainland Chinese citizens who are locked in a virtual prison of internet censorship. Now the CCP is openly flouting its international agreements and acting aggressively to remove the rights guaranteed to Hong Kong. The reach of Chinas internet oppression now threatens to extend to Hong Kong with the Court of Final Appeals rulings and the new Chinese draft national security law. Chinas persecution of religious groups and the ensuing cover up both rely on its strict internet censorship, whether the targeted group is Falun Gong, Christians, Uyghurs, or Tibetans. Without quick, decisive action to tear down the censorship wall, these same violations will likely dismantle the religious freedom Hong Kong has long possessed. Despite the Chinese governments efforts, several existing firewall circumvention tools have already provided hundreds of thousands of users with uncensored internet access. We asked for funds to be designated for firewall circumvention tools such as Ultrasurf, Lantern, and Freegate that are already on the GSA schedule and so can quickly receive emergency funding. In this way many more people can get accurate information. On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge U.S. government leaders to urge the Hungarian government to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $10,000

Matched citations: H.R. 6210

On behalf of 150 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge members of Congress to co-sponsor the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, (H.R. 6210 or S. 3471), to ensure that American product supply chains are not funding the Chinese governments oppression of the Uyghurs and other Muslim groups in Xinjiang. Forced labor programs are a chilling component of the CCPs brutal campaign of repression of Xinjiangs Muslims religious freedoms. Chinas government is estimated to imprison over 1 million Muslims in reeducation camps where they face separation from their families, indoctrination, and torture. Unfortunately, the nightmare for many of these Muslims does not end at the walls of the camps. Chinese government officials coerce many former camp prisoners and local Muslim residents to work in government approved factories and other workplaces as part of their larger campaign to destroy their cultural identity and bring them under the complete control of the state. Congress should ensure that American dollars are not funding this oppression through the importation of products made by forced labor from the Xinjiang Region. The New York Times reported that the products made off the backs of these oppressed people are going into several global supply chains of products such as textiles and personal protective equipment that are going to consumers in the United States. On behalf of 91 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our deepest concerns about the urgent crisis in Hong Kong, which represents a clear and present danger to religious freedom and all other fundamental rights and freedoms. The President has rightly said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is absolutely smothering freedom in Hong Kong and that such behavior will not go unpunished. We have nonetheless reached the day the communist regime actualizes this unacceptable crackdown with its formal adoption of a national security law that violates Chinas international treaty commitments and that will render this once-free territory just another enslaved Chinese city suffering savage oppression. We must not allow this to happen without imposing real and material costs on the CCP. Fortunately, the Defense Department has illuminated a way in which this can be swiftly accomplished-one that both conforms to longstanding U.S. statutory requirements and unmistakably demonstrates our resolve. On June 24, the Pentagon produced a list of twenty Communist Chinese military companies that are doing business, directly or indirectly, in this country. Pursuant to P.L. 105-261, Sec. 1237, the President is authorized by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to penalize such Peoples Liberation Army-tied corporations. By swiftly shutting down their operations inside the United States and terminating their access to our capital markets, we can simultaneously advance our national security interests and deliver a strong response to the CCP suppression of Hong Kong. We urged this action as a much needed and very tangible demonstration of our nations solidarity with the people of Hong Kong and those elsewhere in China who are already being denied religious and other freedoms. On behalf of 60 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge emergency measures to ensure open and free access to the internet for those facing a resurgence of human rights abuses in China. The Chinese governments crackdown on the freedom of Hong Kongs people and its deadly COVID-19 misinformation campaigns pose an urgent threat to global human rights. The Chinese governments Great Firewall is actively censoring the free flow of information on the internet. The messages of brave protestors standing for freedom in Hong Kong cannot reach mainland Chinese citizens who are locked in a virtual prison of internet censorship. Now the CCP is openly flouting its international agreements and acting aggressively to remove the rights guaranteed to Hong Kong. The reach of Chinas internet oppression now threatens to extend to Hong Kong with the Court of Final Appeals rulings and the new Chinese draft national security law. Chinas persecution of religious groups and the ensuing cover up both rely on its strict internet censorship, whether the targeted group is Falun Gong, Christians, Uyghurs, or Tibetans. Without quick, decisive action to tear down the censorship wall, these same violations will likely dismantle the religious freedom Hong Kong has long possessed. Despite the Chinese governments efforts, several existing firewall circumvention tools have already provided hundreds of thousands of users with uncensored internet access. We asked for funds to be designated for firewall circumvention tools such as Ultrasurf, Lantern, and Freegate that are already on the GSA schedule and so can quickly receive emergency funding. In this way many more people can get accurate information. On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge U.S. government leaders to urge the Hungarian government to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $10,000

Matched citations: S. 3471

On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 43 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our serious concerns over the human rights violations and religious freedom abuses in The Peoples Republic of China. As the U.S. government seeks to counter China economically and militarily, we urge leaders to counter China morally as well, making these concerns a top priority in trade negotiations and ensuring that international religious liberty remains a top foreign policy priority with respect to China. For decades, the Communist Party of China has routinely violated the basic human rights of millions in their country by strictly controlling how many children a family can legally have, using extreme forms of technological surveillance to monitor their citizens, and seeking to control the speech of their citizens and snuff out the free exercise of religion. In the annual global human rights report, the State Department referred to Chinas re-education camps for Uyghur Muslims as some of the worst human rights violations since the 1930s, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that China was in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations. The broad efforts to sinicize all religious practice in China, from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism to Falun Gong, is directly inconsistent with international human rights and religious freedom norms, standards, and law. If unchallenged, these norms and standards will be eroded, threatening the lives and freedoms of millions more around the world who are subject to autocratic regimes. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Kazakh President and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. On behalf of 23 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge swift action to take up two bills addressing the human-rights crisis in the Uyghur Region of China: the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 (H.R. 649 and S. 178), and the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019 H.R. 1025). Reports have now confirmed large-scale, highly secretive prisoner-transport to remote parts of the country. Many thousands of children are now experiencing their third year of separation from their parents through forced placement in state orphanage institutions. Reports of deaths in detention are increasing, despite the extreme secrecy preventing information from reaching the outside world. The State Departments December 4 Senate testimony provided an estimate of between 800,000 and possibly over two million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities detained in extralegal prison-camps for secret indefinite detention, where they are forced to denounce their religion and identity. They are subject to inhuman torture, withholding of medical care, food and water deprivation, humiliation and ill-treatment, as well as forced labor. The long arm of the Chinese governments repression also reaches Uyghurs living abroad, who are being pressured to return home, to remain silent about the human-rights crisis, or even to spy, through threats to their families. Six reporters working for the Congressionally supported Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service have suffered cruel reprisals as a result of their work, with more than 30 of their relatives detained or disappeared. This demonstrates the lengths the Chinese government is willing to go to silence Uyghurs, and is a direct challenge to the rights and well-being of U.S. citizens. U.S. leadership on the crisis, as it enters its third year, will pave the way for other governments and the United Nations to call the Chinese government to account and impose genuine consequences for Chinas trampling of international norms on a shocking scale. Many governments remain intimidated by Chinese threats of retaliation and reprisals. It is up to the U.S., the champion of liberal values and the country that did the most to lead the world out of the ashes of World War Two, to lead the way once again.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H.R. 1025

On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 43 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our serious concerns over the human rights violations and religious freedom abuses in The Peoples Republic of China. As the U.S. government seeks to counter China economically and militarily, we urge leaders to counter China morally as well, making these concerns a top priority in trade negotiations and ensuring that international religious liberty remains a top foreign policy priority with respect to China. For decades, the Communist Party of China has routinely violated the basic human rights of millions in their country by strictly controlling how many children a family can legally have, using extreme forms of technological surveillance to monitor their citizens, and seeking to control the speech of their citizens and snuff out the free exercise of religion. In the annual global human rights report, the State Department referred to Chinas re-education camps for Uyghur Muslims as some of the worst human rights violations since the 1930s, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that China was in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations. The broad efforts to sinicize all religious practice in China, from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism to Falun Gong, is directly inconsistent with international human rights and religious freedom norms, standards, and law. If unchallenged, these norms and standards will be eroded, threatening the lives and freedoms of millions more around the world who are subject to autocratic regimes. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Kazakh President and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. On behalf of 23 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge swift action to take up two bills addressing the human-rights crisis in the Uyghur Region of China: the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 (H.R. 649 and S. 178), and the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019 H.R. 1025). Reports have now confirmed large-scale, highly secretive prisoner-transport to remote parts of the country. Many thousands of children are now experiencing their third year of separation from their parents through forced placement in state orphanage institutions. Reports of deaths in detention are increasing, despite the extreme secrecy preventing information from reaching the outside world. The State Departments December 4 Senate testimony provided an estimate of between 800,000 and possibly over two million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities detained in extralegal prison-camps for secret indefinite detention, where they are forced to denounce their religion and identity. They are subject to inhuman torture, withholding of medical care, food and water deprivation, humiliation and ill-treatment, as well as forced labor. The long arm of the Chinese governments repression also reaches Uyghurs living abroad, who are being pressured to return home, to remain silent about the human-rights crisis, or even to spy, through threats to their families. Six reporters working for the Congressionally supported Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service have suffered cruel reprisals as a result of their work, with more than 30 of their relatives detained or disappeared. This demonstrates the lengths the Chinese government is willing to go to silence Uyghurs, and is a direct challenge to the rights and well-being of U.S. citizens. U.S. leadership on the crisis, as it enters its third year, will pave the way for other governments and the United Nations to call the Chinese government to account and impose genuine consequences for Chinas trampling of international norms on a shocking scale. Many governments remain intimidated by Chinese threats of retaliation and reprisals. It is up to the U.S., the champion of liberal values and the country that did the most to lead the world out of the ashes of World War Two, to lead the way once again.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H.R. 649

On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 43 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our serious concerns over the human rights violations and religious freedom abuses in The Peoples Republic of China. As the U.S. government seeks to counter China economically and militarily, we urge leaders to counter China morally as well, making these concerns a top priority in trade negotiations and ensuring that international religious liberty remains a top foreign policy priority with respect to China. For decades, the Communist Party of China has routinely violated the basic human rights of millions in their country by strictly controlling how many children a family can legally have, using extreme forms of technological surveillance to monitor their citizens, and seeking to control the speech of their citizens and snuff out the free exercise of religion. In the annual global human rights report, the State Department referred to Chinas re-education camps for Uyghur Muslims as some of the worst human rights violations since the 1930s, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that China was in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations. The broad efforts to sinicize all religious practice in China, from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism to Falun Gong, is directly inconsistent with international human rights and religious freedom norms, standards, and law. If unchallenged, these norms and standards will be eroded, threatening the lives and freedoms of millions more around the world who are subject to autocratic regimes. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Kazakh President and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. On behalf of 23 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge swift action to take up two bills addressing the human-rights crisis in the Uyghur Region of China: the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 (H.R. 649 and S. 178), and the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019 H.R. 1025). Reports have now confirmed large-scale, highly secretive prisoner-transport to remote parts of the country. Many thousands of children are now experiencing their third year of separation from their parents through forced placement in state orphanage institutions. Reports of deaths in detention are increasing, despite the extreme secrecy preventing information from reaching the outside world. The State Departments December 4 Senate testimony provided an estimate of between 800,000 and possibly over two million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities detained in extralegal prison-camps for secret indefinite detention, where they are forced to denounce their religion and identity. They are subject to inhuman torture, withholding of medical care, food and water deprivation, humiliation and ill-treatment, as well as forced labor. The long arm of the Chinese governments repression also reaches Uyghurs living abroad, who are being pressured to return home, to remain silent about the human-rights crisis, or even to spy, through threats to their families. Six reporters working for the Congressionally supported Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service have suffered cruel reprisals as a result of their work, with more than 30 of their relatives detained or disappeared. This demonstrates the lengths the Chinese government is willing to go to silence Uyghurs, and is a direct challenge to the rights and well-being of U.S. citizens. U.S. leadership on the crisis, as it enters its third year, will pave the way for other governments and the United Nations to call the Chinese government to account and impose genuine consequences for Chinas trampling of international norms on a shocking scale. Many governments remain intimidated by Chinese threats of retaliation and reprisals. It is up to the U.S., the champion of liberal values and the country that did the most to lead the world out of the ashes of World War Two, to lead the way once again.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: S. 178

On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 43 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our serious concerns over the human rights violations and religious freedom abuses in The Peoples Republic of China. As the U.S. government seeks to counter China economically and militarily, we urge leaders to counter China morally as well, making these concerns a top priority in trade negotiations and ensuring that international religious liberty remains a top foreign policy priority with respect to China. For decades, the Communist Party of China has routinely violated the basic human rights of millions in their country by strictly controlling how many children a family can legally have, using extreme forms of technological surveillance to monitor their citizens, and seeking to control the speech of their citizens and snuff out the free exercise of religion. In the annual global human rights report, the State Department referred to Chinas re-education camps for Uyghur Muslims as some of the worst human rights violations since the 1930s, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that China was in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations. The broad efforts to sinicize all religious practice in China, from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism to Falun Gong, is directly inconsistent with international human rights and religious freedom norms, standards, and law. If unchallenged, these norms and standards will be eroded, threatening the lives and freedoms of millions more around the world who are subject to autocratic regimes. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Kazakh President and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. On behalf of 23 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge swift action to take up two bills addressing the human-rights crisis in the Uyghur Region of China: the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 (H.R. 649 and S. 178), and the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019 H.R. 1025). Reports have now confirmed large-scale, highly secretive prisoner-transport to remote parts of the country. Many thousands of children are now experiencing their third year of separation from their parents through forced placement in state orphanage institutions. Reports of deaths in detention are increasing, despite the extreme secrecy preventing information from reaching the outside world. The State Departments December 4 Senate testimony provided an estimate of between 800,000 and possibly over two million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities detained in extralegal prison-camps for secret indefinite detention, where they are forced to denounce their religion and identity. They are subject to inhuman torture, withholding of medical care, food and water deprivation, humiliation and ill-treatment, as well as forced labor. The long arm of the Chinese governments repression also reaches Uyghurs living abroad, who are being pressured to return home, to remain silent about the human-rights crisis, or even to spy, through threats to their families. Six reporters working for the Congressionally supported Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service have suffered cruel reprisals as a result of their work, with more than 30 of their relatives detained or disappeared. This demonstrates the lengths the Chinese government is willing to go to silence Uyghurs, and is a direct challenge to the rights and well-being of U.S. citizens. U.S. leadership on the crisis, as it enters its third year, will pave the way for other governments and the United Nations to call the Chinese government to account and impose genuine consequences for Chinas trampling of international norms on a shocking scale. Many governments remain intimidated by Chinese threats of retaliation and reprisals. It is up to the U.S., the champion of liberal values and the country that did the most to lead the world out of the ashes of World War Two, to lead the way once again.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H.R. 1025

On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 43 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our serious concerns over the human rights violations and religious freedom abuses in The Peoples Republic of China. As the U.S. government seeks to counter China economically and militarily, we urge leaders to counter China morally as well, making these concerns a top priority in trade negotiations and ensuring that international religious liberty remains a top foreign policy priority with respect to China. For decades, the Communist Party of China has routinely violated the basic human rights of millions in their country by strictly controlling how many children a family can legally have, using extreme forms of technological surveillance to monitor their citizens, and seeking to control the speech of their citizens and snuff out the free exercise of religion. In the annual global human rights report, the State Department referred to Chinas re-education camps for Uyghur Muslims as some of the worst human rights violations since the 1930s, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that China was in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations. The broad efforts to sinicize all religious practice in China, from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism to Falun Gong, is directly inconsistent with international human rights and religious freedom norms, standards, and law. If unchallenged, these norms and standards will be eroded, threatening the lives and freedoms of millions more around the world who are subject to autocratic regimes. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Kazakh President and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. On behalf of 23 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge swift action to take up two bills addressing the human-rights crisis in the Uyghur Region of China: the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 (H.R. 649 and S. 178), and the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019 H.R. 1025). Reports have now confirmed large-scale, highly secretive prisoner-transport to remote parts of the country. Many thousands of children are now experiencing their third year of separation from their parents through forced placement in state orphanage institutions. Reports of deaths in detention are increasing, despite the extreme secrecy preventing information from reaching the outside world. The State Departments December 4 Senate testimony provided an estimate of between 800,000 and possibly over two million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities detained in extralegal prison-camps for secret indefinite detention, where they are forced to denounce their religion and identity. They are subject to inhuman torture, withholding of medical care, food and water deprivation, humiliation and ill-treatment, as well as forced labor. The long arm of the Chinese governments repression also reaches Uyghurs living abroad, who are being pressured to return home, to remain silent about the human-rights crisis, or even to spy, through threats to their families. Six reporters working for the Congressionally supported Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service have suffered cruel reprisals as a result of their work, with more than 30 of their relatives detained or disappeared. This demonstrates the lengths the Chinese government is willing to go to silence Uyghurs, and is a direct challenge to the rights and well-being of U.S. citizens. U.S. leadership on the crisis, as it enters its third year, will pave the way for other governments and the United Nations to call the Chinese government to account and impose genuine consequences for Chinas trampling of international norms on a shocking scale. Many governments remain intimidated by Chinese threats of retaliation and reprisals. It is up to the U.S., the champion of liberal values and the country that did the most to lead the world out of the ashes of World War Two, to lead the way once again.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H.R. 649

