Uzbekistan Issued Over 1,250 Administrative Penalties for Religious Activities in 2024

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Uzbekistan:

Uzbekistan’s Administrative Penalties for Peaceful Religious Activity - The government of Uzbekistan employs a series of laws to curtail freedom of religion or belief. This includes the 2021 law On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations, known as the “religion law,” which places bureaucratic restrictions on peaceful religious activity. Authorities regularly employ penalties under Uzbekistan’s Administrative Code for those who violate its provisions. This issue update provides an overview of administrative penalties issued in 2024 pertaining to religious activities. It also analyzes the severity and types of penalties issued against those who violated religion-related provisions of the Administrative Code.

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended Uzbekistan for inclusion on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom. In September 2025, USCIRF held a hearing on laws impacting religious freedom conditions in Central Asia, including Uzbekistan.  

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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]. 

Pakistan Sees Increasing Attacks Targeting Religious Minorities

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report: 

Pakistan Country Update – This report highlights religious freedom conditions in Pakistan, including recent and escalating attacks against religious minorities that have targeted Ahmadiyya Muslims, Hindus, and Christians. It details the government’s enforcement of anti-Ahmadiyya and blasphemy laws to restrict the rights of religious minorities and its lack of willingness to address associated mob violence.

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State redesignate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its toleration of systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.

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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]

Religious Freedom in Kazakhstan Remains Poor Despite Government Claims

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Kazakhstan:

Kazakhstan Country Update - In June 2025, a USCIRF delegation traveled to Kazakhstan to meet with civil society and government officials to discuss religious freedom conditions. USCIRF found that religious freedom conditions in Kazakhstan remain poor. The government maintains a series of laws that restrict religious freedom, including the religion and extremism laws. This legislative framework permits local authorities to arbitrarily target religious minority communities, particularly non-Islamic groups. To distract from such religious freedom violations, the Kazakh government heavily invests in interfaith cooperation efforts. This country update provides an overview of the legal framework regulating religion in Kazakhstan, an update on violations impacting independent Muslims and minority religious groups, and an analysis of the government’s interreligious dialogue efforts.

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended Kazakhstan for inclusion on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom. In September 2025, USCIRF held a hearing on laws impacting religious freedom conditions in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan.  

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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].