At a Capitol Hill hearing chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), expert witnesses detailed the declining human rights situation in Northern Cyprus since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rose to power 23 years ago. “During these 23 years, no territory neighboring Turkey has provided a clearer window into Erdoğan’s worldview, his ambitions, and his approach to power than Cyprus,” said Smith during his opening statement. “Cyprus serves... Read more

By Iona Cleave Published June 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM BST In a drab office block in Manhattan’s Chinatown, sandwiched between a ramen bar and a supermarket, the long arm of the Chinese state had been hiding in plain sight. A banner on one of its wall identified it as “The Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station”. In the first case of its kind, the man accused of running the first known Chinese outpost on American soil was convicted of acting as an “illegal foreign agent” on May 13. US prosecutors sa... Read more

On Tuesday, June 30th, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), will chair a congressional hearing on the worsening human rights situation in Cyprus following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rise to power. The hearing will examine the Government of Turkey’s Cyprus policies under President Erdoğan within the broader trends of foreign policy—including the human rights and humanitarian implications relating to nationalism—the ongoing closure of ... Read more

By Katherine Hamilton Published June 25, 2026 Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) introduced a bill on Wednesday designed to keep future Democrat presidential administrations from weaponizing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act to target pro-lifers who pray and peacefully demonstrate outside of abortion clinics. The bill is called the “Saving FACE Act of 2026,” and would “remove criminal penalties for obstructing access to abortion services” from the FACE Act, Breitbart News first learned. O... Read more

On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, reversing the flawed 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion on demand, the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus—Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), and Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO)—issued the following statement: On the fourth anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson, we remember all the named and n... Read more

On the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced companion resolutions (H.Res.1382) in both the House and the Senate to celebrate the reversal of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision. Smith’s and Daines’ resolutions call upon both chambers of Congress to passionately “[protect] the unalienable right to life,” strongly suppo... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the below statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe I, which dismissed a lawsuit filed by Falun Gong practitioners that accused Cisco Systems, Inc. of developing and selling technology for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to use to surveil and persecute the Falun Gong movement: “All victims of human rights abuses enabled or assisted by U.S. comp... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), highlighted recent reports that Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu—an imprisoned Azerbaijani economist and anti-corruption advocate, whom Smith sponsors through the Defending Freedoms Project—has been unable to obtain urgently needed medical testing and treatment for a potentially life-threatening condition. Dr. Ibadoghlu reportedly requires a contrast-enhanced CT scan to assess a potentially dangerous enlargement of his ... Read more

By Eva Fu Published June 24, 2026 The Supreme Court on June 23 ruled in favor of tech giant Cisco, shutting down a human rights lawsuit accusing the firm of facilitating abuses in China. The suit, brought by Falun Gong practitioners in 2011, alleged that Cisco knowingly created and customized technology for the Chinese regime to surveil and persecute Falun Gong. In a 6–3 ruling, the court reversed a lower court decision that had sided with the Falun Gong practitioners, an outcome that could shie... Read more

By David K. Trimble Published June 17, 2026 Christian ministries serving in India have endured discrimination and other forms of maltreatment for a long time. They may soon face even greater repression, particularly those supported by the faithfulness of donors outside of India. It is long overdue for members of India’s parliament to take legislative action that protects, rather than restricts, the freedom of Christians living, serving, and teaching in their midst. According to reporting in Chri... Read more