Tony Perkins

Chair

Gayle Manchin

Vice Chair

Nadine Maenza

Vice Chair

Commissioners

Gary Bauer

Commissioner

Anurima Bhargava

Commissioner

James Carr

Commissioner

Tenzin Dorjee

Commissioner

Sharon Kleinbaum

Commissioner

Johnnie Moore

Commissioner

Erin D. Singshinsuk

Executive Director

USCIRF’s Mission

To advance international 

freedom of religion or 

belief, by independently 

assessing and unflinchingly 

confronting threats to this 

fundamental right.

FACTSHEET

CORONAVIRUS

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March 2020

The Global Response to the Coronavirus: 

Impact on Religious Practice and 

Religious Freedom

By Scott Weiner, Policy Analyst; Kirsten Lavery, International Legal Specialist; and 

Dominic Nardi, Policy Analyst 

Overview

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in December 2019, 

governments have begun implementing various public health interventions to 

control the spread of the illness. These interventions have impacted billions of people 

worldwide and often involve large public programs, restrictions on freedom of 

movement, and government management of critical resources. 

It is important for governments to account for religious freedom concerns in their 

responses to COVID-19, for reasons of both legality and policy effectiveness. From 

a legal perspective, international law requires governments to preserve individual 

human rights, including religious freedom, when taking measures to protect public 

health even in times of crisis. From an efficacy perspective, considering religious 

freedom concerns can help build trust between governments and religious groups, 

who in past public health crises have played a critical role in delivering health 

interventions. Such concerns include the cancellation of large gatherings, among them 

religious activities, where viruses easily can spread.

This factsheet reviews international legal frameworks surrounding the limitation 

of religious freedom on the grounds of public health. It then provides illustrative 

examples from the current COVID-19 pandemic where religious freedom issues 

and public health interventions intersect. These examples may help inform ongoing 

discussions of public health interventions where similar conditions exist. 

International Standards on Freedom of Religion or Belief 

and Public Health

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and of the 

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) are the primary 

international provisions securing the freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) under 

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international human rights law. Both use similar language 

in providing robust protections to FoRB, and in defining 

the narrow circumstances under which states may lawfully 

limit it in furtherance of an identified state interest, 

including public health. Article 18(3) of the ICCPR 

provides that a government cannot restrict manifestations 

of FoRB except if the limitation (1) is prescribed by law; 

(2) serves one of the listed purposes, which are to protect

public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental

rights and freedoms of others; and (3) is necessary

for attaining this purpose. Unlike some other rights,

FoRB may not be derogated by states in times of public

emergency or war.

Under the prevailing guidelines for interpreting the 

ICCPR’s limitation and derogation provisions, limitations 

are not allowed except when specific conditions are met. 

Such conditions require that the restrictions are: (1) not 

used to destroy a protected right; (2) narrowly applied 

only for the purpose proscribed, construed in favor of 

the right at issue, and rights are interpreted broadly; 

(3) not discriminatory in language and application, and

only restrict rights for the neutral purpose of protecting

citizens; and (4) not discriminatory against one religion

or belief system, or between believers and non-believers,

even when states maintain an official religion.

Pursuant to these guidelines, public health may be invoked 

to allow a state to take measures dealing with a serious 

threat to its population’s health or that of individual 

members. These measures must be specifically aimed at 

preventing disease or injury, or providing care for the sick 

and injured, with “due regard” given to the International

Health Regulations of the World Health Organization 

(WHO).

Specifically in relation to COVID-19, WHO emphasized

that in the response to this pandemic, “[a]ll countries 

must strike a fine balance between protecting health, 

minimizing economic and social disruption, and 

respecting human rights.” In an effort to curtail the 

spread of the virus, WHO has provided a variety of 

technical resources, including guidelines and planning

recommendations for mass gatherings to aid authorities 

in mitigating the public health risks of large events, 

including religious services. Echoing the need to respect 

human rights, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 

Michelle Bachelet also stressed that “human dignity and 

rights need to be front and [center]” in the effort to 

contain and combat the spread of COVID-19. She further 

noted that these efforts must be “in strict accordance with 

USCIRF Factsheet: CORONAVIRUS March 2020

human rights standards and in a way that is necessary 

and proportionate to the evaluated risk.” UN Experts 

also emphasized that restrictions must be based on public 

health concerns and not used “simply to quash dissent” 

or target particular groups, minorities, or individuals. 

Non-governmental organizations have also raised concerns

regarding the potential human rights implications of the 

COVID-19 response.

Countries Where the Government or Societal 

Response to COVID-19 Is Impacting Freedom 

of Religion

China

The first case of the COVID-19 was reported in early 

December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The local government 

was widely criticized for its slow response and for 

censoring information about the outbreak. The national 

government has since imposed strict quarantine measures, 

locking down Wuhan and three other Chinese cities, and 

using its surveillance apparatus to monitor potentially sick 

citizens. China was the initial epicenter of the virus, with 

more than 80,000 cases and 3,000 deaths as of March 2020. 

