China sanctions U.S. religious freedom commissioners

Beijing announced Tuesday that four members of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) could no longer travel to China, Hong Kong, or Macao, and it froze any assets the commissioners might have in the country. The targeted officials include chairwoman Nadine Maenza, deputy chairman Nury Turkel, and members Anurima Bhargava and James Carr.

What prompted the measures? The U.S. Treasury this month announced similar sanctions against two Chinese officials over their involvement in targeting Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang province. China had promised to retaliate. USCIRF condemned the move and called on China to end its state-led oppression “rather than implementing misguided sanctions.” The commission has spoken out against Chines atrocities in Xinjiang. Vice-chairman Turkel is a Uyghur American and president of the Uyghur Human Rights Project.

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report on Uyghurs sharing their stories in the United States.