On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 43 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our serious concerns over the human rights violations and religious freedom abuses in The Peoples Republic of China. As the U.S. government seeks to counter China economically and militarily, we urge leaders to counter China morally as well, making these concerns a top priority in trade negotiations and ensuring that international religious liberty remains a top foreign policy priority with respect to China. For decades, the Communist Party of China has routinely violated the basic human rights of millions in their country by strictly controlling how many children a family can legally have, using extreme forms of technological surveillance to monitor their citizens, and seeking to control the speech of their citizens and snuff out the free exercise of religion. In the annual global human rights report, the State Department referred to Chinas re-education camps for Uyghur Muslims as some of the worst human rights violations since the 1930s, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that China was in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations. The broad efforts to sinicize all religious practice in China, from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism to Falun Gong, is directly inconsistent with international human rights and religious freedom norms, standards, and law. If unchallenged, these norms and standards will be eroded, threatening the lives and freedoms of millions more around the world who are subject to autocratic regimes. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Kazakh President and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. On behalf of 23 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge swift action to take up two bills addressing the human-rights crisis in the Uyghur Region of China: the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 (H.R. 649 and S. 178), and the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act of 2019 H.R. 1025). Reports have now confirmed large-scale, highly secretive prisoner-transport to remote parts of the country. Many thousands of children are now experiencing their third year of separation from their parents through forced placement in state orphanage institutions. Reports of deaths in detention are increasing, despite the extreme secrecy preventing information from reaching the outside world. The State Departments December 4 Senate testimony provided an estimate of between 800,000 and possibly over two million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities detained in extralegal prison-camps for secret indefinite detention, where they are forced to denounce their religion and identity. They are subject to inhuman torture, withholding of medical care, food and water deprivation, humiliation and ill-treatment, as well as forced labor. The long arm of the Chinese governments repression also reaches Uyghurs living abroad, who are being pressured to return home, to remain silent about the human-rights crisis, or even to spy, through threats to their families. Six reporters working for the Congressionally supported Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service have suffered cruel reprisals as a result of their work, with more than 30 of their relatives detained or disappeared. This demonstrates the lengths the Chinese government is willing to go to silence Uyghurs, and is a direct challenge to the rights and well-being of U.S. citizens. U.S. leadership on the crisis, as it enters its third year, will pave the way for other governments and the United Nations to call the Chinese government to account and impose genuine consequences for Chinas trampling of international norms on a shocking scale. Many governments remain intimidated by Chinese threats of retaliation and reprisals. It is up to the U.S., the champion of liberal values and the country that did the most to lead the world out of the ashes of World War Two, to lead the way once again.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: S. 178

On behalf of 47 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to recommend with the utmost enthusiasm and urgency the prompt confirmation of Professor Robert A. Destro as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. We continue to face a world where broad human rights violations occur every day and where 83% of the world lives in places with high or very high levels of restrictions on the freedoms that religious minority groups take for granted here in the United States. The U.S. has a proud bipartisan tradition of standing for human rights and religious freedom. To do this effectively the State Department needs to be fully staffed with individuals who will press the human rights concerns at the center of our foreign policy. Congress has routinely passed laws that focus and support U.S. government efforts in this area. As participants of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, we are particularly interested in the Frank Wolf Act, which places religious freedom as a high priority for protecting individuals of any or no faith. The first version of this Act established the International Religious Freedom [IRF] Office at the Department of State. Like the DRL, the important work of the IRF office has been built on a strong tradition of bipartisan collaboration and a shared vision of the inherent dignity of each person. While that office is ably led by Ambassador Sam Brownback, it also resides in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Without a confirmed Assistant Secretary to complete the chain of command and complement the excellent work of Ambassador Brownback to date, neither IRF nor DRL will be able to reach their full potential. Confirming the nominee for the office, Robert (Bob) Destro, would connect the religious freedom agenda with the broader human rights agenda in ways that were not possible before the passage of the Frank Wolf Act. DRL and IRF share a common Congressional mandate. On behalf of 41 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to ask for the mark-up of H. RES. 673, Expressing concern over attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and bring it to a full floor vote. This resolution, which Rep. Ros-Lehtinen supported as an original cosponsor, now has the strong bi-partisan backing of 47 Members of Congress, many of whom are members of the MENA subcommittee. During the Foreign Affairs Hearing, Egypt: Security, Human Rights, and Reform, which Rep. Ros - Lehtinen chaired on July 24, the expert witnesses presented compelling evidence of the decimation of civil society and increased persecution of religious minorities in Egypt, particularly the Copts. Copts are under attack in numerous ways; from the institutional and daily systematic discrimination to the intermittent terrorization such as church bombings that cause large casualties. This entrenched system of persecution is no less heinous in breaking Copts down into a state of submission and hopelessness. The US is now engaging Egypt in the fight against Islamist terrorism and stands to exercise its weight and moral values to promote equality, civil society, and religious freedom for all Egyptians. Egypts stability is vital, but Copts and civil society should not be the victims - or collateral damage - that pay the ultimate price in the war on terrorism. The recent Ministerial in support of international religious freedom has affirmed that international religious freedom has become an integral part of the US foreign policy. It is imperative to pass H. Res. 673 since it will send Egypt a message that this is not mere empty rhetoric. In this increasingly authoritarian environment in which minorities suffer, passing H. RES. 673 before the end of this session of Congress will send an important message to the Egyptian government that the Congress cares about the state of human rights and religious freedom in Egypt, and is willing to address it. On behalf of 34 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to recommend Syria policy as a key post-Ministerial initiative with the proactive goal of securing religious freedom, and related civil and political rights, for all Syrian citizens. Religious freedom in its fullest sense-equal rights for all regardless of faith or ethnicity-is the sole foundation for real democracy, peace, reconciliation, and stability in Syria. It is essential to attract millions of Syrian refugees to return home and stabilize minority populations, including Christians, who have called this area home for over 5,000 years. It can give some solace to those who suffered unspeakable atrocities, based on religious totalitarianism. On behalf of 74 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express deep concern about the deteriorating religious freedom situation in Nigeria; and to urge U.S. government leaders to appoint a Special Coordinator for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region. Nigeria, and indeed the region, face severe challenges. Nigeria is the largest country in Africa of 195 million people. What takes place in Nigeria does not stay in Nigeria, but rather impacts the surrounding countries as was seen in the tragic ambush of American soldiers in Niger. We believe that significant action is needed to confront these challenges or countries in the region could fracture, causing an extreme humanitarian crisis, immigration pressures on European allies and America, as well as security threats to our national interests in the region. We are very concerned about the violence that in some cases is motivated by religion or in other cases falls on ethno-religious fault lines. We are also concerned about the treatment of some Shia groups by the military. We think the United States Commission on International Religious Freedoms call to name Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern is correct. Of the top 25 most populous countries in the world, Nigeria had the highest level of social hostilities regarding religion according to Pews report last year. This year they are number two on the list. We hope the appointment of a well-respected and qualified person could then coordinate with Secretary of State Pompeo, Secretary of Defense General Mattis, International Religious Freedom Ambassador Brownback (whose energy, focus, and indeed trip to Nigeria have been excellent), UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, USAID Administrator Mark Green, Ambassador Bolton with the NSC, the various intelligence agencies, and excellent diplomats and Foreign Service Officers working in the relevant embassies. We would encourage such a position to make policy recommendations to the various agencies and team that has been assembled. We also hope that they would build key relationships with key officials and personnel in the regional governments already working on these issues. On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express deep concern about the deteriorating religious freedom situation in Russia; and to urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in public statements and bilateral discussions, and leverage the growing network of foreign institutions that are eager to partner with the United States to advance international religious freedom. This fundamental right is in serious peril as the Russian government continues to foster an atmosphere of intolerance, discrimination and persecution against religious minorities throughout the entire country. The 2002 Extremism Law laid the foundation for an alarming trend in repressions against civil society and non-traditional minority religions. The law was initially passed to combat terrorism after 9/11 but it provides no clear definition for the term extremism, thus rendering virtually any group or individual vulnerable to political and legal harassment. In fact, it has been frequently misused to target a vast multitude of peaceful and law-abiding civil society organizations and individuals; to censor religious materials, arrest and detain believers for reading or disseminating Scriptures, refuse to register religious groups, harass and prosecute religious groups that are refused registration, and liquidate and close down places of worship for targeted religious faiths. Such oppressive measures have no place in a democratic society. Most recently, the Scientology religion, its parishioners and its religious and social organizations have become a primary target of this Russian national campaign of religious repression. The campaign has been chillingly wide-ranging. Russias Supreme Court has declared Jehovahs Witnesses, a Christian denomination that rejects violence, as extremist, confirming an order by the Justice Ministry that the group be liquidated and thereby banning them from operating on Russian territory. Further, Muslims, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Presbyterians, Hindus, Buddhists and others have been targeted. In spite of the principles of non-discrimination and equal treatment at the heart of the UN Bill of Rights, the Russian Government is systematically using the Extremism Law to: 1) seize and censor peaceful religious scriptures read without incident the world over; 2) arrest and detain members of minority faiths for reading and disseminating these religious materials; and 3) initiate proceedings to liquidate and shut down religious organizations in order to disrupt and suppress their right to conduct religious activities in contravention of the fundamental human right to religious freedom. This misuse of the Extremism Law against religions has been widely criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee (28 April 2015), the Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe (14 September 2012), and the Venice Commission (1 June 2012), which found the law and its use against religions violated human rights and called on Russia to correct the law. Over fifty cases regarding Russias misuse of the Extremism Law against religions have been filed by numerous religious groups before the European Court of Human Rights. Also made contacts to urge U.S. government leaders to raise the State Department's deep concerns about the growing number of individuals-now more than 150-identified by credible human rights organizations as political and religious prisoners held by the Government of the Russian Federation; about the welfare of four Ukrainians unjustly imprisoned who are currently on hunger strike-Oleh Sentsov, Stanislav Klykh, Oleksandr Shumkov, and Volodymyr Balukh; about the case of Oyub Titiyev, a human rights activist prosecuted on trumped-up drug charges in Chechnya, whose pre-trial detention was recently extended; about the fact that Russian authorities have detained Jehovahs Witness Dennis Christensen since May 2017; about the five Church of Scientology leaders who have also been subjected to detention without trial since June 2017, as well as over a dozen Muslim followers of Turkish theologian Said Nursi; and the State Department's all on Russia to release all those identified as political or religious prisoners immediately and cease its use of the legal system to suppress dissent and peaceful religious practice. The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve equal treatment under the law and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution. On behalf of 53 organizations and individuals, including the client, made contacts to urge the swift passage of H.R.390 - Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017. In the summer of 2017, the bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Urged a vote on the consent calendar so we will be one step closer to providing recovery assistance to victims of the genocide committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The Christian, Yazidi and other minority communities are either languishing in camps, some for almost three years, or choosing to seek refugee abroad because their towns and villages were decimated by ISIS. The situation is dire: families struggle to meet basic needs for nutrition, health, and education without a proper humanitarian assistance. Presently there are over 300,000 internally displaced Yazidis and some 90,000 Christian IDPs residing in deteriorating camps intended to be temporary shelters in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. With American help, these areas can redevelop and the native people can return. This not only helps all of Northern Iraq rebuild, but will deflect ISIS's attempt to erase these minorities. ISISs intentional destruction of homes, means of working, and places of worship was an act of genocide according to Article 2, section 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which defines genocide as Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. ISIS targeted these minorities for extinction from their homelands through mass murder, the taking of over 7,000 sex slaves, and the razing of their homes, farms and places of worship. Unless these minorities return to their ancient homelands and make a life for themselves, ISISs genocide will be successful. Without the passage of H.R. 390 there is no Congressional guarantee that the United States is committed to ensuring these ancient minority religious communities will survive and return to their ancestral homelands. H.R. 390 should pass the Senate and move forward in the process before it is too late and the good work done by the House and the Foreign Relations Committee is lost. On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision that adopted views and conclusions that an individual-Viktor Yakovlevich Leven (the author)-was a victim of violations by Kazakhstan of his rights under Article 18 of the ICCPR. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 9.2 In the present case, the Committee notes that, not having been registered as a foreign missionary on behalf of his church, the author was convicted for conducting missionary activity, which consisted of preaching and praying and conducting meetings and religious rituals among the followers of the church 9.4 The Committee concludes that the punishment imposed on the author, and in particular its harsh consequences for the author, who is facing deportation, amount to a limitation of the authors right to manifest his religion under article 18, paragraph 1; that the limitation has not been shown to serve any legitimate purpose identified in article 18, paragraph 3; and neither has the State party shown that this sweeping limitation of the right to manifest religion is proportionate to any legitimate purpose that it might serve. The limitation therefore does not meet the requirements of article 18, paragraph 3, and the Committee accordingly finds that the authors rights under article 18, paragraph 1, have been violated. 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the UN Human Rights Committee's second periodic report of Kazakhstan. On July 11, 2016, the Committee adopted principal matters of concern and recommendations, including: 13.The Committee is concerned about the broad formulation of the concepts of extremism, inciting social or class hatred and religious hatred or enmity under the State partys criminal legislation and the use of such legislation on extremism to unduly restrict freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association. It is also concerned about reports that counter-terrorism activities continue to target in particular members or presumed members of banned or unregistered Islamic groups, such as the Tabligh Jamaat. 14.The State party should bring its counter-terrorism and counter-extremism legislation and practices into full compliance with its obligations under the Covenant, inter alia by revising the relevant legislative provisions with a view to clarifying and narrowing the broad concepts referred to above, to ensure that they comply with the principles of legal certainty and predictability and that the application of such legislation does not suppress protected conduct and speech 47.The Committee is concerned about undue restrictions on the exercise of freedom of religious belief, including in the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations, such as the mandatory registration of religious organizations, the ban on unregistered religious activities, and the restrictions on the importation and distribution of religious materials. The Committee is further concerned about the use of broadly formulated crimes and administrative offences in the Criminal Code, including of articles 174 and 404, the Administrative Code, and the legislation on combating extremism to punish individuals exercising their freedom of religion and belief with severe sanctions. 48.The State party should guarantee the effective exercise of the freedom of religion and belief and freedom to manifest a religion or belief in practice. It should consider bringing article 22 of its Constitution in line with the Covenant and revise all relevant laws and practices with a view to removing all restrictions that go beyond the narrowly construed restrictions permitted under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) call for Kazakhstan to make revisions to the Religion Law. The call came in its Preliminary Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Legal Framework On Countering Extremism and Terrorism in the Republic of Kazakhstan, issued on 6 October 2016: 80. UN human rights monitoring bodies have recently reiterated their concerns about undue restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief imposed by the 2011 Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations of Kazakhstan the Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations should be revised to ensure that religious groups/organizations can be formed and operate freely even in the absence of registration or without the States prior approval.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $30,000

