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Understand Advocacy

What is Advocacy?

Targeting Persecutors

We work with the US government to bring persecutors to justice. We collect and submit evidence so that government entities can use the Global Magnitsky Act to take action. Read more about GloMag below.

Congressional Briefings

Briefings ensure that Congressional members and staff are aware of issues and strategies in regard to persecution cases so they can act to help the persecuted.

Congressional Hearings

We work behind the scenes in Congress to move members to hold Congressional hearings on countries with poor religious freedom records. Hearings are an optimal way to get issues surrounding persecution on the official record in Congress.

Letters

Evil likes to operate in secret and these letters signed by multiple members of Congress regarding their government’s mistreatment and persecution of Christians bring light to their actions.

Legislation

By informing the discussion surrounding international religious freedom in Washington, ICC can secure direct assistance and relief for persecuted victims and the continued existence of government bodies that focus on religious freedom.

Petitions

Petitions are designed to support victims of persecution and to shed light on the evil that countries do to believers overseas. View the most recent petition here.

Bringing Persecutors to Justice

We work with the US government to bring persecutors to justice by collecting evidence on their actions and submitting that information to relevant government entities that will freeze their assets and prevent them or their families from traveling to the West. It’s difficult and painstaking work but worth it. It allows us to push back against systemic persecution in the countries where we work. The primary tool that we use to accomplish this is the Global Magnitsky Act.

Global Magnitsky Act

In 2019, ICC submitted a report to the US government regarding the human rights abuses of three judges in one Middle Eastern country who are responsible for the imprisonment and torture of hundreds if not thousands of Christians. As a result, under the Global Magnitsky Act, the government froze their assets and banned them and their families from travel to the West. Two of the judges resigned and one was transferred to new responsibilities.
LEARN MORE

Congressional Hearings

Through our connections in Congress, we push for Congressional hearings on countries with poor religious freedom records. These hearings, and ICC’s testimony of documented cases of persecution, put pressure on foreign countries with the strength of the United States government.

Policy Recommendations

ICC makes policy recommendations to protect religious freedom. In 2020, the advocacy team published the “Religious Suppression in China” report, providing an overview of religious persecution against Chinese Christians in recent years. With this report, ICC pieced together the various facets of Christian persecution in China and paint a holistic picture by presenting an in-depth legal analysis of Chinese laws related to religion, the Sinicization campaign, a case study of recent major persecution cases coupled with an incident report summary, and policy recommendations.
Get the Report

Congressional Briefings

ICC’s congressional briefings ensure that Congressional members and staff are aware of issues and strategies in regard to persecution cases so they can act to help the persecuted.

Pictured: ICC President Jeff King testifies in front of Congress

Want to Take Action?

Contact Your Senator

Reach out to your senator to inform them about issues related to the persecuted church, here.

Contact Your Representative

Reach out to your representative to inform them about issues related to the persecuted church,here.

Write to the Persecuted

Write a letter to the persecuted by downloading a free letter writing packet here.

ICC Fellows

ICC’s Fellows are NGO leaders and academics in the field of international religious freedom. We seek to give them a platform and a voice to publish their analyses and views on religious persecution.

Learn More

Download “Religious Suppression in China”

Campaigns

Although ICC works in many countries year-round, our advocacy team focuses on one country each quarter to highlight specific patterns of persecution with more detail. During these advocacy campaigns, our team puts on events for policymakers and civil society members to educate them on the causes of persecution.

Pictured: Senator Ted Cruz speaking to a victim of persecution at ICC’s Policy Day event in DC.

Letter-Writing Campaigns

ICC’s advocacy team maintains letter-writing campaigns throughout the year to encourage persecuted Christians in prison. Our letter-writing initiative gives Christians in the west an opportunity to minister to their brothers and sisters in captivity. It also results in good treatment for the prisoner when prison officials realize that the prisoner is cared for and remembered internationally.

Petitions

Every year, ICC gathers thousands of signatures on petitions to shine a light on a particular issue by rallying Christians around the world to sign a petition. The petition is delivered to the embassy of the offending country.

Sign the Petition

Matias Perttula

Director of Advocacy

As a Director for Advocacy, Matias leads the strategic efforts to mobilize US government officials and agencies to put pressure on the countries that persecute Christians. The advocacy team works with Congressmen, Senators, policy experts, and other leaders in DC around the globe to bring change for persecuted Christians. Matias loves empowering the team and leading the work together.

Get in Touch

advocacy@persecution.org
(301) 358-2370

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