In October 1998, the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) elevated freedom of religion or belief as a U.S. foreign policy priority. This landmark law mandates that U.S. policy include condemning violations of religious freedom abroad and assisting…
Jan 4, 2024
USCIRF Calls for Congressional Hearing after State Department Fails to Designate Nigeria and India as Countries of Particular Concern
Azerbaijan Added to State Department’s Special Watch List
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on…
Mar 25, 2024
USCIRF Implores State Department to Lift Waiver Amid Turkmenistan’s Treatment of Muslims and Others During Ramadan
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns Turkmenistan’s deplorable…
May 1, 2024
USCIRF Releases 2024 Annual Report with New Recommendations for U.S. Policy
Highlights State of Religious Freedom Abroad after 25 Years of IRFA
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
Highlights from USCIRF’s 2024 Annual Report
Numbers-at-a-Glance
17 countries recommended for “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation
1 new country recommended for CPC designation
11 countries recommended for the State Department’s “Special…
Four years after USCIRF’s 2020 publication on the global persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, countries continue to prosecute and impose harsh penalties on the community for their religious beliefs and peaceful religious activities. Hundreds of Jehovah’s…
Nov 22, 2024
USCIRF Releases Report on Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following report:
Religious Freedom Challenges for Jehovah’s…
Central Asian governments’ legislation, including extremism laws, has been influenced by decades of Soviet rule of the region. When the governments of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan enforce extremism laws, they…
Dec 31, 2024
USCIRF Releases Report on the Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report:
The Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia –…
Mar 25, 2025
USCIRF Releases 2025 Annual ReportWashington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released its 2025 Annual Report. The report documents religious freedom conditions in 2024 and recommends policy…