On January 9, Dr. William Saunders received this letter from Dr. Timothy Samuel Shah thanking him for signing the Religion 20 (R20) Coalition Letter urging President Trump to recognize the R20 Summit as a main event of America’s G20 Presidency this year. The letter, signed by 81 other distinguished religious leaders, scholars, and foreign policy experts, argues that the R20 Coalition brings together influential religious leaders from major traditions of faith to advance international religious freedom, counter violent extremism, and promote human dignity and security at no financial cost to the government. The letter itself can be read here.

Recently, on the streets of Suiping County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province, multiple shocking slogans appeared: “Eliminate the Communist Party, Down with Xi Pig-Head (Xi Jinping)” “Return freedom of speech (back to the people), stop internet censorship” At the same time, a big-character poster titled “Book of Awakening to the Truth” was pasted up, attracting passersby to stop and look. This is no longer an isolated incident — from the Northeast to Central China, more people are expressing their anger and awakening through anonymous means.

In early November 2025, the Center’s director, William Saunders, gave lectures in Slovakia on the legal, social and cultural aspects involved in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Addressing audiences in Bratislava, he gave keynote lectures at both a law conference and a cultural conference, each concerned with the implications of the Dobbs decision for the human rights struggle throughout Europe.

On October 15, 2025, a letter to President Trump was signed by prominent American Christian leaders and was delivered to the White House. It appeals to President Trump to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for the egregious persecution of Christians there. The List of Signatories can be found at the end of the letter, including Dr. William L. Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights. “We fervently urge you to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, as you did in your first term. The last several years have seen a burgeoning of violent attacks specifically targeting rural Christians in the country’s Middle Belt, while the government in

On July 8, 2025, the Center for Human Rights at The Catholic University of America participated in a Capitol Hill symposium hosted by ChinaAid and Shining Light Media. Pictured at the event, above, are Guangcheng with Commissioners of the International Religious Freedom Commission, Tony Perkins and Maureen Ferguson. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party’s 709 Crackdown, a coordinated campaign launched on July 9, 2015, to silence human rights lawyers and legal advocates across China. Professor William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights, and Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng represented the Center in the day’s first panel, which focused on the CCP’s assault on legal institutions. They joined a distinguished group of speakers including Ambassador

On April 29, 2025, The Catholic University of America’s Bishop Basil H. Losten Center for Ukrainian Church Studies hosted a powerful and deeply moving event titled “Andrii Smolenskyi: A Ukrainian Wounded Warrior Speaks About Faith in the Midst of Russia’s War in Ukraine.” Held in the Caldwell Hall Auditorium, the evening featured remarks from Andrii Smolenskyi, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A with a number of distinguished guests.
Smolenskyi, a Ukrainian military veteran who lost his sight and both hands during combat…