Human rights advocates are concerned that COVID-19 —

and the government’s response—risk exacerbating 

ongoing religious freedom violations. As noted in 

USCIRF’s 2019 Annual Report, the Chinese government 

has detained more than 1 million Uighur and other 

Muslims in concentration camps in Xinjiang since April 

2017. The combination of limited access to medical 

resources and large concentrations of elderly detainees 

could lead to a humanitarian disaster if the virus reaches 

any of those camps. In addition, there are reports that 

authorities have forced Uighurs to work in factories 

throughout the country to compensate for decreased 

output during the quarantine. In January, authorities 

quarantined millions of people across Xinjiang without 

advance warning. There are reports that some Uighur 

residents in the city of Ghulja have limited access to food 

and local officials have demanded payments in order to 

bring supplies. 

South Korea

South Korea provides a vivid example of how public health 

emergencies can increase the risk to marginalized religious 

groups. Even before the recent coronavirus outbreak, 

members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus had reported 

facing pressure from mainstream Protestant groups, and 

in some cases being subjected to deprogramming. The 
3 USCIRF Factsheet: CORONAVIRUS March 2020

Shincheonji church has a reputation for secrecy, to the 

extent that some members do not reveal their religious 

affiliation to family or friends—a precaution members 

claim is necessary because of the hostility they face. The 

church claims more than 300,000 members worldwide in 

more than 20 countries, including in Wuhan, China. 

In early February, a 61-year-old female member of the 

Shincheonji—designated Patient 31—developed a fever, 

but attended church services in the city of Daegu before 

being diagnosed. According to the Korea Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), approximately 

two-thirds of the more than 7,500 cases could be 

traced to her, leading to a surge of infections amongst 

Shincheonji members.

Confirmed cases, by cluster

Source: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Shincheonji

church

Cheongdo

Daenam Hospital

Imported

Others

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

Feb. 24 25 26 27 28 29 March1

South Korean authorities asked the Shincheonji church 

for a list of all members. Church leaders publicly offered 

assurances that they would comply, but some South 

Korean news outlets accused the church of privately 

instructing members to lie about their affiliation if 

contacted. The church did provide a list of 212,000 

members and stopped all meetings within days of Patient 

31’s diagnosis, but the omission of tens of thousands 

of students from the initial list raised suspicions; the 

church quickly corrected the error, noting that omitted 

students were not yet full members. Church leaders 

also encouraged members to reveal their affiliation to 

coworkers and employers. On March 2, Shincheonji 

founder Lee Man-hee publicly apologized for any 

inadvertent role the church might have played in 

spreading the disease. 

The Shincheonji church has faced considerable criticism 

and even harassment from the South Korean government 

and society. Although some government measures 

appeared to be driven by legitimate public health 

concerns, others appeared to exaggerate the church’s role 

in the outbreak. The government of Seoul locked down

Shincheonji churches in the capital, and some mainline 

Protestant groups have accused the church of deliberately 

spreading the disease. Local prosecutors are investigating

criminal charges against Lee Man-hee for homicide by 

“willful negligence.” USCIRF has received reports of 

individuals encountering discrimination at work and 

spousal abuse because of their affiliation with the church. 

Meanwhile, a petition to ban the church has received more 

than 1.2 million signatures. Despite this, Vice Minister 

of Health Kim Kang-lip has publicly stated that the 

Shincheonji church has cooperated with authorities and 

that punitive measures against church members could 

complicate efforts to contain the outbreak.

Iran

Iran has suffered significantly more cases of COVID-19

than other countries in the Middle East. As the home 

of several major Shi’a shrines as well as the Qom and 

Mashhad hawzas (seminaries), Iran is visited by many 

people who travel to and from the country for pilgrimage 

or to study. As a result, in the wake of the virus’ spread, 

several countries have imposed travel restrictions to and 

from Iran, which has limited these religious activities. 

Iran’s lack of sufficient medical resources has exacerbated 

the spread of the virus, which has reached members 

of Iran’s government. On March 2, 2020, Mohammed 

Mirmohhamadi, a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, 

died following a COVID-19 infection. Iran’s government 

blocked access to the website Wikipedia following 

Mirmohhamadi’s death, and it has also disrupted internet 

access in Qom.

Cities with major religious sites, including Qom, have 

been among the hardest hit. However some clerics, along 

with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), were 

reluctant to agree to government-imposed quarantines 

and close religious sites. Videos have circulated on social 

media of individuals licking shrines in Qom and Mashhad 

to protest pressure to temporarily close them. A man 

in Mashhad was arrested on February 29 for licking a 

religious shrine.

Iran has long imprisoned hundreds of people who 

are members of religious minority groups. Activists 

have expressed concern that prison authorities are not 

taking sufficient precautions to mitigate the spread of 

COVID-19, which has already appeared in Evin, Urmia, 

and Ghazalhesar prisons. On March 3, Iran announced it 

would release 54,000 prisoners on furlough, and it later 
4

released a total of 70,000. However, 16 Sufi prisoners at 

Great Tehran Penitentiary (GTP) reportedly were moved 

to a ward with known cases of COVID-19, and 8 Sufis 

from Evin prison were moved to the same ward within 

GTP. Additionally, eight Sufis in Ghazalhasar Prison were 

moved to an overcrowded ward at that prison where they 

are at an increased risk of contracting the virus. 

