News from May 2021
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: Crimea. In February 2014, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262 adopted on March 27, 2014 and entitled Territorial Integrity of Ukraine, states the Autonomous Republic of Crimea remains internationally recognized as within Ukraine’s ...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution defines the country as a secular state and provides for freedom of religion. The Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA), part of the Ministry of Information and Social Development (MISD), is responsible for religious issues. According to local and international observers, authorities...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution defines the state as secular, prohibits religious discrimination, and provides for freedom of conscience and religion. It prohibits political parties from preaching religious violence or hate. Laws regulating religious groups require them to register with the Ministry of Interior, and...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitutional declaration signed in August 2019 includes several provisions protecting the right to freedom of religious belief and worship “in accordance with the requirements of the law and public order." Unlike the former constitution, it makes no reference to “sharia" or Islamic religious law...
By Homeland Newswire | May 12, 2021
News Release: SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A Dallas man, arrested Thursday in San Antonio, faces federal criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in smuggling a large group of undocumented noncitizens.
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution defines the country as a secular state. It provides for freedom of conscience, religious belief, conviction, expression, and worship and prohibits discrimination based on religious grounds. The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), a state institution, governs and coordinates religious...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution states Islam is the state religion and sharia shall be “a main source" of legislation. The constitution guarantees the freedom to practice religious rites in accordance with “the maintenance of public order and morality." The law punishes “offending" Islam or any of its rites or beliefs...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution prohibits religious discrimination and provides for freedom of belief and the right to practice, profess, and promote any religion. Islamic leaders stated that prison officials continued to prevent some newly converted Muslim inmates from updating their religious affiliation in prison records and from meeting with Muslim clergy.
By DOJ Newswire | May 12, 2021
News Release: Orlando, FL - A federal grand jury in Orlando, Florida, returned an indictment April 21, 2021, charging residents of Florida, Georgia and North Carolina with promoting a tax fraud scheme.
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and each of the country’s two entities - the Federation of BiH (the Federation) and Republika Srpska (RS) - provide for freedom of religious thought and practice, prohibit religious discrimination, and allow registered religious organizations to operate ...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: More information about China is available on the China country page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion and the right of individuals to express their religious beliefs in public and private. It states all religious communities shall enjoy equal rights and prohibits incitement of religious hatred or intolerance. The World Jewish Restitution Organization...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution, laws, and policies provide for religious freedom, subject to restrictions relating to public order, public health, and morality. The government continued to ban Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church). It restricted speech or...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: In February 2014, armed forces of the Russian Federation seized and occupied Crimea. In March 2014, Russia claimed that Crimea had become part of the Russian Federation. The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 68/262 of March 27, 2014, entitled “Territorial Integrity of Ukraine," and Resolution 75/192 of ...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which cites the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), states that citizens “enjoy freedom of religious belief" but limits protections for religious practice to “normal religious activities," without defining “normal." The U.S. government...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution provides for the free practice of religious beliefs and self-governance by religious groups without government interference. By law, all faith-based organizations must register with the government to acquire legal status as an association. The government continued a campaign to combat...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution states the state is secular, prohibits religious discrimination, and provides for the right of individuals to choose and profess their religion. The Secretariat General of Religious Affairs (SRA) continued to issue weekly themes for inclusion in Friday sermons at mosques and Sunday sermons...
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the freedom to change religion. The law recognizes four religions: Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. The constitution and other laws accord Buddhism the “foremost place" among the country’s religious faiths...
By Interior Newswire | May 12, 2021
News Release: Roseburg, Ore. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Roseburg District released an Environmental Assessment (EA) for proposed fire recovery activities on BLM-administered lands within the Archie Creek Fire perimeter on April 9, 2021. The EA analyzes the potential environmental effects of salvage harvesting timber in fire-affected stands and removing hazard trees along roadways and near private and BLM-managed infrastructure.
By State Newswire | May 12, 2021
Release: The constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion and provides for freedom of conscience, religion, belief, and thought. A court case involving a Rastafarian child’s ability to attend school with dreadlocks remained pending, and by court order, the child was able to attend school with his hair...
