S. 4379 — Russia’s War on Faith Act

This section states congressional findings that Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine have imposed policies restricting religious freedom in violation of international law, including documented severe violations such as the detention, torture, and killing of more than 50 clergy; damage or destruction of over 600 religious sites; targeting of Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Crimean Tatar, and non-Moscow-aligned Orthodox communities; seizure and repurposing of religious buildings; and facilitation of Russian Orthodox Church dominance.

This section requires the Secretaries of State and Defense, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, to submit to the appropriate congressional committees—not later than 120 days after enactment and annually thereafter for three years—a report detailing (1) the Russian Federation's and affiliates' persecution, suppression, discrimination, or human rights abuses against Christians, Jews, Muslims (including Crimean Tatars), and other religious minorities not affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church in occupied Ukrainian territories; (2) religious facilities (churches, synagogues, mosques, and others) destroyed, damaged, seized, or appropriated by Russian-affiliated persons; (3) assessments of affected populations, restrictions on practices, compelled affiliations with Moscow-based institutions, suppression efforts, and the invasion's overall impact on religious freedom (including in Crimea and Sevastopol); and (4) a list of responsible Russian government-affiliated individuals and entities. Within 30 days after each report, the President must certify whether reasonable grounds exist for listed persons to have engaged in specified conduct; upon affirmative certification, the President must impose sanctions under specified authorities (Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act regulations, Ukraine-/Russia-related sanctions regulations, Russian harmful foreign activities sanctions regulations, or other relevant blocking sanctions). (Thus, sanctions target those responsible for religious persecution in occupied Ukraine, with waivers or terminations available if conduct ceases per subsequent reports.) The report must be unclassified but may include a classified annex; "appropriate congressional committees" are defined to include specified Senate and House committees.