RUSSIA TIER 1 | USCIRF-RECOMMENDED COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN (CPC) KEY FINDINGS During 2017, Russia showed no signs of wavering from the acted with total impunity, arresting and kidnapping persons repressive behavior it demonstrated in 2016 that led USCIRF suspected of even tangential links to Islamic militancy. Russia to recommend its designation as a “country of particular con- is the sole state to have not only continually intensified its cern,” or CPC, for the first time in April 2017. The government repression of religious freedom since USCIRF commenced continued to target “nontraditional” religious minorities, monitoring it, but also expanded its repressive policies to the including Jehovah’s Witnesses and Scientologists, with fines, territory of a neighboring state by means of military invasion. detentions, and criminal charges under the pretext of com- A visit by USCIRF to Ukraine in December 2017 confirmed that bating extremism. Most notably, the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russian-occupied Crimea, the Russian authorities continued were banned outright, as was their translation of the Bible, to kidnap, torture, and imprison Crimean Tatar Muslims at will, and their followers persecuted nationwide. Adherents of the while Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, often referred to Islamic missionary movement Tabligh Jamaat, members of the as the Donbas, continued to hold expropriated church build- Islamic fundamentalist movement Hizb ut-Tahrir, and readers ings and intimidate religious communities. Based on these of the works of Turkish theologian Said Nursi were sentenced particularly severe violations, in 2018 USCIRF again finds that to prison terms of between three and 18 years for peaceful Russia merits designation as a CPC under the International religious expression. In the North Caucasus, security forces Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT • Designate Russia as a CPC under IRFA; under section 604(a) of IRFA and • Encourage increased U.S. funding • Work to establish a binding agreement the Global Magnitsky Human Rights for Voice of America (VOA) Russian with the Russian government, under Accountability Act, and asset freezes and Ukrainian Services and for Radio section 405(c) of IRFA, on steps it can under the Global Magnitsky Act; Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) take to be removed from the CPC list; • Raise concerns on freedom of religion Russian and Ukrainian Services, so that should negotiations fail, impose sanc- or belief in multilateral settings and uncensored information about events tions, as stipulated in IRFA; meetings, including at the Organization inside Russia, including those related to religious freedom, continues to be • Urge the Russian government to for Security and Cooperation in Europe disseminated; amend its extremism law in line with (OSCE), and urge the Russian govern- international human rights standards, ment to agree to visits by the United • Call on the Russian government to stop such as adding criteria on the advocacy Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on persecuting religious minorities in the or use of violence; freedom of religion or belief and the occupied areas of Crimea and Donbas, OSCE Representatives on Tolerance, beginning by reversing the ban on • Press the Russian government to and to establish an international moni- the Crimean Tatar Mejlis and abolish- ensure that laws such as the extremism, toring presence in occupied Crimea; ing repressive religious registration religion, and foreign agents laws are not requirements; and used to limit the religious activities of • Press for at the highest levels and work peaceful religious groups, and to imple- to secure the release of prisoners of • Include violations of freedom of reli- ment European Court of Human Rights conscience, and press the Russian gov- gion or belief and related human rights decisions relating to freedom of belief; ernment to treat prisoners humanely in all relevant discussions with the Rus- and allow them access to family, human sian government over Russia’s illegal • Use targeted tools against specific rights monitors, adequate medical annexation of Crimea and support of officials and agencies identified care, and lawyers, and the ability to rebels in the Donbas, and work closely as having participated in or being practice their faith; with European and other allies to apply responsible for human rights abuses, pressure through advocacy, diplomacy, including particularly severe viola- • Ensure the U.S. Embassy, including and targeted sanctions. tions of religious freedom; these tools at the ambassadorial level, maintains include the “specially designated appropriate contacts with human nationals” list maintained by the U.S. rights activists, and that the ambas- Department