Press Releases: Taken Question: Religious Freedom and the Human Rights Report

Taken Question: Religious Freedom and the Human Rights Report

Taken Question

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

Taken Question at the June 14, 2012 Daily Press Briefing

June 16, 2012

QUESTION: Why was the religious freedom portion of the Human Rights Report removed from it this year?

ANSWER: In 2011 the State Department began an alignment of the reporting cycles of both the Human Rights Report (HRR) and the International Religious Freedom Report (IRFR). Previously, the HRR covered calendar years, while the IRFR covered a one-year period from July 1- June 30. For 2011, both reports cover the previous calendar year. The religious freedom section in the HRR was replaced by a link to the IRFR because the latter is a more comprehensive review of the status of religious freedom worldwide, and it would be inefficient to address the same issues in similar documents. Despite this alteration of format and venue, the standards and rigor of our reporting on religious freedom remains unchanged.

PRN: 2012/999

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http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/06/193021.htm