Despite the threat of COVID-19, Iran initially delayed

the country-wide closure of schools. In protest, girls at a

Tehran school recorded a video of themselves in an empty

classroom doing a dance implying they were dying from

coronavirus, and asked a prominent Iranian-American

activist to post the video on social media. Women and girls

in Iran have been arrested for posting videos of themselves

dancing on the grounds that it “breaks moral norms.”

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia announced its first case of coronavirus on 

March 2, 2020, but had been preparing for the virus 

well beforehand. On February 26, the kingdom banned

foreigners from traveling to the holy cities of Mecca and 

Medina over fears it would exacerbate the spread of the 

virus. The government set up an online portal where those 

who had paid for pilgrimage visas could obtain refunds. 

On March 5, it temporarily closed the Grand Mosque in 

Mecca for disinfecting and restricted entry afterwards.

On March 8, 2020, Saudi Arabia suspended entry and exit 

from Qatif province, where the first 11 cases of COVID-19 

in the kingdom originated. Qatif is a predominantly Shi’a 

Muslim province, and the Saudi government contends that 

individuals traveling from Iran, which has experienced 

a high number of cases, may have brought the virus 

back with them. Iran is home to several Shi’a religious 

pilgrimage sites, so the quarantine around Qatif stands to 

limit this particular element of Shi’a religious practice.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reported more 

than 85 cases of COVID-19 and has used state authority 

to restrict religious gatherings. The General Authority 

of Islamic Affairs and Endowments in Sharjah directed

churches to suspend children’s Bible classes and ban 

children from all church activities. It also banned religious 

lectures and sermons, but allowed individual prayers. The 

Orthodox and Catholic churches took steps to increase 

sanitation and limit personal contact during religious 

rituals. The UAE also limited Friday prayers in mosques to 

15 minutes and limited weekday prayers even further. The 

governmental Shari’a Ifta Council issued a fatwa in early 

USCIRF Factsheet: CORONAVIRUS March 2020

March prohibiting those infected with COVID-19 from 

attending prayers. The Ministry of Health and Prevention 

also suspended classes at Qur’an learning centers to clean 

the buildings and ordered mosques to do so as well. Hindu 

temples restricted ceremonial events and canceled Holi 

celebrations in early March, and the Sikh community 

installed thermal scanners at the Gurunanak Darbar in 

Jebel Ali and increased sanitation measures there.

Italy and The Vatican

As of the beginning of March, the worst outbreak of the 

coronavirus outside Asia has emerged in Italy. In response, 

the Italian government issued a quarantine of impacted 

regions and mandated the closure of schools, museums, 

theaters, and other public gatherings, including religious 

services. In compliance with those regulations, several 

Italian dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church canceled

public Masses and suspended Ash Wednesday services. 

Around the northern city of Milan, worshippers are only 

allowed to visit churches for private prayer and cannot 

sit together in large groups. While some churches have 

broadcasted their services, some religious leaders have 

questioned the need to cease religious services and asked

regional governments to allow the celebration of Mass. In 

Milan—home to around 7,000 Jews, the largest number in 

Italy after Rome—Jewish community institutions such as 

synagogues and schools have suspended their operations.

The Diocese of Rome, outside the quarantine zone, also issued

measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the 

omission of the “sign of peace,” which traditionally includes 

personal contact such as a handshake or kiss. In response 

to the Italian government’s recommendation to cease large 

public gatherings, the Vatican has begun to offer meditations 

online. On March 8, the Vatican announced the suspension 

of all public Masses and liturgical celebrations until the 

beginning of April. The Vatican plans to live stream the Pope’s 

general audience during this time.

Georgia

Just over 83 percent of Georgia’s population is part of 

the Georgian Orthodox Church, and that country has 

reported more than 20 cases of COVID-19. In March 2020, 

Georgia’s National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) 

instructed the Georgian Orthodox Church to take 

preventative measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. 

While the church invited the NCDC to disinfect church 

buildings in order to slow the spread of the virus, 

it continued to use a shared spoon to conduct holy 

communion rituals, worrying public health officials. 
UNITED STATES COMMISSION on INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

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202-523-3240

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Professional Staff

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Policy Analyst

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Supervisory Policy Analyst

Tajikistan

Tajikistan’s government has taken preemptive measures to 

limit the spread of COVID-19, and had no reported cases 

through early March 2020. In early March, the semiofficial 

Council of Ulema of the Islamic Center of Tajikistan 

issued a fatwa calling on clergy to close mosques in the 

country. Tajikistan also canceled public celebrations of the 

Nowruz holiday citing public health concerns.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the 

U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, 

the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.