Matched citations: H.R. 390, H.R.390

On behalf of 47 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to recommend with the utmost enthusiasm and urgency the prompt confirmation of Professor Robert A. Destro as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. We continue to face a world where broad human rights violations occur every day and where 83% of the world lives in places with high or very high levels of restrictions on the freedoms that religious minority groups take for granted here in the United States. The U.S. has a proud bipartisan tradition of standing for human rights and religious freedom. To do this effectively the State Department needs to be fully staffed with individuals who will press the human rights concerns at the center of our foreign policy. Congress has routinely passed laws that focus and support U.S. government efforts in this area. As participants of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, we are particularly interested in the Frank Wolf Act, which places religious freedom as a high priority for protecting individuals of any or no faith. The first version of this Act established the International Religious Freedom [IRF] Office at the Department of State. Like the DRL, the important work of the IRF office has been built on a strong tradition of bipartisan collaboration and a shared vision of the inherent dignity of each person. While that office is ably led by Ambassador Sam Brownback, it also resides in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Without a confirmed Assistant Secretary to complete the chain of command and complement the excellent work of Ambassador Brownback to date, neither IRF nor DRL will be able to reach their full potential. Confirming the nominee for the office, Robert (Bob) Destro, would connect the religious freedom agenda with the broader human rights agenda in ways that were not possible before the passage of the Frank Wolf Act. DRL and IRF share a common Congressional mandate. On behalf of 41 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to ask for the mark-up of H. RES. 673, Expressing concern over attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and bring it to a full floor vote. This resolution, which Rep. Ros-Lehtinen supported as an original cosponsor, now has the strong bi-partisan backing of 47 Members of Congress, many of whom are members of the MENA subcommittee. During the Foreign Affairs Hearing, Egypt: Security, Human Rights, and Reform, which Rep. Ros - Lehtinen chaired on July 24, the expert witnesses presented compelling evidence of the decimation of civil society and increased persecution of religious minorities in Egypt, particularly the Copts. Copts are under attack in numerous ways; from the institutional and daily systematic discrimination to the intermittent terrorization such as church bombings that cause large casualties. This entrenched system of persecution is no less heinous in breaking Copts down into a state of submission and hopelessness. The US is now engaging Egypt in the fight against Islamist terrorism and stands to exercise its weight and moral values to promote equality, civil society, and religious freedom for all Egyptians. Egypts stability is vital, but Copts and civil society should not be the victims - or collateral damage - that pay the ultimate price in the war on terrorism. The recent Ministerial in support of international religious freedom has affirmed that international religious freedom has become an integral part of the US foreign policy. It is imperative to pass H. Res. 673 since it will send Egypt a message that this is not mere empty rhetoric. In this increasingly authoritarian environment in which minorities suffer, passing H. RES. 673 before the end of this session of Congress will send an important message to the Egyptian government that the Congress cares about the state of human rights and religious freedom in Egypt, and is willing to address it. On behalf of 34 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to recommend Syria policy as a key post-Ministerial initiative with the proactive goal of securing religious freedom, and related civil and political rights, for all Syrian citizens. Religious freedom in its fullest sense-equal rights for all regardless of faith or ethnicity-is the sole foundation for real democracy, peace, reconciliation, and stability in Syria. It is essential to attract millions of Syrian refugees to return home and stabilize minority populations, including Christians, who have called this area home for over 5,000 years. It can give some solace to those who suffered unspeakable atrocities, based on religious totalitarianism. On behalf of 74 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express deep concern about the deteriorating religious freedom situation in Nigeria; and to urge U.S. government leaders to appoint a Special Coordinator for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region. Nigeria, and indeed the region, face severe challenges. Nigeria is the largest country in Africa of 195 million people. What takes place in Nigeria does not stay in Nigeria, but rather impacts the surrounding countries as was seen in the tragic ambush of American soldiers in Niger. We believe that significant action is needed to confront these challenges or countries in the region could fracture, causing an extreme humanitarian crisis, immigration pressures on European allies and America, as well as security threats to our national interests in the region. We are very concerned about the violence that in some cases is motivated by religion or in other cases falls on ethno-religious fault lines. We are also concerned about the treatment of some Shia groups by the military. We think the United States Commission on International Religious Freedoms call to name Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern is correct. Of the top 25 most populous countries in the world, Nigeria had the highest level of social hostilities regarding religion according to Pews report last year. This year they are number two on the list. We hope the appointment of a well-respected and qualified person could then coordinate with Secretary of State Pompeo, Secretary of Defense General Mattis, International Religious Freedom Ambassador Brownback (whose energy, focus, and indeed trip to Nigeria have been excellent), UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, USAID Administrator Mark Green, Ambassador Bolton with the NSC, the various intelligence agencies, and excellent diplomats and Foreign Service Officers working in the relevant embassies. We would encourage such a position to make policy recommendations to the various agencies and team that has been assembled. We also hope that they would build key relationships with key officials and personnel in the regional governments already working on these issues. On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express deep concern about the deteriorating religious freedom situation in Russia; and to urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in public statements and bilateral discussions, and leverage the growing network of foreign institutions that are eager to partner with the United States to advance international religious freedom. This fundamental right is in serious peril as the Russian government continues to foster an atmosphere of intolerance, discrimination and persecution against religious minorities throughout the entire country. The 2002 Extremism Law laid the foundation for an alarming trend in repressions against civil society and non-traditional minority religions. The law was initially passed to combat terrorism after 9/11 but it provides no clear definition for the term extremism, thus rendering virtually any group or individual vulnerable to political and legal harassment. In fact, it has been frequently misused to target a vast multitude of peaceful and law-abiding civil society organizations and individuals; to censor religious materials, arrest and detain believers for reading or disseminating Scriptures, refuse to register religious groups, harass and prosecute religious groups that are refused registration, and liquidate and close down places of worship for targeted religious faiths. Such oppressive measures have no place in a democratic society. Most recently, the Scientology religion, its parishioners and its religious and social organizations have become a primary target of this Russian national campaign of religious repression. The campaign has been chillingly wide-ranging. Russias Supreme Court has declared Jehovahs Witnesses, a Christian denomination that rejects violence, as extremist, confirming an order by the Justice Ministry that the group be liquidated and thereby banning them from operating on Russian territory. Further, Muslims, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Presbyterians, Hindus, Buddhists and others have been targeted. In spite of the principles of non-discrimination and equal treatment at the heart of the UN Bill of Rights, the Russian Government is systematically using the Extremism Law to: 1) seize and censor peaceful religious scriptures read without incident the world over; 2) arrest and detain members of minority faiths for reading and disseminating these religious materials; and 3) initiate proceedings to liquidate and shut down religious organizations in order to disrupt and suppress their right to conduct religious activities in contravention of the fundamental human right to religious freedom. This misuse of the Extremism Law against religions has been widely criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee (28 April 2015), the Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe (14 September 2012), and the Venice Commission (1 June 2012), which found the law and its use against religions violated human rights and called on Russia to correct the law. Over fifty cases regarding Russias misuse of the Extremism Law against religions have been filed by numerous religious groups before the European Court of Human Rights. Also made contacts to urge U.S. government leaders to raise the State Department's deep concerns about the growing number of individuals-now more than 150-identified by credible human rights organizations as political and religious prisoners held by the Government of the Russian Federation; about the welfare of four Ukrainians unjustly imprisoned who are currently on hunger strike-Oleh Sentsov, Stanislav Klykh, Oleksandr Shumkov, and Volodymyr Balukh; about the case of Oyub Titiyev, a human rights activist prosecuted on trumped-up drug charges in Chechnya, whose pre-trial detention was recently extended; about the fact that Russian authorities have detained Jehovahs Witness Dennis Christensen since May 2017; about the five Church of Scientology leaders who have also been subjected to detention without trial since June 2017, as well as over a dozen Muslim followers of Turkish theologian Said Nursi; and the State Department's all on Russia to release all those identified as political or religious prisoners immediately and cease its use of the legal system to suppress dissent and peaceful religious practice. The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve equal treatment under the law and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution. On behalf of 53 organizations and individuals, including the client, made contacts to urge the swift passage of H.R.390 - Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017. In the summer of 2017, the bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Urged a vote on the consent calendar so we will be one step closer to providing recovery assistance to victims of the genocide committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The Christian, Yazidi and other minority communities are either languishing in camps, some for almost three years, or choosing to seek refugee abroad because their towns and villages were decimated by ISIS. The situation is dire: families struggle to meet basic needs for nutrition, health, and education without a proper humanitarian assistance. Presently there are over 300,000 internally displaced Yazidis and some 90,000 Christian IDPs residing in deteriorating camps intended to be temporary shelters in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. With American help, these areas can redevelop and the native people can return. This not only helps all of Northern Iraq rebuild, but will deflect ISIS's attempt to erase these minorities. ISISs intentional destruction of homes, means of working, and places of worship was an act of genocide according to Article 2, section 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which defines genocide as Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. ISIS targeted these minorities for extinction from their homelands through mass murder, the taking of over 7,000 sex slaves, and the razing of their homes, farms and places of worship. Unless these minorities return to their ancient homelands and make a life for themselves, ISISs genocide will be successful. Without the passage of H.R. 390 there is no Congressional guarantee that the United States is committed to ensuring these ancient minority religious communities will survive and return to their ancestral homelands. H.R. 390 should pass the Senate and move forward in the process before it is too late and the good work done by the House and the Foreign Relations Committee is lost. On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision that adopted views and conclusions that an individual-Viktor Yakovlevich Leven (the author)-was a victim of violations by Kazakhstan of his rights under Article 18 of the ICCPR. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 9.2 In the present case, the Committee notes that, not having been registered as a foreign missionary on behalf of his church, the author was convicted for conducting missionary activity, which consisted of preaching and praying and conducting meetings and religious rituals among the followers of the church 9.4 The Committee concludes that the punishment imposed on the author, and in particular its harsh consequences for the author, who is facing deportation, amount to a limitation of the authors right to manifest his religion under article 18, paragraph 1; that the limitation has not been shown to serve any legitimate purpose identified in article 18, paragraph 3; and neither has the State party shown that this sweeping limitation of the right to manifest religion is proportionate to any legitimate purpose that it might serve. The limitation therefore does not meet the requirements of article 18, paragraph 3, and the Committee accordingly finds that the authors rights under article 18, paragraph 1, have been violated. 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the UN Human Rights Committee's second periodic report of Kazakhstan. On July 11, 2016, the Committee adopted principal matters of concern and recommendations, including: 13.The Committee is concerned about the broad formulation of the concepts of extremism, inciting social or class hatred and religious hatred or enmity under the State partys criminal legislation and the use of such legislation on extremism to unduly restrict freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association. It is also concerned about reports that counter-terrorism activities continue to target in particular members or presumed members of banned or unregistered Islamic groups, such as the Tabligh Jamaat. 14.The State party should bring its counter-terrorism and counter-extremism legislation and practices into full compliance with its obligations under the Covenant, inter alia by revising the relevant legislative provisions with a view to clarifying and narrowing the broad concepts referred to above, to ensure that they comply with the principles of legal certainty and predictability and that the application of such legislation does not suppress protected conduct and speech 47.The Committee is concerned about undue restrictions on the exercise of freedom of religious belief, including in the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations, such as the mandatory registration of religious organizations, the ban on unregistered religious activities, and the restrictions on the importation and distribution of religious materials. The Committee is further concerned about the use of broadly formulated crimes and administrative offences in the Criminal Code, including of articles 174 and 404, the Administrative Code, and the legislation on combating extremism to punish individuals exercising their freedom of religion and belief with severe sanctions. 48.The State party should guarantee the effective exercise of the freedom of religion and belief and freedom to manifest a religion or belief in practice. It should consider bringing article 22 of its Constitution in line with the Covenant and revise all relevant laws and practices with a view to removing all restrictions that go beyond the narrowly construed restrictions permitted under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) call for Kazakhstan to make revisions to the Religion Law. The call came in its Preliminary Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Legal Framework On Countering Extremism and Terrorism in the Republic of Kazakhstan, issued on 6 October 2016: 80. UN human rights monitoring bodies have recently reiterated their concerns about undue restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief imposed by the 2011 Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations of Kazakhstan the Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations should be revised to ensure that religious groups/organizations can be formed and operate freely even in the absence of registration or without the States prior approval.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $30,000

Matched citations: H. RES. 673, H. Res. 673

On behalf of 74 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express deep concern about the deteriorating religious freedom situation in Nigeria; and to urge U.S. government leaders to appoint a Special Coordinator for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region. Nigeria, and indeed the region, face severe challenges. Nigeria is the largest country in Africa of 195 million people. What takes place in Nigeria does not stay in Nigeria, but rather impacts the surrounding countries as was seen in the tragic ambush of American soldiers in Niger. We believe that significant action is needed to confront these challenges or countries in the region could fracture, causing an extreme humanitarian crisis, immigration pressures on European allies and America, as well as security threats to our national interests in the region. We are very concerned about the violence that in some cases is motivated by religion or in other cases falls on ethno-religious fault lines. We are also concerned about the treatment of some Shia groups by the military. We think the United States Commission on International Religious Freedoms call to name Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern is correct. Of the top 25 most populous countries in the world, Nigeria had the highest level of social hostilities regarding religion according to Pews report last year. This year they are number two on the list. We hope the appointment of a well-respected and qualified person could then coordinate with Secretary of State Pompeo, Secretary of Defense General Mattis, International Religious Freedom Ambassador Brownback (whose energy, focus, and indeed trip to Nigeria have been excellent), UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, USAID Administrator Mark Green, Ambassador Bolton with the NSC, the various intelligence agencies, and excellent diplomats and Foreign Service Officers working in the relevant embassies. We would encourage such a position to make policy recommendations to the various agencies and team that has been assembled. We also hope that they would build key relationships with key officials and personnel in the regional governments already working on these issues. On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express deep concern about the deteriorating religious freedom situation in Russia; and to urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in public statements and bilateral discussions, and leverage the growing network of foreign institutions that are eager to partner with the United States to advance international religious freedom. This fundamental right is in serious peril as the Russian government continues to foster an atmosphere of intolerance, discrimination and persecution against religious minorities throughout the entire country. The 2002 Extremism Law laid the foundation for an alarming trend in repressions against civil society and non-traditional minority religions. The law was initially passed to combat terrorism after 9/11 but it provides no clear definition for the term extremism, thus rendering virtually any group or individual vulnerable to political and legal harassment. In fact, it has been frequently misused to target a vast multitude of peaceful and law-abiding civil society organizations and individuals; to censor religious materials, arrest and detain believers for reading or disseminating Scriptures, refuse to register religious groups, harass and prosecute religious groups that are refused registration, and liquidate and close down places of worship for targeted religious faiths. Such oppressive measures have no place in a democratic society. Most recently, the Scientology religion, its parishioners and its religious and social organizations have become a primary target of this Russian national campaign of religious repression. The campaign has been chillingly wide-ranging. Russias Supreme Court has declared Jehovahs Witnesses, a Christian denomination that rejects violence, as extremist, confirming an order by the Justice Ministry that the group be liquidated and thereby banning them from operating on Russian territory. Further, Muslims, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Presbyterians, Hindus, Buddhists and others have been targeted. In spite of the principles of non-discrimination and equal treatment at the heart of the UN Bill of Rights, the Russian Government is systematically using the Extremism Law to: 1) seize and censor peaceful religious scriptures read without incident the world over; 2) arrest and detain members of minority faiths for reading and disseminating these religious materials; and 3) initiate proceedings to liquidate and shut down religious organizations in order to disrupt and suppress their right to conduct religious activities in contravention of the fundamental human right to religious freedom. This misuse of the Extremism Law against religions has been widely criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee (28 April 2015), the Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe (14 September 2012), and the Venice Commission (1 June 2012), which found the law and its use against religions violated human rights and called on Russia to correct the law. Over fifty cases regarding Russias misuse of the Extremism Law against religions have been filed by numerous religious groups before the European Court of Human Rights. Also made contacts to urge U.S. government leaders to raise the State Department's deep concerns about the growing number of individuals-now more than 150-identified by credible human rights organizations as political and religious prisoners held by the Government of the Russian Federation; about the welfare of four Ukrainians unjustly imprisoned who are currently on hunger strike-Oleh Sentsov, Stanislav Klykh, Oleksandr Shumkov, and Volodymyr Balukh; about the case of Oyub Titiyev, a human rights activist prosecuted on trumped-up drug charges in Chechnya, whose pre-trial detention was recently extended; about the fact that Russian authorities have detained Jehovahs Witness Dennis Christensen since May 2017; about the five Church of Scientology leaders who have also been subjected to detention without trial since June 2017, as well as over a dozen Muslim followers of Turkish theologian Said Nursi; and the State Department's all on Russia to release all those identified as political or religious prisoners immediately and cease its use of the legal system to suppress dissent and peaceful religious practice. The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve equal treatment under the law and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution. On behalf of 53 organizations and individuals, including the client, made contacts to urge the swift passage of H.R.390 - Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017. In the summer of 2017, the bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Urged a vote on the consent calendar so we will be one step closer to providing recovery assistance to victims of the genocide committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The Christian, Yazidi and other minority communities are either languishing in camps, some for almost three years, or choosing to seek refugee abroad because their towns and villages were decimated by ISIS. The situation is dire: families struggle to meet basic needs for nutrition, health, and education without a proper humanitarian assistance. Presently there are over 300,000 internally displaced Yazidis and some 90,000 Christian IDPs residing in deteriorating camps intended to be temporary shelters in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. With American help, these areas can redevelop and the native people can return. This not only helps all of Northern Iraq rebuild, but will deflect ISIS's attempt to erase these minorities. ISISs intentional destruction of homes, means of working, and places of worship was an act of genocide according to Article 2, section 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which defines genocide as Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. ISIS targeted these minorities for extinction from their homelands through mass murder, the taking of over 7,000 sex slaves, and the razing of their homes, farms and places of worship. Unless these minorities return to their ancient homelands and make a life for themselves, ISISs genocide will be successful. Without the passage of H.R. 390 there is no Congressional guarantee that the United States is committed to ensuring these ancient minority religious communities will survive and return to their ancestral homelands. H.R. 390 should pass the Senate and move forward in the process before it is too late and the good work done by the House and the Foreign Relations Committee is lost. On behalf of 55 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing concern about the nuanced religious freedom situation in Hungary and urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in private bilateral discussions with Hungarian officials. The Hungarian government should be urged to respect religious freedom for everyone, consistent with the 2017 Budapest Resolution, which included clear statements that condemn any action aimed at denying or curtailing the free exercising of basic human rights, with particular emphasis on violations of religious freedom; calls upon the worlds governments and international organizations to seek long-term solutions in order to end the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and to ensure the exercising of all human rights, including that of the free exercising of religion in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urges common action on behalf of the worlds governments and international organizations to end atrocities against Christians and other religious minorities, and to implement immediate and concrete measures in accordance with that goal. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision that adopted views and conclusions that an individual-Viktor Yakovlevich Leven (the author)-was a victim of violations by Kazakhstan of his rights under Article 18 of the ICCPR. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 9.2 In the present case, the Committee notes that, not having been registered as a foreign missionary on behalf of his church, the author was convicted for conducting missionary activity, which consisted of preaching and praying and conducting meetings and religious rituals among the followers of the church 9.4 The Committee concludes that the punishment imposed on the author, and in particular its harsh consequences for the author, who is facing deportation, amount to a limitation of the authors right to manifest his religion under article 18, paragraph 1; that the limitation has not been shown to serve any legitimate purpose identified in article 18, paragraph 3; and neither has the State party shown that this sweeping limitation of the right to manifest religion is proportionate to any legitimate purpose that it might serve. The limitation therefore does not meet the requirements of article 18, paragraph 3, and the Committee accordingly finds that the authors rights under article 18, paragraph 1, have been violated. 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the UN Human Rights Committee's second periodic report of Kazakhstan. On July 11, 2016, the Committee adopted principal matters of concern and recommendations, including: 13.The Committee is concerned about the broad formulation of the concepts of extremism, inciting social or class hatred and religious hatred or enmity under the State partys criminal legislation and the use of such legislation on extremism to unduly restrict freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association. It is also concerned about reports that counter-terrorism activities continue to target in particular members or presumed members of banned or unregistered Islamic groups, such as the Tabligh Jamaat. 14.The State party should bring its counter-terrorism and counter-extremism legislation and practices into full compliance with its obligations under the Covenant, inter alia by revising the relevant legislative provisions with a view to clarifying and narrowing the broad concepts referred to above, to ensure that they comply with the principles of legal certainty and predictability and that the application of such legislation does not suppress protected conduct and speech 47.The Committee is concerned about undue restrictions on the exercise of freedom of religious belief, including in the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations, such as the mandatory registration of religious organizations, the ban on unregistered religious activities, and the restrictions on the importation and distribution of religious materials. The Committee is further concerned about the use of broadly formulated crimes and administrative offences in the Criminal Code, including of articles 174 and 404, the Administrative Code, and the legislation on combating extremism to punish individuals exercising their freedom of religion and belief with severe sanctions. 48.The State party should guarantee the effective exercise of the freedom of religion and belief and freedom to manifest a religion or belief in practice. It should consider bringing article 22 of its Constitution in line with the Covenant and revise all relevant laws and practices with a view to removing all restrictions that go beyond the narrowly construed restrictions permitted under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) call for Kazakhstan to make revisions to the Religion Law. The call came in its Preliminary Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Legal Framework On Countering Extremism and Terrorism in the Republic of Kazakhstan, issued on 6 October 2016: 80. UN human rights monitoring bodies have recently reiterated their concerns about undue restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief imposed by the 2011 Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations of Kazakhstan the Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations should be revised to ensure that religious groups/organizations can be formed and operate freely even in the absence of registration or without the States prior approval.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $30,000

