USCIRF Spotlight Podcast

Recent Episodes

Civil Society’s Important Role in Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief

Posted October 27, 2022 • 00:34:57

To commemorate this year’s International Religious Freedom Day and the 24th Anniversary of the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act...

The Legacy of Blasphemy Laws in Southeast Asia

Posted October 21, 2022 • 00:12:21

Seven out of ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations have blasphemy laws currently enshrined in their legal codes....

Russia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Posted October 14, 2022 • 00:20:32

In April 2017, the Russian Federation banned Jehovah’s Witnesses as an “extremist” organization. In the five years since that designation, law...

The Nexus of Religious Freedom & Women’s Rights in Iran

Posted October 11, 2022 • 00:30:36

On September 16th, Iran’s morality police arrested 22-year old Mahsa Amini for wearing improper hijab. The morality police reportedly beat Amini until...

Turkmenistan’s Tight Grip on Religious Freedom

Posted September 23, 2022 • 00:20:49

Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has designated Turkmenistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), for its systematic, ongoing, and...