USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Houthi-Controlled Areas of Yemen

USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Houthi-Controlled Areas of Yemen

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on religious freedom in Houthi-controlled areas of northern Yemen:

Violations of Religious Freedom by the Houthi Movement in Northern Yemen – This factsheet assesses freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) conditions in areas of northern Yemen controlled by the Houthi movement. Following the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel, the Houthis have escalated their systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom affecting a range of groups, including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Ahmadiyya Muslims, Yemeni women and girls, and all individuals who dissent from the movement’s singular interpretation of Islam. By advancing its religious ideology across sectors – including education, military, correctional facilities, and the judiciary – the Houthis are severely restricting religious freedom in a country with a millennia-long history of religious diversity. The few remaining members of minority faith communities stay hidden due to threats of Houthi intimidation and violence. 

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate the Houthis as an “Entity of Particular Concern,” or EPC, for engaging in particularly severe violations of religious freedom.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress, intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].