Matched citations: H.R. 390, H.R.390

On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express deep concern about the deteriorating religious freedom situation in Russia; and to urge U.S. government leaders to raise this issue in public statements and bilateral discussions, and leverage the growing network of foreign institutions that are eager to partner with the United States to advance international religious freedom. This fundamental right is in serious peril as the Russian government continues to foster an atmosphere of intolerance, discrimination and persecution against religious minorities throughout the entire country. The 2002 Extremism Law laid the foundation for an alarming trend in repressions against civil society and non-traditional minority religions. The law was initially passed to combat terrorism after 9/11 but it provides no clear definition for the term extremism, thus rendering virtually any group or individual vulnerable to political and legal harassment. In fact, it has been frequently misused to target a vast multitude of peaceful and law-abiding civil society organizations and individuals; to censor religious materials, arrest and detain believers for reading or disseminating Scriptures, refuse to register religious groups, harass and prosecute religious groups that are refused registration, and liquidate and close down places of worship for targeted religious faiths. Such oppressive measures have no place in a democratic society. Most recently, the Scientology religion, its parishioners and its religious and social organizations have become a primary target of this Russian national campaign of religious repression. The campaign has been chillingly wide-ranging. Russias Supreme Court has declared Jehovahs Witnesses, a Christian denomination that rejects violence, as extremist, confirming an order by the Justice Ministry that the group be liquidated and thereby banning them from operating on Russian territory. Further, Muslims, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Presbyterians, Hindus, Buddhists and others have been targeted. In spite of the principles of non-discrimination and equal treatment at the heart of the UN Bill of Rights, the Russian Government is systematically using the Extremism Law to: 1) seize and censor peaceful religious scriptures read without incident the world over; 2) arrest and detain members of minority faiths for reading and disseminating these religious materials; and 3) initiate proceedings to liquidate and shut down religious organizations in order to disrupt and suppress their right to conduct religious activities in contravention of the fundamental human right to religious freedom. This misuse of the Extremism Law against religions has been widely criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee (28 April 2015), the Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe (14 September 2012), and the Venice Commission (1 June 2012), which found the law and its use against religions violated human rights and called on Russia to correct the law. Over fifty cases regarding Russias misuse of the Extremism Law against religions have been filed by numerous religious groups before the European Court of Human Rights. Also made contacts to urge U.S. government leaders to raise the State Department's deep concerns about the growing number of individuals-now more than 150-identified by credible human rights organizations as political and religious prisoners held by the Government of the Russian Federation; about the welfare of four Ukrainians unjustly imprisoned who are currently on hunger strike-Oleh Sentsov, Stanislav Klykh, Oleksandr Shumkov, and Volodymyr Balukh; about the case of Oyub Titiyev, a human rights activist prosecuted on trumped-up drug charges in Chechnya, whose pre-trial detention was recently extended; about the fact that Russian authorities have detained Jehovahs Witness Dennis Christensen since May 2017; about the five Church of Scientology leaders who have also been subjected to detention without trial since June 2017, as well as over a dozen Muslim followers of Turkish theologian Said Nursi; and the State Department's all on Russia to release all those identified as political or religious prisoners immediately and cease its use of the legal system to suppress dissent and peaceful religious practice. The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve equal treatment under the law and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution. On behalf of 53 organizations and individuals, including the client, made contacts to urge the swift passage of H.R.390 - Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017. In the summer of 2017, the bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Urged a vote on the consent calendar so we will be one step closer to providing recovery assistance to victims of the genocide committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The Christian, Yazidi and other minority communities are either languishing in camps, some for almost three years, or choosing to seek refugee abroad because their towns and villages were decimated by ISIS. The situation is dire: families struggle to meet basic needs for nutrition, health, and education without a proper humanitarian assistance. Presently there are over 300,000 internally displaced Yazidis and some 90,000 Christian IDPs residing in deteriorating camps intended to be temporary shelters in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. With American help, these areas can redevelop and the native people can return. This not only helps all of Northern Iraq rebuild, but will deflect ISIS's attempt to erase these minorities. ISISs intentional destruction of homes, means of working, and places of worship was an act of genocide according to Article 2, section 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which defines genocide as Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. ISIS targeted these minorities for extinction from their homelands through mass murder, the taking of over 7,000 sex slaves, and the razing of their homes, farms and places of worship. Unless these minorities return to their ancient homelands and make a life for themselves, ISISs genocide will be successful. Without the passage of H.R. 390 there is no Congressional guarantee that the United States is committed to ensuring these ancient minority religious communities will survive and return to their ancestral homelands. H.R. 390 should pass the Senate and move forward in the process before it is too late and the good work done by the House and the Foreign Relations Committee is lost. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstan's international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision that adopted views and conclusions that an individual-Viktor Yakovlevich Leven (the author)-was a victim of violations by Kazakhstan of his rights under Article 18 of the ICCPR. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 9.2 In the present case, the Committee notes that, not having been registered as a foreign missionary on behalf of his church, the author was convicted for conducting missionary activity, which consisted of preaching and praying and conducting meetings and religious rituals among the followers of the church 9.4 The Committee concludes that the punishment imposed on the author, and in particular its harsh consequences for the author, who is facing deportation, amount to a limitation of the authors right to manifest his religion under article 18, paragraph 1; that the limitation has not been shown to serve any legitimate purpose identified in article 18, paragraph 3; and neither has the State party shown that this sweeping limitation of the right to manifest religion is proportionate to any legitimate purpose that it might serve. The limitation therefore does not meet the requirements of article 18, paragraph 3, and the Committee accordingly finds that the authors rights under article 18, paragraph 1, have been violated. 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the UN Human Rights Committee's second periodic report of Kazakhstan. On July 11, 2016, the Committee adopted principal matters of concern and recommendations, including: 13.The Committee is concerned about the broad formulation of the concepts of extremism, inciting social or class hatred and religious hatred or enmity under the State partys criminal legislation and the use of such legislation on extremism to unduly restrict freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association. It is also concerned about reports that counter-terrorism activities continue to target in particular members or presumed members of banned or unregistered Islamic groups, such as the Tabligh Jamaat. 14.The State party should bring its counter-terrorism and counter-extremism legislation and practices into full compliance with its obligations under the Covenant, inter alia by revising the relevant legislative provisions with a view to clarifying and narrowing the broad concepts referred to above, to ensure that they comply with the principles of legal certainty and predictability and that the application of such legislation does not suppress protected conduct and speech 47.The Committee is concerned about undue restrictions on the exercise of freedom of religious belief, including in the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations, such as the mandatory registration of religious organizations, the ban on unregistered religious activities, and the restrictions on the importation and distribution of religious materials. The Committee is further concerned about the use of broadly formulated crimes and administrative offences in the Criminal Code, including of articles 174 and 404, the Administrative Code, and the legislation on combating extremism to punish individuals exercising their freedom of religion and belief with severe sanctions. 48.The State party should guarantee the effective exercise of the freedom of religion and belief and freedom to manifest a religion or belief in practice. It should consider bringing article 22 of its Constitution in line with the Covenant and revise all relevant laws and practices with a view to removing all restrictions that go beyond the narrowly construed restrictions permitted under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) call for Kazakhstan to make revisions to the Religion Law. The call came in its Preliminary Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Legal Framework On Countering Extremism and Terrorism in the Republic of Kazakhstan, issued on 6 October 2016: 80. UN human rights monitoring bodies have recently reiterated their concerns about undue restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief imposed by the 2011 Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations of Kazakhstan the Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations should be revised to ensure that religious groups/organizations can be formed and operate freely even in the absence of registration or without the States prior approval.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $30,000

Matched citations: H.R. 390, H.R.390

On behalf of 73 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, made contacts in support of a swift markup and passage of H.R. 1150 out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; then in support of Senate passage; and finally in support of House passage of the amended version passed by the Senate. H.R. 1150 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 7; passed out of the Senate on December 10; and passed out of the House on December 13. The President of the United States signed it into law on December 16, 2016. We believe H.R. 1150 strengthens IRFA at a critical time when assaults on religious freedom around the world are systemic and growing. In fact, the current state of international religious freedom is one of deepening crisis-according to the Pew Research Centers latest annual study on global restrictions on religion, 74% of the worlds population live in countries with a high or very high overall level of restriction on religion. We must work to create a context where people can peacefully live with their deepest differences. The turmoil and bloodshed in Syria, Iraq and Nigeria-including the Islamic States genocide against Christians, Yazidis, Shia Muslims, Turkmen (Shia), Shabak and others-offers the latest examples of what happens if we do not. The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act would: Give the Administration and the State Department new political tools, strengthen the standing of the International Religious Freedom Office and the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom by making clear that the Ambassador reports directly to the Secretary of State. Clarify the Ambassador-at-Larges role in distributing project grants to protect religious freedom globally. Create a Special Watch List and automatic downgrade to a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for states on the list for three straight years. Clarify that CPC designations will occur annually. Require designation of non-state actors as Entities of Particular Concern. Direct the President to focus sanctions on individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions. Set a floor at 25 full-time employees in the International Religious Freedom Office. Require curriculum for training all Foreign Service Officers in the strategic value of international religious freedom. Prioritize IRF programming for groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide. The passage and implementation of H.R. 1150 will result in a strengthened IRFA, as well the integration of this foundational human right into U.S. foreign policy and national security strategies. In so doing, the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, while advancing global security in the fight against persecution, religious extremism and terrorism. This legislation is consistent with the best of our values, and has the added benefit of practically protecting our national interests as well. On behalf of 31 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of House Resolution 290, a bi-partisan measure that promotes the rights to freedom of religion, belief and expression by calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. We all agree that blasphemy laws are antithetical to modern, prosperous societies, and must be abolished worldwide. Blasphemy laws are used to silence internal critics and alternative interpretations of the faith of the majority religious community, causing minority religious groups and the non-religious to suffer terribly. In an era when fundamentalist religious belief is leading to terror attacks and armed struggles throughout the world, it is more important than ever that we protect freedom of religion and belief. Blasphemy laws do precisely the opposite. H. Res 290 recognizes that many countries have blasphemy laws that punish expression deemed blasphemous and that blasphemy laws are inconsistent with international human rights standards, as they protect beliefs over individuals and often result in violations of the freedoms of religion and expression. The resolution also: Calls upon the President and State Department to make the repeal of blasphemy laws a priority in its bilateral relationships with all countries that have such laws through direct interventions in capitals and multilateral fora; Encourages the President and State Department to oppose any efforts at the United Nations or other international or multilateral fora to create an international anti-blasphemy norm, or to expand the international norm on incitement to include blasphemy or defamation of religions; Urges the President and State Department to designate Pakistan and Egypt each as a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for perpetrating and tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and Urges the governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries to amend or repeal their blasphemy laws, to release unconditionally persons imprisoned on charges of blasphemy and, once released, ensure their safety and that of their families. Blasphemy laws and similar restrictions on speech regarding religion exist in at least 44 countries, according to the Pew Research Center. Pew has also found that countries with laws against blasphemy, and apostasy were more likely to have high government restrictions on religion, as well as social hostilities based on religion, than countries that do not have such laws. The United States government is in a unique position to promote the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world. This country was founded on respect for the principles of religious freedom and tolerance for difference of opinion, and as a leader in the global community we have a moral duty to advance these principles around the world. Congress in particular can play a significant role in promoting freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world by passing H. Res 290, which would bring more attention to the troubling use of blasphemy laws and related measures, place deserved attention on worst offenders, and press the administration to make their repeal a more central focus of their foreign policy. On behalf of 93 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our deep concern about Federal Laws â„- 374-ФÐ-- and 375-ФÐ--, On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation to establish additional measures to counter terrorism and ensure public safety (the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law); and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Russian government and urge its leaders to ensure the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law is not used against peaceful spiritual groups. The Federal Anti-Terrorism Law further restricts religious freedom. We are particularly concerned about the amendments that introduce an entire new section to the Religion Law, imposing strict limits on sharing beliefs, including where and who may share them, and increase extremism punishments. We are aware of the fact that Russia has to be vigilant in order to prevent extremism, violence and terrorism. But you must fully consider and understand the impact of these amendments on social cohesion and national security. The need to counter violent extremism is pressing, but cracking down on religious freedom is a dangerous and counterproductive response. This conclusion is increasingly bolstered by empirical research. An exhaustive study by academics from Harvard, Notre Dame and Georgetown found that religious communities are most likely to support democracy, peace and freedom for other faiths, and least likely to take up the gun or form dictatorships, when governments allow them freedom to worship, practice and express their faiths freely and when religious communities in turn renounce their claims to permanent offices or positions of policy-making authority. Dr. Brian Grim, a noted expert on society, the economy and religion, has found a strong correlation between government restrictions on religion and religiously-motivated violence. Further, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law poses threats to the fundamental human rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by Russias Constitution and its international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) human dimension commitments, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. When evaluated within these legal frameworks, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law raises a number of serious problems. It restricts the dissemination of beliefs in public to registered groups and organizations, and bars even informal sharing of beliefs by individuals acting on their own behalf. Perhaps most concerning, it restricts the beliefs that can be shared, limits the places where sharing beliefs can happen and explicitly bans sharing beliefs in residential buildings, "except as provided for by Article 16, Part 2 of [the Religion Law]." Article 16, Part 2, states that worship services and other religious rites and ceremonies may be freely held in residential premises, as well as in premises owned or rented by religious organizations. It is therefore unclear what this part of the amendment will mean in practice. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstans international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision that adopted views and conclusions that an individual-Viktor Yakovlevich Leven (the author)-was a victim of violations by Kazakhstan of his rights under Article 18 of the ICCPR. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 9.2 In the present case, the Committee notes that, not having been registered as a foreign missionary on behalf of his church, the author was convicted for conducting missionary activity, which consisted of preaching and praying and conducting meetings and religious rituals among the followers of the church 9.4 The Committee concludes that the punishment imposed on the author, and in particular its harsh consequences for the author, who is facing deportation, amount to a limitation of the authors right to manifest his religion under article 18, paragraph 1; that the limitation has not been shown to serve any legitimate purpose identified in article 18, paragraph 3; and neither has the State party shown that this sweeping limitation of the right to manifest religion is proportionate to any legitimate purpose that it might serve. The limitation therefore does not meet the requirements of article 18, paragraph 3, and the Committee accordingly finds that the authors rights under article 18, paragraph 1, have been violated. 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the UN Human Rights Committee's second periodic report of Kazakhstan. On July 11, 2016, the Committee adopted principal matters of concern and recommendations, including: 13.The Committee is concerned about the broad formulation of the concepts of extremism, inciting social or class hatred and religious hatred or enmity under the State partys criminal legislation and the use of such legislation on extremism to unduly restrict freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association. It is also concerned about reports that counter-terrorism activities continue to target in particular members or presumed members of banned or unregistered Islamic groups, such as the Tabligh Jamaat. 14.The State party should bring its counter-terrorism and counter-extremism legislation and practices into full compliance with its obligations under the Covenant, inter alia by revising the relevant legislative provisions with a view to clarifying and narrowing the broad concepts referred to above, to ensure that they comply with the principles of legal certainty and predictability and that the application of such legislation does not suppress protected conduct and speech 47.The Committee is concerned about undue restrictions on the exercise of freedom of religious belief, including in the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations, such as the mandatory registration of religious organizations, the ban on unregistered religious activities, and the restrictions on the importation and distribution of religious materials. The Committee is further concerned about the use of broadly formulated crimes and administrative offences in the Criminal Code, including of articles 174 and 404, the Administrative Code, and the legislation on combating extremism to punish individuals exercising their freedom of religion and belief with severe sanctions. 48.The State party should guarantee the effective exercise of the freedom of religion and belief and freedom to manifest a religion or belief in practice. It should consider bringing article 22 of its Constitution in line with the Covenant and revise all relevant laws and practices with a view to removing all restrictions that go beyond the narrowly construed restrictions permitted under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) call for Kazakhstan to make revisions to the Religion Law. The call came in its Preliminary Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Legal Framework On Countering Extremism and Terrorism in the Republic of Kazakhstan, issued on 6 October 2016: 80. UN human rights monitoring bodies have recently reiterated their concerns about undue restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief imposed by the 2011 Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations of Kazakhstan the Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations should be revised to ensure that religious groups/organizations can be formed and operate freely even in the absence of registration or without the States prior approval.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H.R. 1150