of the Treasury’s Office sador meets with representatives of of Foreign Assets Control, visa denials religious minorities; USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2018 TIER 1 TIER RUSSIA COUNTRY FACTS FULL NAME RELIGIOUS DEMOGRAPHY* Russian Federation 68% Russian Orthodox 7% Muslim GOVERNMENT 25% Other (including Protestants, Catholics, Jehovah’s Wit- Presidential Federation nesses, Buddhists, Jews, and Baha’is) POPULATION 142,000,000 GOVERNMENT-RECOGNIZED RELIGIONS/FAITHS Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism *U.S. Department of State BACKGROUND other communities can be financially blacklisted or The Russian government views independent religious liquidated, and individuals can be subjected to criminal activity as a major threat to social and political stability prosecution for a social media post. and to its control, an approach inherited from the Soviet In July 2016, the Russian government adopted a period. It maintains and frequently updates laws that package of amendments, known as the Yarovaya Law, restrict religious freedom, including a 1997 religion law that significantly enhanced the scope and penalties and a 2002 law on combating extremism. The Russian of the religion and anti-extremism laws. The religion religion law sets strict registration requirements on law now broadly defines “missionary activities” to religious groups and empowers state officials to impede forbid preaching, praying, disseminating religious their activity. The religion law’s preface, which is not materials, and even answering questions about legally binding, singles out Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, religion outside of officially designated sites. With no and especially Orthodox Christianity as the country’s independent judiciary in Russia, any religious speech four traditional religions; other religious groups are or activity not explicitly sanctioned by the authorities treated with suspicion. Over time, the Russian govern- now has the potential to be criminalized, depending ment has come to treat the Moscow Patriarchate of the on the whims of local law enforcement and prosecu- Russian Orthodox Church (MPROC) as a de facto state tors. Those convicted of extremism are now subject to church, strongly favoring it in various areas of state up to six years’ imprisonment, major fines equivalent sponsorship, including subsidies, the education system, to several years of average annual wages, and/or bans and military chaplaincies; this favoritism has fostered a on professional employment. climate of hostility toward other religions. The Federal List of Extremist Materials, main- The anti-extremism law lacks a clear definition tained by the Ministry of Justice, is a key feature of the of extremism, and the use or advocacy of violence is extremism law. Any Russian court may add texts to the not necessary for activity to be classified as extremist. list; as of the end of 2017 there were over 4,000 items on Because virtually any speech can be prosecuted, the that list, including many with no apparent connections law is a powerful way to intimidate members of reli- to militancy. gious and other communities. Books may be placed by Several other laws punish peaceful religious expres- court order on a list of banned materials. Religious and sion, nonconformity, or human rights activity. These USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2018 TIER 1 TIER RUSSIA include a 2012 law that effectively bans unsanctioned participants threatened with prosecution. Witnesses were public protests, a 2012 law that requires nongovernmen- dismissed from their jobs, schoolchildren and their parents tal organizations (NGOs) that receive funds from abroad were interrogated and threatened, and the community’s to register as “foreign agents,” and a 2013 amendment buildings and property were burned and vandalized. Jeho- that criminalizes offense to religious sentiments. vah’s Witnesses also were no longer permitted to request In March 2014, Russia illegally annexed the alternative service as conscientious objectors and were Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. Almost all ordered to report for military service. of the 300,000 Crimean Tatars, an indigenous Muslim At year’s end, Jehovah’s Witness Dennis Chris- ethnic group, oppose Russian occupation owing to their tensen, a Danish citizen arrested in May during a prayer Soviet-era experiences—Joseph Stalin deported the service in the city of Orel, remained detained, awaiting entire community to Central Asia in 1944, resulting in trial. Another Jehovah’s Witness, Arkady Akopyan, has the death of up to half of the Crimean Tatar population. been on trial since May 2017 in the province of Kab- In March 2014, Russian-backed separatist forces also ardino-Balkaria; the two prosecution witnesses against began asserting control over the eastern