The fate of Chinese political prisoner and 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, who was nominated for the Nobel prize by Congressman Chris Smith with the support of other House members, was the focal point of powerful testimony by human rights leaders testifying before the U.S. China Commission Tuesday. “One year after the independent Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, who is a Chinese intellectual and democracy advocate, Liu remains isolated in a prison thousands ... Read more

“Our work fighting anti-Semitism is far from done,” said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), at a hearing in Washington today held by the U.S. Commission that oversees human rights in the 56 countries of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Smith, the Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe also known as the Helsinki Commission said: “By most accounts, and thanks to the work of many courageous nongovernmental organizations, NGOs, the despicab... Read more

U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) made the following statement at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs congressional hearing entitled “U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Catholic Church: Examining the Politicization of Grants” on Thursday. "A little over a decade ago, I authored the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TPVA) of 2000—the landmark law that created America’s comprehensive policy to combat modern day slavery. Among its many mutually reinforcin... Read more

A new report on the oppression of religious freedoms around the world and U.S. policy to address threats to this basic human right was the focus of a congressional hearing held Thursday by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees international human rights. “Congress gave expression to our commitment to international religious freedom with the passage in 1998 of the International Religious Freedom Act, which concretely established the promotion and... Read more

"The world watched with great hope and anticipation as events unfolded in Tahrir Square earlier this year," said Congressman Chris Smith, chairman of the House panel that oversees human rights, on Tuesday at a congressional hearing of the Helsinki Commission which he also chairs. "This spring we saw Christians standing guard over Muslims during Friday prayers in the middle of the square. We saw Muslims standing guard over Christians as they celebrated mass in Tahrir... ." Click here to read Cong... Read more

The following news report is from ABC News: Yeqing Ji from Shanghai, China, will most likely not be able to have children after she said two forced abortions physically impaired her uterus. The story of Ji and others who say they sufferered from abuses were shared at three separate congressional hearings this week about human rights in China, including one hearing regarding a new bill to prohibit entrance to the U.S. of human rights offenders from China. If passed and enforced, such a law could ... Read more

"This year’s tenth annual human rights report by the Congressional-Executive Commission continues to be the most comprehensive, heavily documented review and analysis of China’s worsening human rights record. "The Report’s 225 pages of analysis and recommendations followed by another 119 pages of meticulously researched endnotes paints an extremely dire, frightening picture of escalating—human rights crimes, including torture, forced abortion, religious persecution, and ethnic discrimination—com... Read more

The nexus between transnational organized crime and human trafficking was examined by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (The Helsinki Commission) at a hearing chaired by Congressman Chris Smith today. "We know that human trafficking—modern day slavery—is the third most lucrative criminal activity in the world,” said Smith. “According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) human traffickers make profits in excess of $31 billion a year. So it is not surprising that more a... Read more

The long history of violence and humanitarian crises in Zimbabwe and U.S. policy toward the troubled country were the focus of a congressional hearing Wednesday held by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees international human rights and African issues. “There is serious contention within the ruling party for the right to succeed President Mugabe once he leaves office, and added to the division within the opposition, politics in Zimbabwe is in f... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) testified today before the House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement about his legislation, H.R. 2121, to deny senior Chinese leadership entry into the United States, as well as entry by individuals who have committed human rights abuses. “We are holding China to universal standards that apply to all states and that China itself claims to uphold,” said Smith, chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the chairman of the House p... Read more