On behalf of 73 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, made contacts in support of a swift markup and passage of H.R. 1150 out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; then in support of Senate passage; and finally in support of House passage of the amended version passed by the Senate. H.R. 1150 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 7; passed out of the Senate on December 10; and passed out of the House on December 13. The President of the United States signed it into law on December 16, 2016. We believe H.R. 1150 strengthens IRFA at a critical time when assaults on religious freedom around the world are systemic and growing. In fact, the current state of international religious freedom is one of deepening crisis-according to the Pew Research Centers latest annual study on global restrictions on religion, 74% of the worlds population live in countries with a high or very high overall level of restriction on religion. We must work to create a context where people can peacefully live with their deepest differences. The turmoil and bloodshed in Syria, Iraq and Nigeria-including the Islamic States genocide against Christians, Yazidis, Shia Muslims, Turkmen (Shia), Shabak and others-offers the latest examples of what happens if we do not. The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act would: Give the Administration and the State Department new political tools, strengthen the standing of the International Religious Freedom Office and the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom by making clear that the Ambassador reports directly to the Secretary of State. Clarify the Ambassador-at-Larges role in distributing project grants to protect religious freedom globally. Create a Special Watch List and automatic downgrade to a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for states on the list for three straight years. Clarify that CPC designations will occur annually. Require designation of non-state actors as Entities of Particular Concern. Direct the President to focus sanctions on individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions. Set a floor at 25 full-time employees in the International Religious Freedom Office. Require curriculum for training all Foreign Service Officers in the strategic value of international religious freedom. Prioritize IRF programming for groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide. The passage and implementation of H.R. 1150 will result in a strengthened IRFA, as well the integration of this foundational human right into U.S. foreign policy and national security strategies. In so doing, the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, while advancing global security in the fight against persecution, religious extremism and terrorism. This legislation is consistent with the best of our values, and has the added benefit of practically protecting our national interests as well. On behalf of 31 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of House Resolution 290, a bi-partisan measure that promotes the rights to freedom of religion, belief and expression by calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. We all agree that blasphemy laws are antithetical to modern, prosperous societies, and must be abolished worldwide. Blasphemy laws are used to silence internal critics and alternative interpretations of the faith of the majority religious community, causing minority religious groups and the non-religious to suffer terribly. In an era when fundamentalist religious belief is leading to terror attacks and armed struggles throughout the world, it is more important than ever that we protect freedom of religion and belief. Blasphemy laws do precisely the opposite. H. Res 290 recognizes that many countries have blasphemy laws that punish expression deemed blasphemous and that blasphemy laws are inconsistent with international human rights standards, as they protect beliefs over individuals and often result in violations of the freedoms of religion and expression. The resolution also: Calls upon the President and State Department to make the repeal of blasphemy laws a priority in its bilateral relationships with all countries that have such laws through direct interventions in capitals and multilateral fora; Encourages the President and State Department to oppose any efforts at the United Nations or other international or multilateral fora to create an international anti-blasphemy norm, or to expand the international norm on incitement to include blasphemy or defamation of religions; Urges the President and State Department to designate Pakistan and Egypt each as a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for perpetrating and tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and Urges the governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries to amend or repeal their blasphemy laws, to release unconditionally persons imprisoned on charges of blasphemy and, once released, ensure their safety and that of their families. Blasphemy laws and similar restrictions on speech regarding religion exist in at least 44 countries, according to the Pew Research Center. Pew has also found that countries with laws against blasphemy, and apostasy were more likely to have high government restrictions on religion, as well as social hostilities based on religion, than countries that do not have such laws. The United States government is in a unique position to promote the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world. This country was founded on respect for the principles of religious freedom and tolerance for difference of opinion, and as a leader in the global community we have a moral duty to advance these principles around the world. Congress in particular can play a significant role in promoting freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world by passing H. Res 290, which would bring more attention to the troubling use of blasphemy laws and related measures, place deserved attention on worst offenders, and press the administration to make their repeal a more central focus of their foreign policy. On behalf of 93 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our deep concern about Federal Laws â„- 374-ФÐ-- and 375-ФÐ--, On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation to establish additional measures to counter terrorism and ensure public safety (the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law); and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Russian government and urge its leaders to ensure the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law is not used against peaceful spiritual groups. The Federal Anti-Terrorism Law further restricts religious freedom. We are particularly concerned about the amendments that introduce an entire new section to the Religion Law, imposing strict limits on sharing beliefs, including where and who may share them, and increase extremism punishments. We are aware of the fact that Russia has to be vigilant in order to prevent extremism, violence and terrorism. But you must fully consider and understand the impact of these amendments on social cohesion and national security. The need to counter violent extremism is pressing, but cracking down on religious freedom is a dangerous and counterproductive response. This conclusion is increasingly bolstered by empirical research. An exhaustive study by academics from Harvard, Notre Dame and Georgetown found that religious communities are most likely to support democracy, peace and freedom for other faiths, and least likely to take up the gun or form dictatorships, when governments allow them freedom to worship, practice and express their faiths freely and when religious communities in turn renounce their claims to permanent offices or positions of policy-making authority. Dr. Brian Grim, a noted expert on society, the economy and religion, has found a strong correlation between government restrictions on religion and religiously-motivated violence. Further, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law poses threats to the fundamental human rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by Russias Constitution and its international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) human dimension commitments, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. When evaluated within these legal frameworks, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law raises a number of serious problems. It restricts the dissemination of beliefs in public to registered groups and organizations, and bars even informal sharing of beliefs by individuals acting on their own behalf. Perhaps most concerning, it restricts the beliefs that can be shared, limits the places where sharing beliefs can happen and explicitly bans sharing beliefs in residential buildings, "except as provided for by Article 16, Part 2 of [the Religion Law]." Article 16, Part 2, states that worship services and other religious rites and ceremonies may be freely held in residential premises, as well as in premises owned or rented by religious organizations. It is therefore unclear what this part of the amendment will mean in practice. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and to urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstans international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision that adopted views and conclusions that an individual-Viktor Yakovlevich Leven (the author)-was a victim of violations by Kazakhstan of his rights under Article 18 of the ICCPR. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 9.2 In the present case, the Committee notes that, not having been registered as a foreign missionary on behalf of his church, the author was convicted for conducting missionary activity, which consisted of preaching and praying and conducting meetings and religious rituals among the followers of the church 9.4 The Committee concludes that the punishment imposed on the author, and in particular its harsh consequences for the author, who is facing deportation, amount to a limitation of the authors right to manifest his religion under article 18, paragraph 1; that the limitation has not been shown to serve any legitimate purpose identified in article 18, paragraph 3; and neither has the State party shown that this sweeping limitation of the right to manifest religion is proportionate to any legitimate purpose that it might serve. The limitation therefore does not meet the requirements of article 18, paragraph 3, and the Committee accordingly finds that the authors rights under article 18, paragraph 1, have been violated. 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the UN Human Rights Committee's second periodic report of Kazakhstan. On July 11, 2016, the Committee adopted principal matters of concern and recommendations, including: 13.The Committee is concerned about the broad formulation of the concepts of extremism, inciting social or class hatred and religious hatred or enmity under the State partys criminal legislation and the use of such legislation on extremism to unduly restrict freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association. It is also concerned about reports that counter-terrorism activities continue to target in particular members or presumed members of banned or unregistered Islamic groups, such as the Tabligh Jamaat. 14.The State party should bring its counter-terrorism and counter-extremism legislation and practices into full compliance with its obligations under the Covenant, inter alia by revising the relevant legislative provisions with a view to clarifying and narrowing the broad concepts referred to above, to ensure that they comply with the principles of legal certainty and predictability and that the application of such legislation does not suppress protected conduct and speech 47.The Committee is concerned about undue restrictions on the exercise of freedom of religious belief, including in the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations, such as the mandatory registration of religious organizations, the ban on unregistered religious activities, and the restrictions on the importation and distribution of religious materials. The Committee is further concerned about the use of broadly formulated crimes and administrative offences in the Criminal Code, including of articles 174 and 404, the Administrative Code, and the legislation on combating extremism to punish individuals exercising their freedom of religion and belief with severe sanctions. 48.The State party should guarantee the effective exercise of the freedom of religion and belief and freedom to manifest a religion or belief in practice. It should consider bringing article 22 of its Constitution in line with the Covenant and revise all relevant laws and practices with a view to removing all restrictions that go beyond the narrowly construed restrictions permitted under article 18 of the Covenant. Also shared the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) call for Kazakhstan to make revisions to the Religion Law. The call came in its Preliminary Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Legal Framework On Countering Extremism and Terrorism in the Republic of Kazakhstan, issued on 6 October 2016: 80. UN human rights monitoring bodies have recently reiterated their concerns about undue restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief imposed by the 2011 Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations of Kazakhstan the Law On Religious Activities and Religious Associations should be revised to ensure that religious groups/organizations can be formed and operate freely even in the absence of registration or without the States prior approval.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H. Res 290

