USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Violations in Belarus

December 21, 2021 | USCIRF

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following report on religious freedom violations in Belarus:

Belarus Country Update – Religious freedom conditions in the Eastern European country of Belarus have deteriorated dramatically amidst a brutal government crackdown on civil society following widespread anti-government protests starting in August 2020. Since then, the regime of Alexander Lukashenko has purged Catholic and Orthodox Christian clergy critical of his authoritarian tactics, raided Catholic and Protestant worship services, and publicly promoted anti-Semitic conspiracies and rhetoric.

USCIRF has long monitored religious freedom conditions in Belarus, and discussed the deterioration in its 2021 Annual Report and USCIRF Spotlight podcast. This report anticipates important discussions about the U.S. policy response to the assault on Belarusian civil society, which includes significant violations of religious freedom.