WASHINGTON—Helsinki Commission
Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) yesterday introduced the Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act (S. 3064) in the Senate. The legislation would combat Russia’s
religious freedom violations in the Crimea and Donbas regions of Ukraine.
Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Commissioner
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05) introduced a bipartisan companion bill in
the House of Representatives last week.
“The Kremlin’s illegal land grab is accompanied by a brutal crackdown on
religious freedom in Crimea and the Donbas,” said Co-Chairman Wicker. “This
legislation would combat persecution of faith communities in Ukraine and ensure
that Russian authorities are held responsible for their actions.”
The Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act would require the president of
the United States to consider particularly severe violations of religious
freedom in Russia-occupied or otherwise controlled territory in Ukraine when
determining whether to designate Russia as a Country of Particular Concern
(CPC) for such violations. The bill would clarify that Russia should be held
responsible for violations in territory it controls or occupies illegally, not
just for violations inside Russia’s internationally-recognized borders.
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 requires the president
to designate CPCs when their governments engage in or tolerate particularly
severe violations of religious freedom. It also requires the president to take
15 specific actions, or other commensurate
action, in response. Last year, on behalf of President Donald Trump, Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo designated Russia for the Special Watch List of countries
where violations are severe.
Russian forces first invaded Crimea in February 2014 and continue to
occupy it illegally. Since April 2014, Russia has controlled parts of the
Donbas region in eastern Ukraine with non-state armed groups and illegal
entities under its command. Under international humanitarian law, including the
Geneva Conventions, Russia is responsible for religious freedom violations in
Crimea and parts of the Donbas.
As a participating State of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, Russia has repeatedly committed to respect and protect
freedom of religion or belief. The Helsinki Commission has compiled 16 documents outlining religious freedom
commitments made by OSCE participating States.