On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015; and on behalf of 64 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter in support of S. 2878, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act; made contacts in support of a swift markup of either H.R. 1150 or S. 2878 in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and in support of Senate passage. We believe H.R. 1150/S. 2878 strengthens IRFA at a critical time when assaults on religious freedom around the world are systemic and growing. In fact, the current state of international religious freedom is one of deepening crisis-according to the Pew Research Centers latest annual study on global restrictions on religion, 74% of the worlds population live in countries with a high or very high overall level of restriction on religion in 2014, up from 68% in 2007. The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act would: Give the Administration and the State Department new political tools, strengthen the standing of the International Religious Freedom Office and the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom by making clear that the Ambassador reports directly to the Secretary of State. Clarify the Ambassador-at-Larges role in distributing project grants to protect religious freedom globally. Create a Special Watch List and automatic downgrade to a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for states on the list for three straight years. Clarify that CPC designations will occur annually. Require designation of non-state actors as Entities of Particular Concern. Direct the President to focus sanctions on individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions. Set a floor at 25 full-time employees in the International Religious Freedom Office. Require curriculum for training all Foreign Service Officers in the strategic value of international religious freedom. Prioritize IRF programming for groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide. H.R. 1150 passed out of the House by voice vote on May 16. The passage and implementation of H.R. 1150/S. 2878 will result in a strengthened IRFA, as well the integration of this foundational human right into U.S. foreign policy and national security strategies. In so doing, the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, while advancing global security in the fight against persecution, religious extremism and terrorism. This legislation is consistent with the best of our values, and has the added benefit of practically protecting our national interests as well. On behalf of 42 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of the appointment of a Special Envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region directly reporting to Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield in order to address the multi-faceted reality of Boko Haram, Fulani militants, security and humanitarian aid. The situation in northeastern and central Nigeria and the Lake Chad region as a whole is rapidly deteriorating. There is a growing security and humanitarian crisis threatening to fracture and destabilize Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, and now expanding to the whole Lake Chad Region. This crisis cannot be left unaddressed. Thousands are suffering as victims of violent extremism. Whole villages have been burned to the ground with families forced to live in caves to elude terrorists. There are 2.2 million official Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). However, since many IDPs live outside of formal camp structures, the actual number is thought to be closer to 5-7 million. This is a staggering number of people forced out of their communities, deprived of their livelihoods, separated from education opportunities, and left without access to proper healthcare and psycho-social care. We believe the complexity of addressing these real and multi-faceted humanitarian exigencies alone warrants a Special Envoy. The emerging security threat in the Nigerian Middle Belt further augments the critical urgency to appoint a Special Envoy. Since 2014, Fulani militants have been escalating their engagements across the Middle Belt and are now launching attacks in the south of the country. In the past 16 months there have been 55 separate Fulani militant attacks in 14 different states resulting in over 1,000 deaths. Many of these involved sustained offensives, sophisticated weaponry, and targeted religious and ethnic minority communities under the banner of creating grazing territory. Should Nigeria further fracture it would constitute one of the greatest security threats in West Africa. A Special Envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region directly reporting to Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield could relate to Boko Haram, Fulani militants, security and humanitarian aid. It is our firm belief that the United States has a vested interest in confronting one of the worst humanitarian crisis of our day and working to prevent the further unraveling of Nigeria, the country with both the largest Christian and largest Muslim population in Africa. On behalf of 31 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of House Resolution 290, a bi-partisan measure that promotes the rights to freedom of religion, belief and expression by calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. We all agree that blasphemy laws are antithetical to modern, prosperous societies, and must be abolished worldwide. Blasphemy laws are used to silence internal critics and alternative interpretations of the faith of the majority religious community, causing minority religious groups and the non-religious to suffer terribly. In an era when fundamentalist religious belief is leading to terror attacks and armed struggles throughout the world, it is more important than ever that we protect freedom of religion and belief. Blasphemy laws do precisely the opposite. H. Res 290 recognizes that many countries have blasphemy laws that punish expression deemed blasphemous and that blasphemy laws are inconsistent with international human rights standards, as they protect beliefs over individuals and often result in violations of the freedoms of religion and expression. The resolution also: Calls upon the President and State Department to make the repeal of blasphemy laws a priority in its bilateral relationships with all countries that have such laws through direct interventions in capitals and multilateral fora; Encourages the President and State Department to oppose any efforts at the United Nations or other international or multilateral fora to create an international anti-blasphemy norm, or to expand the international norm on incitement to include blasphemy or defamation of religions; Urges the President and State Department to designate Pakistan and Egypt each as a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for perpetrating and tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and Urges the governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries to amend or repeal their blasphemy laws, to release unconditionally persons imprisoned on charges of blasphemy and, once released, ensure their safety and that of their families. Blasphemy laws and similar restrictions on speech regarding religion exist in at least 44 countries, according to the Pew Research Center. Pew has also found that countries with laws against blasphemy, and apostasy were more likely to have high government restrictions on religion, as well as social hostilities based on religion, than countries that do not have such laws. The United States government is in a unique position to promote the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world. This country was founded on respect for the principles of religious freedom and tolerance for difference of opinion, and as a leader in the global community we have a moral duty to advance these principles around the world. Congress in particular can play a significant role in promoting freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world by passing H. Res 290, which would bring more attention to the troubling use of blasphemy laws and related measures, place deserved attention on worst offenders, and press the administration to make their repeal a more central focus of their foreign policy. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of inclusion of an amendment in the FY17 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that would permit more robust U.S. support of International Criminal Court cases, including those involving religious persecution. The United States has long been a champion of accountability and justice for perpetrators of atrocity crimes, including in Nazi Germany, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia. The passage of this amendment will further solidify American leadership on the rule of law and human rights, and, of particular interest to us, will allow the U.S. to promote accountability and justice in conflict situations involving religious freedom abuses. The International Criminal Court (ICC or Court) is the worlds only permanent international tribunal mandated to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes. The ICCs governing statute specifically includes religious persecution as a punishable offense within the three core atrocity crimes that the Court prosecutes - genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes - and religiously motivated crimes are implicated in six of the nine country situations currently before the Court. In light of the ICCs mandate to prosecute perpetrators of religious persecution, and as a result of the recognition that the Court serves to protect core religious values, including justice, bearing witness, redress, protecting the vulnerable, and helping to lay the foundation for durable peace, many faith-based organizations from diverse cultural, social, and political backgrounds support the work and mission of the ICC. Moreover, the U.S. has been broadly supportive of all of the ICCs cases, as they are consistent with U.S. national interests. For instance, the State Departments Rewards for Justice Program was created in 1984 and has been used for over 30 years to help apprehend and prosecute international criminals. In 2013, Congress passed a bipartisan expansion of this program to allow for the payment of up to $5 million to individuals who provide information that leads to the capture of ICC fugitives. Yet, an outdated provision of U.S. law hampers Americas ability to provide the full array of professional, logistical, and other resources to ICC cases. Presently, the U.S. can only provide limited, in-kind support to the ICC on a case-by-case basis. This results in the U.S. being unable to provide the ICC with the resources needed to bring to justice perpetrators of atrocities, including the most egregious abuses of international religious freedom. Essentially, this means that the hands of the U.S. government are tied when it comes to assisting in crucial efforts to prosecute atrocity crimes, including religious persecution. The language we are supporting, a proposed Atrocity Accountability Amendment (Amendment), would make a moderate, limited, and narrowly-tailored change to U.S. law that would allow the U.S. to provide to the ICC the same type of critical support that it provided to the Rwanda, former Yugoslavia, and other international tribunals. This change would ensure that Americas options in the fight against atrocities are not artificially restricted and would give the U.S. more tools in its toolbox to counter impunity, promote accountability, and contribute to justice and peacebuilding efforts. This change could, for instance, mean that the U.S. could offer finances for additional investigators, witness protection assistance, sophisticated law enforcement technologies, and expert scientists and other professionals to the ICCs current investigation of Boko Harams atrocities in Nigeria, religious persecution in the Central African Republic, and Joseph Kony and the Lords Resistance Army in Uganda and other areas - all cases which the United States has a principled and strategic interest in supporting, especially where national security concerns are implicated. The limitation existing under current law should be of serious concern to the United States because, in many cases, the ICC is the only mechanism available to hold individuals accountable for their commission of religiously-motivated atrocities. Indeed, in its 2015 and 2016 Annual Reports, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the U.S. push for a UN Security Council Resolution that refers atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State to the ICC. In recent congressional testimony before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the then-chair of USCIRF specifically recommended the change to U.S. law that the Amendment would make. Earlier this year, the House unanimously passed a resolution declaring the atrocities being committed against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria to be genocide and crimes against humanity, and calling for prosecution of these crimes. Passing the Amendment is one of the most concrete and readily available ways in which the House can promote the accountability sought in its resolution, as the change it makes would allow the U.S. to more meaningfully support efforts to bring Islamic State perpetrators of atrocities to justice through the ICC. These efforts would apply not only to Iraq and Syria, but also to Islamic State atrocities in Libya, where the ICC currently has jurisdiction. On behalf of 93 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our deep concern about Federal Laws â„- 374-ФÐ-- and 375-ФÐ--, On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation to establish additional measures to counter terrorism and ensure public safety (the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law); and urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Russian government and urge its leaders to ensure the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law is not used against peaceful spiritual groups. The Federal Anti-Terrorism Law further restricts religious freedom. We are particularly concerned about the amendments that introduce an entire new section to the Religion Law, imposing strict limits on sharing beliefs, including where and who may share them, and increase extremism punishments. We are aware of the fact that Russia has to be vigilant in order to prevent extremism, violence and terrorism. But you must fully consider and understand the impact of these amendments on social cohesion and national security. The need to counter violent extremism is pressing, but cracking down on religious freedom is a dangerous and counterproductive response. This conclusion is increasingly bolstered by empirical research. An exhaustive study by academics from Harvard, Notre Dame and Georgetown found that religious communities are most likely to support democracy, peace and freedom for other faiths, and least likely to take up the gun or form dictatorships, when governments allow them freedom to worship, practice and express their faiths freely and when religious communities in turn renounce their claims to permanent offices or positions of policy-making authority. Dr. Brian Grim, a noted expert on society, the economy and religion, has found a strong correlation between government restrictions on religion and religiously-motivated violence. Further, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law poses threats to the fundamental human rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by Russias Constitution and its international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) human dimension commitments, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. When evaluated within these legal frameworks, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law raises a number of serious problems. It restricts the dissemination of beliefs in public to registered groups and organizations, and bars even informal sharing of beliefs by individuals acting on their own behalf. Perhaps most concerning, it restricts the beliefs that can be shared, limits the places where sharing beliefs can happen and explicitly bans sharing beliefs in residential buildings, "except as provided for by Article 16, Part 2 of [the Religion Law]." Article 16, Part 2, states that worship services and other religious rites and ceremonies may be freely held in residential premises, as well as in premises owned or rented by religious organizations. It is therefore unclear what this part of the amendment will mean in practice. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstans international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision against Kazakhstan. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. 11.In accordance with article 2, paragraph 3 (a), of the Covenant, the State party is under an obligation to provide the author with an effective remedy, including review of his conviction and review of the cancellation of his residence permit. The State party is also under an obligation to prevent similar violations in the future. 12.Bearing in mind that, by becoming a party to the Optional Protocol, the State party has recognized the competence of the Committee to determine whether or not there has been a violation of the Covenant and that, pursuant to article 2 of the Covenant, the State party has undertaken to ensure to all individuals within its territory or subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the Covenant and to provide an effective and enforceable remedy when a violation has been established, the Committee wishes to receive from the State party, within 180 days, information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committees Views. The State party is also requested to publish the present Views, to have them translated into the official languages of the State party, and to have them widely disseminated. Finally, shared an International Religious Freedom Roundtable submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. Provided this submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in connection with its consideration of the second periodic report of Kazakhstan regarding its compliance with the ICCPR on 22 and 23 June 2016. It lays out our concerns related to Kazakhstan and Article 18 - freedom of religion-and our recommendations. The purpose of this submission was to summarize to date the IRF Roundtable engagement with the Kazakh government and interactions with the UN Special Rapporteur regarding religious freedom in Kazakhstan in light of the deteriorating situation, hopeful that a meaningful dialogue might be renewed-one that does not demonize the government or civil society. We believe this dialogue can be helpful in maintaining stability and peace in Kazakhstan while bringing the Religion Law and related articles of the Criminal and Administrative Codes closer to compliance with UN international standards articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H.R. 1150

On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015; and on behalf of 64 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter in support of S. 2878, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act; made contacts in support of a swift markup of either H.R. 1150 or S. 2878 in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and in support of Senate passage. We believe H.R. 1150/S. 2878 strengthens IRFA at a critical time when assaults on religious freedom around the world are systemic and growing. In fact, the current state of international religious freedom is one of deepening crisis-according to the Pew Research Centers latest annual study on global restrictions on religion, 74% of the worlds population live in countries with a high or very high overall level of restriction on religion in 2014, up from 68% in 2007. The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act would: Give the Administration and the State Department new political tools, strengthen the standing of the International Religious Freedom Office and the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom by making clear that the Ambassador reports directly to the Secretary of State. Clarify the Ambassador-at-Larges role in distributing project grants to protect religious freedom globally. Create a Special Watch List and automatic downgrade to a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for states on the list for three straight years. Clarify that CPC designations will occur annually. Require designation of non-state actors as Entities of Particular Concern. Direct the President to focus sanctions on individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions. Set a floor at 25 full-time employees in the International Religious Freedom Office. Require curriculum for training all Foreign Service Officers in the strategic value of international religious freedom. Prioritize IRF programming for groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide. H.R. 1150 passed out of the House by voice vote on May 16. The passage and implementation of H.R. 1150/S. 2878 will result in a strengthened IRFA, as well the integration of this foundational human right into U.S. foreign policy and national security strategies. In so doing, the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, while advancing global security in the fight against persecution, religious extremism and terrorism. This legislation is consistent with the best of our values, and has the added benefit of practically protecting our national interests as well. On behalf of 42 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of the appointment of a Special Envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region directly reporting to Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield in order to address the multi-faceted reality of Boko Haram, Fulani militants, security and humanitarian aid. The situation in northeastern and central Nigeria and the Lake Chad region as a whole is rapidly deteriorating. There is a growing security and humanitarian crisis threatening to fracture and destabilize Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, and now expanding to the whole Lake Chad Region. This crisis cannot be left unaddressed. Thousands are suffering as victims of violent extremism. Whole villages have been burned to the ground with families forced to live in caves to elude terrorists. There are 2.2 million official Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). However, since many IDPs live outside of formal camp structures, the actual number is thought to be closer to 5-7 million. This is a staggering number of people forced out of their communities, deprived of their livelihoods, separated from education opportunities, and left without access to proper healthcare and psycho-social care. We believe the complexity of addressing these real and multi-faceted humanitarian exigencies alone warrants a Special Envoy. The emerging security threat in the Nigerian Middle Belt further augments the critical urgency to appoint a Special Envoy. Since 2014, Fulani militants have been escalating their engagements across the Middle Belt and are now launching attacks in the south of the country. In the past 16 months there have been 55 separate Fulani militant attacks in 14 different states resulting in over 1,000 deaths. Many of these involved sustained offensives, sophisticated weaponry, and targeted religious and ethnic minority communities under the banner of creating grazing territory. Should Nigeria further fracture it would constitute one of the greatest security threats in West Africa. A Special Envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region directly reporting to Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield could relate to Boko Haram, Fulani militants, security and humanitarian aid. It is our firm belief that the United States has a vested interest in confronting one of the worst humanitarian crisis of our day and working to prevent the further unraveling of Nigeria, the country with both the largest Christian and largest Muslim population in Africa. On behalf of 31 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of House Resolution 290, a bi-partisan measure that promotes the rights to freedom of religion, belief and expression by calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. We all agree that blasphemy laws are antithetical to modern, prosperous societies, and must be abolished worldwide. Blasphemy laws are used to silence internal critics and alternative interpretations of the faith of the majority religious community, causing minority religious groups and the non-religious to suffer terribly. In an era when fundamentalist religious belief is leading to terror attacks and armed struggles throughout the world, it is more important than ever that we protect freedom of religion and belief. Blasphemy laws do precisely the opposite. H. Res 290 recognizes that many countries have blasphemy laws that punish expression deemed blasphemous and that blasphemy laws are inconsistent with international human rights standards, as they protect beliefs over individuals and often result in violations of the freedoms of religion and expression. The resolution also: Calls upon the President and State Department to make the repeal of blasphemy laws a priority in its bilateral relationships with all countries that have such laws through direct interventions in capitals and multilateral fora; Encourages the President and State Department to oppose any efforts at the United Nations or other international or multilateral fora to create an international anti-blasphemy norm, or to expand the international norm on incitement to include blasphemy or defamation of religions; Urges the President and State Department to designate Pakistan and Egypt each as a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for perpetrating and tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and Urges the governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries to amend or repeal their blasphemy laws, to release unconditionally persons imprisoned on charges of blasphemy and, once released, ensure their safety and that of their families. Blasphemy laws and similar restrictions on speech regarding religion exist in at least 44 countries, according to the Pew Research Center. Pew has also found that countries with laws against blasphemy, and apostasy were more likely to have high government restrictions on religion, as well as social hostilities based on religion, than countries that do not have such laws. The United States government is in a unique position to promote the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world. This country was founded on respect for the principles of religious freedom and tolerance for difference of opinion, and as a leader in the global community we have a moral duty to advance these principles around the world. Congress in particular can play a significant role in promoting freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world by passing H. Res 290, which would bring more attention to the troubling use of blasphemy laws and related measures, place deserved attention on worst offenders, and press the administration to make their repeal a more central focus of their foreign policy. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of inclusion of an amendment in the FY17 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that would permit more robust U.S. support of International Criminal Court cases, including those involving religious persecution. The United States has long been a champion of accountability and justice for perpetrators of atrocity crimes, including in Nazi Germany, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia. The passage of this amendment will further solidify American leadership on the rule of law and human rights, and, of particular interest to us, will allow the U.S. to promote accountability and justice in conflict situations involving religious freedom abuses. The International Criminal Court (ICC or Court) is the worlds only permanent international tribunal mandated to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes. The ICCs governing statute specifically includes religious persecution as a punishable offense within the three core atrocity crimes that the Court prosecutes - genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes - and religiously motivated crimes are implicated in six of the nine country situations currently before the Court. In light of the ICCs mandate to prosecute perpetrators of religious persecution, and as a result of the recognition that the Court serves to protect core religious values, including justice, bearing witness, redress, protecting the vulnerable, and helping to lay the foundation for durable peace, many faith-based organizations from diverse cultural, social, and political backgrounds support the work and mission of the ICC. Moreover, the U.S. has been broadly supportive of all of the ICCs cases, as they are consistent with U.S. national interests. For instance, the State Departments Rewards for Justice Program was created in 1984 and has been used for over 30 years to help apprehend and prosecute international criminals. In 2013, Congress passed a bipartisan expansion of this program to allow for the payment of up to $5 million to individuals who provide information that leads to the capture of ICC fugitives. Yet, an outdated provision of U.S. law hampers Americas ability to provide the full array of professional, logistical, and other resources to ICC cases. Presently, the U.S. can only provide limited, in-kind support to the ICC on a case-by-case basis. This results in the U.S. being unable to provide the ICC with the resources needed to bring to justice perpetrators of atrocities, including the most egregious abuses of international religious freedom. Essentially, this means that the hands of the U.S. government are tied when it comes to assisting in crucial efforts to prosecute atrocity crimes, including religious persecution. The language we are supporting, a proposed Atrocity Accountability Amendment (Amendment), would make a moderate, limited, and narrowly-tailored change to U.S. law that would allow the U.S. to provide to the ICC the same type of critical support that it provided to the Rwanda, former Yugoslavia, and other international tribunals. This change would ensure that Americas options in the fight against atrocities are not artificially restricted and would give the U.S. more tools in its toolbox to counter impunity, promote accountability, and contribute to justice and peacebuilding efforts. This change could, for instance, mean that the U.S. could offer finances for additional investigators, witness protection assistance, sophisticated law enforcement technologies, and expert scientists and other professionals to the ICCs current investigation of Boko Harams atrocities in Nigeria, religious persecution in the Central African Republic, and Joseph Kony and the Lords Resistance Army in Uganda and other areas - all cases which the United States has a principled and strategic interest in supporting, especially where national security concerns are implicated. The limitation existing under current law should be of serious concern to the United States because, in many cases, the ICC is the only mechanism available to hold individuals accountable for their commission of religiously-motivated atrocities. Indeed, in its 2015 and 2016 Annual Reports, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the U.S. push for a UN Security Council Resolution that refers atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State to the ICC. In recent congressional testimony before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the then-chair of USCIRF specifically recommended the change to U.S. law that the Amendment would make. Earlier this year, the House unanimously passed a resolution declaring the atrocities being committed against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria to be genocide and crimes against humanity, and calling for prosecution of these crimes. Passing the Amendment is one of the most concrete and readily available ways in which the House can promote the accountability sought in its resolution, as the change it makes would allow the U.S. to more meaningfully support efforts to bring Islamic State perpetrators of atrocities to justice through the ICC. These efforts would apply not only to Iraq and Syria, but also to Islamic State atrocities in Libya, where the ICC currently has jurisdiction. On behalf of 93 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our deep concern about Federal Laws â„- 374-ФÐ-- and 375-ФÐ--, On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation to establish additional measures to counter terrorism and ensure public safety (the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law); and urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Russian government and urge its leaders to ensure the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law is not used against peaceful spiritual groups. The Federal Anti-Terrorism Law further restricts religious freedom. We are particularly concerned about the amendments that introduce an entire new section to the Religion Law, imposing strict limits on sharing beliefs, including where and who may share them, and increase extremism punishments. We are aware of the fact that Russia has to be vigilant in order to prevent extremism, violence and terrorism. But you must fully consider and understand the impact of these amendments on social cohesion and national security. The need to counter violent extremism is pressing, but cracking down on religious freedom is a dangerous and counterproductive response. This conclusion is increasingly bolstered by empirical research. An exhaustive study by academics from Harvard, Notre Dame and Georgetown found that religious communities are most likely to support democracy, peace and freedom for other faiths, and least likely to take up the gun or form dictatorships, when governments allow them freedom to worship, practice and express their faiths freely and when religious communities in turn renounce their claims to permanent offices or positions of policy-making authority. Dr. Brian Grim, a noted expert on society, the economy and religion, has found a strong correlation between government restrictions on religion and religiously-motivated violence. Further, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law poses threats to the fundamental human rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by Russias Constitution and its international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) human dimension commitments, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. When evaluated within these legal frameworks, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law raises a number of serious problems. It restricts the dissemination of beliefs in public to registered groups and organizations, and bars even informal sharing of beliefs by individuals acting on their own behalf. Perhaps most concerning, it restricts the beliefs that can be shared, limits the places where sharing beliefs can happen and explicitly bans sharing beliefs in residential buildings, "except as provided for by Article 16, Part 2 of [the Religion Law]." Article 16, Part 2, states that worship services and other religious rites and ceremonies may be freely held in residential premises, as well as in premises owned or rented by religious organizations. It is therefore unclear what this part of the amendment will mean in practice. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstans international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision against Kazakhstan. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. 11.In accordance with article 2, paragraph 3 (a), of the Covenant, the State party is under an obligation to provide the author with an effective remedy, including review of his conviction and review of the cancellation of his residence permit. The State party is also under an obligation to prevent similar violations in the future. 12.Bearing in mind that, by becoming a party to the Optional Protocol, the State party has recognized the competence of the Committee to determine whether or not there has been a violation of the Covenant and that, pursuant to article 2 of the Covenant, the State party has undertaken to ensure to all individuals within its territory or subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the Covenant and to provide an effective and enforceable remedy when a violation has been established, the Committee wishes to receive from the State party, within 180 days, information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committees Views. The State party is also requested to publish the present Views, to have them translated into the official languages of the State party, and to have them widely disseminated. Finally, shared an International Religious Freedom Roundtable submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. Provided this submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in connection with its consideration of the second periodic report of Kazakhstan regarding its compliance with the ICCPR on 22 and 23 June 2016. It lays out our concerns related to Kazakhstan and Article 18 - freedom of religion-and our recommendations. The purpose of this submission was to summarize to date the IRF Roundtable engagement with the Kazakh government and interactions with the UN Special Rapporteur regarding religious freedom in Kazakhstan in light of the deteriorating situation, hopeful that a meaningful dialogue might be renewed-one that does not demonize the government or civil society. We believe this dialogue can be helpful in maintaining stability and peace in Kazakhstan while bringing the Religion Law and related articles of the Criminal and Administrative Codes closer to compliance with UN international standards articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H. Res 290

