A bipartisan bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives to hold Russia accountable for what Congressmen claim is the persecution of religious groups in occupied territories of the Ukraine. The legislation, the Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act, requires the President to take account of any violations of religious freedom in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian-backed forces—the Crimean peninsula and “Donetsk People’s Republic”—when considering a “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation for Russia. The bill was introduced on Friday.
Members of Congress who introduced the bill said that Russian forces and their proxies are guilty of imprisoning and torturing citizens in the Crimea for their religious beliefs. “Russian officials are culpable, and this bill helps ensure they are held accountable,” Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who introduced the bill along with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.), stated.
A 1998 law, the International Religious Freedom Act, set up the accountability mechanisms that the U.S. could utilize against the worst violators of religious freedom, the countries of particular concern. The measures can be lifted for certain reasons under the law, and of the 10 countries listed as CPC designees by the State Department, four of them had sanctions waived and six others had preexisting sanctions, USCIRF noted in its most recent annual report.
“USCIRF has long expressed concern that using preexisting sanctions or indefinite waivers provides little or no incentive for CPC-designated governments to reduce or halt egregious religious freedom violations,” the commission said. CNA
