By Lisa Zengarini
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released this week its 2025 Annual Report on the global situation of religious freedom, calling for the U.S. to continue to play its leadership role in advocating for this fundamental right worldwide.
The Commission is a bipartisan federal entity established by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998 that makes foreign policy recommendations to the U.S. Government and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and advance freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) internationally.
Its recommendations help the U.S. State Department draw up its annual list of governments and non-state actors that engage in, or tolerate “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom.
16 nations recommended for designation as Countries of Particular Concern
This year’s report, released at an event in the Capitol on 25 March proposes that the U.S. Secretary of State designate sixteen nations as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) due to severe violations of religious freedom under IRFA. They include Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Vietnam which were added in the previous 2024 Report. The other countries in the list are: North Korea, Myanmar, Iran, Nicaragua, China, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan Cuba, Eritrea, Pakistan, Russia.
7 entities recommended for designation as Entities of Particular Concern
USCIRF also lists seven Entities of Particular Concern (EPCs), that is non-state groups that engage in particularly severe religious freedom violations that often includes violence. They are: al-Shabaab terrorist organization in Somalia; Boko Haram in Nigeria; the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which recently ousted Assad’s regime in Syria; the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen; the Islamic State Sahel Province; the Islamic State in West Africa Province – also referred to as ISIS-West Africa – and jihadist organisation Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) operating in the Maghreb and West Africa region. All these groups were already included in the previous report.
12 countries recommended for Special Watch List
Additionally, twelve countries are recommended for inclusion on the Special Watch List (SWL) due to significant FoRB violation. Among them are Algeria and Azerbaijan Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Türkiye.
In the introduction USCIRF underscores the importance of building upon the previous Administrations’ achievements in making religious liberty a focal point of U.S. foreign policy.
“As repressive governments and violent entities attack and drastically erode freedom of religion or belief, USCIRF’s independent reporting and bipartisan recommendations have never been more critical to U.S. foreign policy,” said the Commision’s chair Stephen Schneck. “The U.S. government must continue to stand firm against these threats against the universal right of religious freedom.”
His words were echoed by USCIRF Vice Chair Meir Soloveichik. “Religious freedom is a clear priority of the United States,” he stated.
USAID closure affecting U.S. programmes supporting religious freedom
The remarks came against the backdrop of growing concerns over ongoing budget cuts and reorganizations aimed at curbing federal spending, that might weaken existing programmes.
For example, the now-shuttered U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had previously supported efforts to protect religious heritage sites, such as those in Ukraine targeted during Russia’s invasion. The USCIRF report recommends restoring such initiatives and calls on U.S. embassies to assist with preserving places of worship.
Now-shuttered Voice of America essential to USCIRF’s monitoring
Added to this, is President Donald Trump’s recent closure of U.S. funded international media outlets, including the historic “Voice of America” (VoA) and “Radio Free Europe”, and “Radio Free Asia”, which have provided reliable information from authoritarian nations that are essential to USCIRF’s monitoring and reporting.
The measure has sparked concerns worldwide. “We are very concerned for these media outlets, which sometimes broadcast in regions where press freedom is not guaranteed, such as Myanmar, Vietnam, or Cambodia,” said Anne Bocandé, editorial director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in an interview with Vatican News’. “Authoritarian regimes are celebrating the demise of Voice of America,” commented Clayton Weimers, director of RSF’s U.S. office.
In the wake of President Trump’s executive order, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Philadelphia expressed solidarity to the journalists of VoA and other U.S.-funded broadcasters that have been closed down, remarking that the decision has effectively silenced media outlets long considered crucial in countering disinformation campaigns by authoritarian regimes. – Vatican News