On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015; and on behalf of 64 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter in support of S. 2878, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act; made contacts in support of a swift markup of either H.R. 1150 or S. 2878 in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and in support of Senate passage. We believe H.R. 1150/S. 2878 strengthens IRFA at a critical time when assaults on religious freedom around the world are systemic and growing. In fact, the current state of international religious freedom is one of deepening crisis-according to the Pew Research Centers latest annual study on global restrictions on religion, 74% of the worlds population live in countries with a high or very high overall level of restriction on religion in 2014, up from 68% in 2007. The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act would: Give the Administration and the State Department new political tools, strengthen the standing of the International Religious Freedom Office and the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom by making clear that the Ambassador reports directly to the Secretary of State. Clarify the Ambassador-at-Larges role in distributing project grants to protect religious freedom globally. Create a Special Watch List and automatic downgrade to a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for states on the list for three straight years. Clarify that CPC designations will occur annually. Require designation of non-state actors as Entities of Particular Concern. Direct the President to focus sanctions on individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions. Set a floor at 25 full-time employees in the International Religious Freedom Office. Require curriculum for training all Foreign Service Officers in the strategic value of international religious freedom. Prioritize IRF programming for groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide. H.R. 1150 passed out of the House by voice vote on May 16. The passage and implementation of H.R. 1150/S. 2878 will result in a strengthened IRFA, as well the integration of this foundational human right into U.S. foreign policy and national security strategies. In so doing, the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, while advancing global security in the fight against persecution, religious extremism and terrorism. This legislation is consistent with the best of our values, and has the added benefit of practically protecting our national interests as well. On behalf of 42 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of the appointment of a Special Envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region directly reporting to Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield in order to address the multi-faceted reality of Boko Haram, Fulani militants, security and humanitarian aid. The situation in northeastern and central Nigeria and the Lake Chad region as a whole is rapidly deteriorating. There is a growing security and humanitarian crisis threatening to fracture and destabilize Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, and now expanding to the whole Lake Chad Region. This crisis cannot be left unaddressed. Thousands are suffering as victims of violent extremism. Whole villages have been burned to the ground with families forced to live in caves to elude terrorists. There are 2.2 million official Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). However, since many IDPs live outside of formal camp structures, the actual number is thought to be closer to 5-7 million. This is a staggering number of people forced out of their communities, deprived of their livelihoods, separated from education opportunities, and left without access to proper healthcare and psycho-social care. We believe the complexity of addressing these real and multi-faceted humanitarian exigencies alone warrants a Special Envoy. The emerging security threat in the Nigerian Middle Belt further augments the critical urgency to appoint a Special Envoy. Since 2014, Fulani militants have been escalating their engagements across the Middle Belt and are now launching attacks in the south of the country. In the past 16 months there have been 55 separate Fulani militant attacks in 14 different states resulting in over 1,000 deaths. Many of these involved sustained offensives, sophisticated weaponry, and targeted religious and ethnic minority communities under the banner of creating grazing territory. Should Nigeria further fracture it would constitute one of the greatest security threats in West Africa. A Special Envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region directly reporting to Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield could relate to Boko Haram, Fulani militants, security and humanitarian aid. It is our firm belief that the United States has a vested interest in confronting one of the worst humanitarian crisis of our day and working to prevent the further unraveling of Nigeria, the country with both the largest Christian and largest Muslim population in Africa. On behalf of 31 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of House Resolution 290, a bi-partisan measure that promotes the rights to freedom of religion, belief and expression by calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws. We all agree that blasphemy laws are antithetical to modern, prosperous societies, and must be abolished worldwide. Blasphemy laws are used to silence internal critics and alternative interpretations of the faith of the majority religious community, causing minority religious groups and the non-religious to suffer terribly. In an era when fundamentalist religious belief is leading to terror attacks and armed struggles throughout the world, it is more important than ever that we protect freedom of religion and belief. Blasphemy laws do precisely the opposite. H. Res 290 recognizes that many countries have blasphemy laws that punish expression deemed blasphemous and that blasphemy laws are inconsistent with international human rights standards, as they protect beliefs over individuals and often result in violations of the freedoms of religion and expression. The resolution also: Calls upon the President and State Department to make the repeal of blasphemy laws a priority in its bilateral relationships with all countries that have such laws through direct interventions in capitals and multilateral fora; Encourages the President and State Department to oppose any efforts at the United Nations or other international or multilateral fora to create an international anti-blasphemy norm, or to expand the international norm on incitement to include blasphemy or defamation of religions; Urges the President and State Department to designate Pakistan and Egypt each as a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for perpetrating and tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and Urges the governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries to amend or repeal their blasphemy laws, to release unconditionally persons imprisoned on charges of blasphemy and, once released, ensure their safety and that of their families. Blasphemy laws and similar restrictions on speech regarding religion exist in at least 44 countries, according to the Pew Research Center. Pew has also found that countries with laws against blasphemy, and apostasy were more likely to have high government restrictions on religion, as well as social hostilities based on religion, than countries that do not have such laws. The United States government is in a unique position to promote the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world. This country was founded on respect for the principles of religious freedom and tolerance for difference of opinion, and as a leader in the global community we have a moral duty to advance these principles around the world. Congress in particular can play a significant role in promoting freedom of religion, belief, and expression around the world by passing H. Res 290, which would bring more attention to the troubling use of blasphemy laws and related measures, place deserved attention on worst offenders, and press the administration to make their repeal a more central focus of their foreign policy. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of inclusion of an amendment in the FY17 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that would permit more robust U.S. support of International Criminal Court cases, including those involving religious persecution. The United States has long been a champion of accountability and justice for perpetrators of atrocity crimes, including in Nazi Germany, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia. The passage of this amendment will further solidify American leadership on the rule of law and human rights, and, of particular interest to us, will allow the U.S. to promote accountability and justice in conflict situations involving religious freedom abuses. The International Criminal Court (ICC or Court) is the worlds only permanent international tribunal mandated to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes. The ICCs governing statute specifically includes religious persecution as a punishable offense within the three core atrocity crimes that the Court prosecutes - genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes - and religiously motivated crimes are implicated in six of the nine country situations currently before the Court. In light of the ICCs mandate to prosecute perpetrators of religious persecution, and as a result of the recognition that the Court serves to protect core religious values, including justice, bearing witness, redress, protecting the vulnerable, and helping to lay the foundation for durable peace, many faith-based organizations from diverse cultural, social, and political backgrounds support the work and mission of the ICC. Moreover, the U.S. has been broadly supportive of all of the ICCs cases, as they are consistent with U.S. national interests. For instance, the State Departments Rewards for Justice Program was created in 1984 and has been used for over 30 years to help apprehend and prosecute international criminals. In 2013, Congress passed a bipartisan expansion of this program to allow for the payment of up to $5 million to individuals who provide information that leads to the capture of ICC fugitives. Yet, an outdated provision of U.S. law hampers Americas ability to provide the full array of professional, logistical, and other resources to ICC cases. Presently, the U.S. can only provide limited, in-kind support to the ICC on a case-by-case basis. This results in the U.S. being unable to provide the ICC with the resources needed to bring to justice perpetrators of atrocities, including the most egregious abuses of international religious freedom. Essentially, this means that the hands of the U.S. government are tied when it comes to assisting in crucial efforts to prosecute atrocity crimes, including religious persecution. The language we are supporting, a proposed Atrocity Accountability Amendment (Amendment), would make a moderate, limited, and narrowly-tailored change to U.S. law that would allow the U.S. to provide to the ICC the same type of critical support that it provided to the Rwanda, former Yugoslavia, and other international tribunals. This change would ensure that Americas options in the fight against atrocities are not artificially restricted and would give the U.S. more tools in its toolbox to counter impunity, promote accountability, and contribute to justice and peacebuilding efforts. This change could, for instance, mean that the U.S. could offer finances for additional investigators, witness protection assistance, sophisticated law enforcement technologies, and expert scientists and other professionals to the ICCs current investigation of Boko Harams atrocities in Nigeria, religious persecution in the Central African Republic, and Joseph Kony and the Lords Resistance Army in Uganda and other areas - all cases which the United States has a principled and strategic interest in supporting, especially where national security concerns are implicated. The limitation existing under current law should be of serious concern to the United States because, in many cases, the ICC is the only mechanism available to hold individuals accountable for their commission of religiously-motivated atrocities. Indeed, in its 2015 and 2016 Annual Reports, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the U.S. push for a UN Security Council Resolution that refers atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State to the ICC. In recent congressional testimony before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the then-chair of USCIRF specifically recommended the change to U.S. law that the Amendment would make. Earlier this year, the House unanimously passed a resolution declaring the atrocities being committed against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria to be genocide and crimes against humanity, and calling for prosecution of these crimes. Passing the Amendment is one of the most concrete and readily available ways in which the House can promote the accountability sought in its resolution, as the change it makes would allow the U.S. to more meaningfully support efforts to bring Islamic State perpetrators of atrocities to justice through the ICC. These efforts would apply not only to Iraq and Syria, but also to Islamic State atrocities in Libya, where the ICC currently has jurisdiction. On behalf of 93 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our deep concern about Federal Laws â„- 374-ФÐ-- and 375-ФÐ--, On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation to establish additional measures to counter terrorism and ensure public safety (the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law); and urge U.S. government leaders to engage the Russian government and urge its leaders to ensure the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law is not used against peaceful spiritual groups. The Federal Anti-Terrorism Law further restricts religious freedom. We are particularly concerned about the amendments that introduce an entire new section to the Religion Law, imposing strict limits on sharing beliefs, including where and who may share them, and increase extremism punishments. We are aware of the fact that Russia has to be vigilant in order to prevent extremism, violence and terrorism. But you must fully consider and understand the impact of these amendments on social cohesion and national security. The need to counter violent extremism is pressing, but cracking down on religious freedom is a dangerous and counterproductive response. This conclusion is increasingly bolstered by empirical research. An exhaustive study by academics from Harvard, Notre Dame and Georgetown found that religious communities are most likely to support democracy, peace and freedom for other faiths, and least likely to take up the gun or form dictatorships, when governments allow them freedom to worship, practice and express their faiths freely and when religious communities in turn renounce their claims to permanent offices or positions of policy-making authority. Dr. Brian Grim, a noted expert on society, the economy and religion, has found a strong correlation between government restrictions on religion and religiously-motivated violence. Further, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law poses threats to the fundamental human rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by Russias Constitution and its international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) human dimension commitments, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. When evaluated within these legal frameworks, the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law raises a number of serious problems. It restricts the dissemination of beliefs in public to registered groups and organizations, and bars even informal sharing of beliefs by individuals acting on their own behalf. Perhaps most concerning, it restricts the beliefs that can be shared, limits the places where sharing beliefs can happen and explicitly bans sharing beliefs in residential buildings, "except as provided for by Article 16, Part 2 of [the Religion Law]." Article 16, Part 2, states that worship services and other religious rites and ceremonies may be freely held in residential premises, as well as in premises owned or rented by religious organizations. It is therefore unclear what this part of the amendment will mean in practice. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstans international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision against Kazakhstan. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. 11.In accordance with article 2, paragraph 3 (a), of the Covenant, the State party is under an obligation to provide the author with an effective remedy, including review of his conviction and review of the cancellation of his residence permit. The State party is also under an obligation to prevent similar violations in the future. 12.Bearing in mind that, by becoming a party to the Optional Protocol, the State party has recognized the competence of the Committee to determine whether or not there has been a violation of the Covenant and that, pursuant to article 2 of the Covenant, the State party has undertaken to ensure to all individuals within its territory or subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the Covenant and to provide an effective and enforceable remedy when a violation has been established, the Committee wishes to receive from the State party, within 180 days, information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committees Views. The State party is also requested to publish the present Views, to have them translated into the official languages of the State party, and to have them widely disseminated. Finally, shared an International Religious Freedom Roundtable submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. Provided this submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in connection with its consideration of the second periodic report of Kazakhstan regarding its compliance with the ICCPR on 22 and 23 June 2016. It lays out our concerns related to Kazakhstan and Article 18 - freedom of religion-and our recommendations. The purpose of this submission was to summarize to date the IRF Roundtable engagement with the Kazakh government and interactions with the UN Special Rapporteur regarding religious freedom in Kazakhstan in light of the deteriorating situation, hopeful that a meaningful dialogue might be renewed-one that does not demonize the government or civil society. We believe this dialogue can be helpful in maintaining stability and peace in Kazakhstan while bringing the Religion Law and related articles of the Criminal and Administrative Codes closer to compliance with UN international standards articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: S. 2878

