Cuba and Nicaragua have ranked among the world’s most repressive governments toward religious freedom for years. In 2025, exiles and civil society organizations reported continuing severe restrictions on religious communities, including the banning of religious processions, surveillance and harassment of clergy, and legal constriction of religious groups. In some regards, the level of repression is escalating, considering indicators such as the re-imprisonment in June of a freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) victim previously released in January and the deaths of two religious freedom defenders in Nicaraguan custody in August. USCIRF has designated both nations as Countries of Particular Concern since its 2023 Annual Report. 
 

On this episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, Commissioner Maureen Ferguson speaks with Anna Lee Stangl, joint Director of Advocacy and Latin America team leader at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), about the violations facing religious communities in Cuba and Nicaragua. 

Violations Continue to Plague Malaysia’s Diverse Religious Freedom Landscape

Washington, DC –The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:  

Malaysia Country Update – This report examines the complex dynamics of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Malaysia. The country’s dual legal system of Shari’a and civil courts often privileges Islamic law and restricts dissenting interpretations of its principles. Furthermore, the state frequently discriminates against disfavored Muslim groups it views as representing “deviant” or “liberal,” targeting members with bans, raids, and arrests. Authorities continue to actively pursue blasphemy prosecutions for religious expression deemed insulting to Islam, while efforts to elevate moral policing according to the official interpretation of Shari’a have likewise increased state use of coercive tactics such as surveillance, public shaming, and prosecution. Despite these systematic and ongoing challenges, Malaysia’s federal government at times demonstrates some willingness to maintain institutional integrity and constitutional norms in ways that do not fully undermine freedom of religion or belief. 

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department place Malaysia on its Special Watch List (SWL) for engaging in or tolerating ongoing and systematic violations of religious freedom. Other recent USCIRF reporting provided additional analysis related to FoRB in Malaysia, including a report on refugees fleeing religious persecution and a report on the bureaucratization of religion in Southeast Asia. 

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity 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 or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at m[email protected].