Religious freedom concerns are increasing in Sudan’s current brutal civil war. There are increasing reports of attacks on places of worship and other incidents that violate freedom of religion or belief. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have entrenched Sudan in the war since April 2023. The subsequent four years of instability and violence have created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, placing civilians across religious, ethnic, and tribal distinctions under intense threat. Both sides have committed atrocities that the previous U.S. administration determined to be war crimes in December 2023 and as genocide in January 2025.  

On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler speaks with Sudanese human rights lawyer and CSW Sudan Specialist, Mohaned Elnour to discuss his experience working in human rights, specifically religious freedom and belief, in the country. The audience will hear firsthand the complex dynamics communities currently face in Sudan. 

Read USCIRF’s 2025 Annual Report Other Global Developments and USCIRF’s most recent Sudan Issue Update. 

USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Azerbaijan

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

Azerbaijan Country Update – Religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan remain highly restricted. The government’s total control of religious life and affairs leaves no room for independent religious affiliations, expression, or activities. This report provides updates on the religious freedom situation in Azerbaijan and highlights recent cases of freedom of religion or belief violations.

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State maintain Azerbaijan on the Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom. In June, USCIRF held a hearing on religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan.

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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]