Experts from Amnesty International, In Defense of Christians, and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom will discuss religious persecution in the Middle East, including the case of Marsha Lazareva and her five-year-old son, Yvan, who have been detained in Kuwait for almost two years.

Organizers of the event, taking place at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, said Lazareva is being targeted for her Christian faith:

Marsha has faced ongoing religious persecution and human rights violations from Kuwait judicial officials suspected of corruption. Marsha previously spent 474 days in a crowded prison cell separated from her son with no access to a Bible and was then subjected to 24-hour, unauthorized, heavily armed surveillance on bail. She was first convicted by a Kuwait court in 2017 without being allowed to present a defense, based on false charges and what was later determined to be forged evidence. Following a sentencing on January 20 she now faces a total of 22 years hard labor in Kuwait. Marsha’s legal team and international supporters have vowed to bring justice to Marsha and her son.

Panelists include Gary Bauer, Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIF); Philippe Nassif, Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International; and Peter Burns, Government Relations and Policy Director at In Defense of Christians (IDC).

Special guests include Alveda King, Louis Freeh, and Stephen Moore.

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