Members of the USCIRF recently returned from Sudan and witnessed Khartoum’s crackdown on peaceful Sudanese protesters. These protesters, including high-ranking members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, had gathered in the streets to press Sudan’s President Bashir and his National Congress Party to demand passage of important laws by the National Assembly.

Update: The press conference has concluded. See all of our live-tweets after the jump or read a complete write-up of the press conference on our blog.

Live-tweets from the USCIRF press conference:

• Press conference GoS crackdown about to begin on Capitol Hill. http://tweetphoto.com/6476110
• The US delegation met with 4 Sudanese parliamentarians who were detained after protest – saw their bruises.
• Commission on Religious Freedom: “NCP is more emboldened than anytime in the past… Have hijacked the peace process”
• USCIRF: we have called on the SOS to lead on this issue. Every time the Special Envoy visits he emboldens the NCP
• “For years the US had been a leader – the leader – in advocating for the marginalized peoples of #Sudan” – Rep Wolf
• Rep Wolf: The time has come for Second Clinton and Prez Obama to personally get involved in Sudan.
• “The CPA is not up for renegotiation” – Rep Wolf #Sudan
• This administration’s negotiation with the Sudanese regime fails to recognize the true nature of Bashir – Rep Wolf #Sudan
• Rep Wolf: Bashir and the NCP are not our partners in peace – but they have not been inconsistent. They have consistently obstructed the CPA.
• “Bashir is not an overnight thing – he’s been there for years” – Rep Payne
• Rep Payne: one of the thing we need to begin to talk about is regime change.
• Question – when supporting elections are we risking legitimizing an indicted war criminal? – Rep Payne #Sudan #sudanelection
• Rep Payne: we will not have the CPA pitted against Darfur and terror… All 3 are important, but implementation is important.
• Rep Smith: ominous clouds hang over #Sudan. The CPA is on life-support.
• Rep Smith: now we as a nation are sitting on the sidelines… looking on and hoping the problem goes away.
• The president, the Nobel Peace Prize winner has to use the gravitas from that award and say: ‘#Sudan is my priority.’
• Rep Smith: this admin must get much more serious in dealing with Khartoum or the killing fields will continue.
• The Reps are now taking questions.
• Rep Payne: The benchmarks for Khartoum need to be known.
• Payne: w/out a plan for return “the govt of #Sudan can be off the hook for several million people they despise anyway.”
• Rep Smith: Sudan’s patron is China. I was extremely disappointed that Prez Obama did not forcefully raise the issue when he was in Beijing.
• Smith: arms flowing in to #Sudan and the subsequent deaths of civilians “directly attributable to Beijing”
• Rep Payne: China is the root of much of the evil we have seen in #Sudan.
• USCIRF: The rest of the world is going to take its lead from the US. We need to reach out to the UN, AU, EU, China and be forceful.
• Smith: fully implement the CPA & do so transparently. The ruling junta can have an appearance of free and fair… We’re concerned abt that
• Rep Payne: I feel the goal is regime change, the methods are the issue. Obviously the best way to have regime change is with elections.
• USCIRF: Regarding the election: there are a number of laws that aren’t in place that would guarantee a free and fair election.
• USCIRF: Where are the resources to ensure the election is not gamed? #Sudan #sudanelection
• The press conference is over. Check our blog later today for a full write-up. | http://tweetphoto.com/6477668

Read a complete write-up of the press conference.

The physicians called for a new comprehensive approach to end gender-based violence occurring inside and outside camps in Chad and Darfur and an end to impunity for the crime of rape

The briefing featured Dr Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah, formerly of the Amel Center for the Treatment & Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture in Darfur, Susannah Sirkin of Physicians for Human Rights and report authors and PHR Chad investigation medical team Dr Linda Piwowarczyk, Dr Julia VanRooyen, Dr Sondra Crosby.