On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015; and in support of House passage. We must work to create a context where people can live with their deepest differences. The recent turmoil in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine-including the alarming spike in incidents of violence and persecution of Christians, Muslim communities, and other religious minorities-offers the latest examples of what happens if we do not. The purpose of the bill is to update the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) and improve the capacity of the U.S. government to advance religious freedom globally by giving the Administration and State Department new political tools to better counter violent extremism and sectarian violence, growing anti-Semitism and restriction on religious minorities (e.g., a tier system for IRF reports on countries of particular concern and a special watch list, annual actions on countries with severe IRF abuses, authority to sanction individuals responsible for committing severe violations of IRF or materially supporting terrorism or violent extremism, and the ability to designate non-state actors as part of the Country of Particular Concern list and a range of sanctions targeting individual members of such groups); expanding diplomatic training, counter-terrorism coordination, and foreign assistance efforts; and reauthorizing the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) through 2021. With the passage and implementation of H.R. 1150, a strengthened IRFA and a stronger IRF policy-as integrated into U.S. foreign policy and national security-the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, as well as our common global security in the fight against persecution and religious extremism, and terrorism. Doing so is consistent with the best of our values, practically protecting our interests as a result. On May 16, 2016, H.R. 1150 passed out of the House by voice vote. On behalf of 64 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of S. 2878, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act; and in support of a swift markup of either S. 2878 or H.R. 1150 in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We believe S. 2878 strengthens IRFA at a critical time when assaults on religious freedom around the world are systemic and growing. In fact, the current state of international religious freedom is one of deepening crisis-according to the Pew Research Centers latest annual study on global restrictions on religion, 77% of the worlds population live in countries with a high or very high overall level of restriction on religion in 2013, up from 76% in 2012 and 68% in 2007. The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act would: Give the Administration and the State Department new political tools, strengthen the standing of the International Religious Freedom Office and the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom by making clear that the Ambassador reports directly to the Secretary of State. Clarify the Ambassador-at-Larges role in distributing project grants to protect religious freedom globally. Create a Special Watch List and automatic downgrade to a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for states on the list for three straight years. Clarify that CPC designations will occur annually. Require designation of non-state actors as Entities of Particular Concern. Direct the President to focus sanctions on individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions. Set a floor at 25 full-time employees in the International Religious Freedom Office. Require curriculum for training all Foreign Service Officers in the strategic value of international religious freedom. Prioritize IRF programming for groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide. This legislation is the companion bill to the amended text of H.R. 1150, which passed out of the House by voice vote on May 16. The passage and implementation of S. 2878 will result in a strengthened IRFA, as well the integration of this foundational human right into U.S. foreign policy and national security strategies. In so doing, the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, while advancing global security in the fight against persecution, religious extremism and terrorism. This legislation is consistent with the best of our values, and has the added benefit of practically protecting our national interests as well. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstans international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision against Kazakhstan. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. 11.In accordance with article 2, paragraph 3 (a), of the Covenant, the State party is under an obligation to provide the author with an effective remedy, including review of his conviction and review of the cancellation of his residence permit. The State party is also under an obligation to prevent similar violations in the future. 12.Bearing in mind that, by becoming a party to the Optional Protocol, the State party has recognized the competence of the Committee to determine whether or not there has been a violation of the Covenant and that, pursuant to article 2 of the Covenant, the State party has undertaken to ensure to all individuals within its territory or subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the Covenant and to provide an effective and enforceable remedy when a violation has been established, the Committee wishes to receive from the State party, within 180 days, information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committees Views. The State party is also requested to publish the present Views, to have them translated into the official languages of the State party, and to have them widely disseminated. Finally, shared an International Religious Freedom Roundtable submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. Provided this submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in connection with its consideration of the second periodic report of Kazakhstan regarding its compliance with the ICCPR on 22 and 23 June 2016. It lays out our concerns related to Kazakhstan and Article 18 - freedom of religion-and our recommendations. The purpose of this submission was to summarize to date the IRF Roundtable engagement with the Kazakh government and interactions with the UN Special Rapporteur regarding religious freedom in Kazakhstan in light of the deteriorating situation, hopeful that a meaningful dialogue might be renewed-one that does not demonize the government or civil society. We believe this dialogue can be helpful in maintaining stability and peace in Kazakhstan while bringing the Religion Law and related articles of the Criminal and Administrative Codes closer to compliance with UN international standards articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H.R. 1150

On behalf of 14 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge congressional leaders to ensure final passage of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform legislation in time to be signed into law on July 4, 2016, the 50th Anniversary of the original FOIA. This legislation is important because FOIA remains a powerful tool for the public and the press to obtain information about their government, create and preserve government accountability, promote transparency, and ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of government policies and actions. Yet, FOIA requesters are facing persistent problems. In June, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held two days of hearings that showed how federal agencies are not fulfilling their FOIA obligations in the way Congress intended. The Committee heard from witnesses who documented long delays and procedural hurdles they face when using FOIA. FOIA must be updated to keep up with changing technology, to overcome an increasingly persistent mindset within federal agencies that information belongs to the government rather than the people, and to ensure that information withheld based on the deliberative process exemption is made available to the public after 25 years. Faith-based, secular and human rights organizations that advocate on a variety of issues, such as international religious freedom, human rights, criminal justice reform and human trafficking, often use FOIA to monitor, evaluate and understand the executive decision-making processes that drive government policies and actions. This helps us exercise our global and national citizenships more responsibly as we perform our humanitarian work to contribute to the betterment of society. Both the House and Senate have now approved bipartisan FOIA Reform Bills which are similar but not identical. On January 11, 2016, the House passed H.R. 653, the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act of 2016, or FOIA Act, by voice vote; and On March 15, 2016, the Senate passed S. 337, the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, by Unanimous Consent. And on March16, 2016, this bill was received in the House and held at the desk. We hope the House and Senate will be able to work out the differences in these bills in the next few weeks. But if the differences cannot be ironed out in a timely fashion, we urge you to move forward and put S. 337 on the House floor for a vote on final passage, and then send it to the President for his signature on July 4. S. 337 will strengthen FOIA in a number of ways, including: It contains similar provisions to those passed by the House, including codification of the presumption of openness and prohibition of the withholding of records unless agencies can identify a foreseeable harm to one of the interests protected by FOIAs nine exemptions, or release of the documents is specifically prohibited by law. Importantly, the Senate Bill does not mandate the withholding of records that would adversely affect intelligence sources and methods. That language was included in the House Bill and could arguably lead to greater secrecy. The language is also unnecessary because intelligence sources and methods are already protected by FOIA Exemptions 1 and 3. The Senate Bill, like the House Bill, includes a time limit for how long agencies can withhold records that chronicle internal agency deliberations. Specifically, the bill prohibits agencies from withholding documents under the deliberative process privilege if they are more than 25 years old. This provision is an attempt to limit agencies reliance on Exemption 5, which has earned the nickname the withhold it because you want to exemption because it is so often misused to withhold records. The Senate Bill places an emphasis on technology by calling for the creation of a central online FOIA portal that would allow the public to request records from multiple agencies simultaneously, and bolstering requirements for agencies to proactively disclose records in electronic formats. Finally, the bill limits agencies ability to charge fees to FOIA requesters when they fail to fulfill the request within the statutes 20-day response deadline.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: H.R. 653

On behalf of 61 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015; and in support of House passage. We must work to create a context where people can live with their deepest differences. The recent turmoil in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine-including the alarming spike in incidents of violence and persecution of Christians, Muslim communities, and other religious minorities-offers the latest examples of what happens if we do not. The purpose of the bill is to update the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) and improve the capacity of the U.S. government to advance religious freedom globally by giving the Administration and State Department new political tools to better counter violent extremism and sectarian violence, growing anti-Semitism and restriction on religious minorities (e.g., a tier system for IRF reports on countries of particular concern and a special watch list, annual actions on countries with severe IRF abuses, authority to sanction individuals responsible for committing severe violations of IRF or materially supporting terrorism or violent extremism, and the ability to designate non-state actors as part of the Country of Particular Concern list and a range of sanctions targeting individual members of such groups); expanding diplomatic training, counter-terrorism coordination, and foreign assistance efforts; and reauthorizing the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) through 2021. With the passage and implementation of H.R. 1150, a strengthened IRFA and a stronger IRF policy-as integrated into U.S. foreign policy and national security-the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, as well as our common global security in the fight against persecution and religious extremism, and terrorism. Doing so is consistent with the best of our values, practically protecting our interests as a result. On May 16, 2016, H.R. 1150 passed out of the House by voice vote. On behalf of 64 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts in support of S. 2878, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act; and in support of a swift markup of either S. 2878 or H.R. 1150 in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We believe S. 2878 strengthens IRFA at a critical time when assaults on religious freedom around the world are systemic and growing. In fact, the current state of international religious freedom is one of deepening crisis-according to the Pew Research Centers latest annual study on global restrictions on religion, 77% of the worlds population live in countries with a high or very high overall level of restriction on religion in 2013, up from 76% in 2012 and 68% in 2007. The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act would: Give the Administration and the State Department new political tools, strengthen the standing of the International Religious Freedom Office and the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom by making clear that the Ambassador reports directly to the Secretary of State. Clarify the Ambassador-at-Larges role in distributing project grants to protect religious freedom globally. Create a Special Watch List and automatic downgrade to a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for states on the list for three straight years. Clarify that CPC designations will occur annually. Require designation of non-state actors as Entities of Particular Concern. Direct the President to focus sanctions on individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions. Set a floor at 25 full-time employees in the International Religious Freedom Office. Require curriculum for training all Foreign Service Officers in the strategic value of international religious freedom. Prioritize IRF programming for groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide. This legislation is the companion bill to the amended text of H.R. 1150, which passed out of the House by voice vote on May 16. The passage and implementation of S. 2878 will result in a strengthened IRFA, as well the integration of this foundational human right into U.S. foreign policy and national security strategies. In so doing, the United States will send a clear and urgent message regarding the inherent dignity of every human being, while advancing global security in the fight against persecution, religious extremism and terrorism. This legislation is consistent with the best of our values, and has the added benefit of practically protecting our national interests as well. On behalf of 28 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to express our continuing deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in the Republic of Kazakhstan; and urge U.S. government leaders to engage Kazakh President Nazarbayev and leaders of his government regarding the 2011 Religion Law and related amendments to the Criminal Code and Administrative Code, and urge them to amend the 2011 Religion Law and related articles in these Codes in order to bring them into conformity with international human rights standards, Kazakhstans international commitments, and its own Constitution. Related to this, shared the Kazakhstan report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which recommends reforms to the 2011 Religion Law. The brief summary of this formal report on his mission to Kazakhstan stated: While acknowledging a general appreciation of religious diversity in the country, he noticed adverse attitudes towards some non-traditional religious communities. The State monitors religious activities strictly, with a view to preventing extremism and to combating sects deemed destructive to peoples well-being. Many of the measures adopted for this purpose are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, the mandatory registration of religious communities, in conjunction with tightly knit stipulations, largely hampers free religious practice, which takes place in an atmosphere of legal insecurity. Further, the Special Rapporteurs conclusions include: 66. the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations shows restrictive features that are not in line with international standards of freedom of religion or belief. The most obvious problem concerns the mandatory status of official registration. Failure to obtain this status means that a religious community is deemed illegal, which has far-reaching negative repercussions on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. Moreover, even those communities which are registered suffer to some extent from legal insecurity, inter alia due to the official confinement of permitted religious activities to certain predefined issues and territorial boundaries. In general, the 2011 Law is based on the assumption that the exercise of core aspects of freedom of religion depends on specific acts of Government approval - thereby turning the relationship between freedom and limitations, as generally understood in the framework of human rights, upside down. 67. While Kazakhstan has broadly embraced religious pluralism, members of non-traditional small religious communities, frequently branded as sects, continue to experience suspicion, mistrust and discrimination in society. Moreover, some provisions of the Criminal Code and of the Code on Administrative Offences - both the existing and the new Codes - which are aimed at combating religious hatred or religious extremism - are defined only vaguely, thus creating a climate of legal insecurity, which is further exacerbated by shortcomings in the handling of criminal procedures, long pretrial detention and related problems. Similar problems are associated with the 2005 Law on Countering Extremism. Finally, the Special Rapporteurs recommendations include: (a) The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government consider amending the relevant provisions of the Constitution to bring them into line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (b) The Government should bring its constitutional provisions pertinent to freedom of religion or belief fully into line with article 18 of the Covenant and other relevant international human rights standards. (d) Above all, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend far-reaching reforms of the 2011 Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations based on an understanding that registration should be in the service of freedom of religion or belief which, due to its status as a universal human right, inheres in all human beings, prior to - and independent of - any specific acts of administrative approval. The most important consequence would be that registration should be an offer, not a mandatory requirement, for religious community practice. Non-registered communities must be able to operate free from discrimination and free from fear of intimidation. Also shared a recent UN Human Rights Committee decision against Kazakhstan. In the Consideration of the merits section of this decision against Kazakhstan are the following three points: 10.The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it discloses a violation by the State party of the authors rights under article 18 of the Covenant. 11.In accordance with article 2, paragraph 3 (a), of the Covenant, the State party is under an obligation to provide the author with an effective remedy, including review of his conviction and review of the cancellation of his residence permit. The State party is also under an obligation to prevent similar violations in the future. 12.Bearing in mind that, by becoming a party to the Optional Protocol, the State party has recognized the competence of the Committee to determine whether or not there has been a violation of the Covenant and that, pursuant to article 2 of the Covenant, the State party has undertaken to ensure to all individuals within its territory or subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the Covenant and to provide an effective and enforceable remedy when a violation has been established, the Committee wishes to receive from the State party, within 180 days, information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committees Views. The State party is also requested to publish the present Views, to have them translated into the official languages of the State party, and to have them widely disseminated. Finally, shared an International Religious Freedom Roundtable submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. Provided this submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in connection with its consideration of the second periodic report of Kazakhstan regarding its compliance with the ICCPR on 22 and 23 June 2016. It lays out our concerns related to Kazakhstan and Article 18 - freedom of religion-and our recommendations. The purpose of this submission was to summarize to date the IRF Roundtable engagement with the Kazakh government and interactions with the UN Special Rapporteur regarding religious freedom in Kazakhstan in light of the deteriorating situation, hopeful that a meaningful dialogue might be renewed-one that does not demonize the government or civil society. We believe this dialogue can be helpful in maintaining stability and peace in Kazakhstan while bringing the Religion Law and related articles of the Criminal and Administrative Codes closer to compliance with UN international standards articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: S. 2878

On behalf of 14 organizations and individuals, including the client, who signed a multi-faith letter, made contacts to urge congressional leaders to ensure final passage of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform legislation in time to be signed into law on July 4, 2016, the 50th Anniversary of the original FOIA. This legislation is important because FOIA remains a powerful tool for the public and the press to obtain information about their government, create and preserve government accountability, promote transparency, and ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of government policies and actions. Yet, FOIA requesters are facing persistent problems. In June, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held two days of hearings that showed how federal agencies are not fulfilling their FOIA obligations in the way Congress intended. The Committee heard from witnesses who documented long delays and procedural hurdles they face when using FOIA. FOIA must be updated to keep up with changing technology, to overcome an increasingly persistent mindset within federal agencies that information belongs to the government rather than the people, and to ensure that information withheld based on the deliberative process exemption is made available to the public after 25 years. Faith-based, secular and human rights organizations that advocate on a variety of issues, such as international religious freedom, human rights, criminal justice reform and human trafficking, often use FOIA to monitor, evaluate and understand the executive decision-making processes that drive government policies and actions. This helps us exercise our global and national citizenships more responsibly as we perform our humanitarian work to contribute to the betterment of society. Both the House and Senate have now approved bipartisan FOIA Reform Bills which are similar but not identical. On January 11, 2016, the House passed H.R. 653, the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act of 2016, or FOIA Act, by voice vote; and On March 15, 2016, the Senate passed S. 337, the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, by Unanimous Consent. And on March16, 2016, this bill was received in the House and held at the desk. We hope the House and Senate will be able to work out the differences in these bills in the next few weeks. But if the differences cannot be ironed out in a timely fashion, we urge you to move forward and put S. 337 on the House floor for a vote on final passage, and then send it to the President for his signature on July 4. S. 337 will strengthen FOIA in a number of ways, including: It contains similar provisions to those passed by the House, including codification of the presumption of openness and prohibition of the withholding of records unless agencies can identify a foreseeable harm to one of the interests protected by FOIAs nine exemptions, or release of the documents is specifically prohibited by law. Importantly, the Senate Bill does not mandate the withholding of records that would adversely affect intelligence sources and methods. That language was included in the House Bill and could arguably lead to greater secrecy. The language is also unnecessary because intelligence sources and methods are already protected by FOIA Exemptions 1 and 3. The Senate Bill, like the House Bill, includes a time limit for how long agencies can withhold records that chronicle internal agency deliberations. Specifically, the bill prohibits agencies from withholding documents under the deliberative process privilege if they are more than 25 years old. This provision is an attempt to limit agencies reliance on Exemption 5, which has earned the nickname the withhold it because you want to exemption because it is so often misused to withhold records. The Senate Bill places an emphasis on technology by calling for the creation of a central online FOIA portal that would allow the public to request records from multiple agencies simultaneously, and bolstering requirements for agencies to proactively disclose records in electronic formats. Finally, the bill limits agencies ability to charge fees to FOIA requesters when they fail to fulfill the request within the statutes 20-day response deadline.

Client expense: — · Firm income: $20,000

Matched citations: S. 337