The United States Department of State released this Thursday (4) its list of countries that most restrict religious freedom and, as in previous years, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Russia and other autocratic regimes appeared in the survey.
In the statement signed by Antony Blinken, American Secretary of State, Myanmar, China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan appeared “as countries of special concern for having been involved in or tolerated particularly serious violations of religious freedom.”
Another five countries, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam, were placed on the Special Watch List also for violations of religious freedom.
The terrorist and/or extremist groups Al-Shabab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Yemeni Houthis, Islamic State-Sahel, Islamic State-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, Al-Qaeda affiliate , and the Taliban were classified as entities of special concern.
“Significant violations of religious freedom also occur in countries that are not listed. Governments must end abuses such as attacks on members of minority religious communities and their places of worship, violence against communities and long periods in prison for peaceful demonstrations, transnational repression and calls for violence against religious communities, among other violations occurring in various locations around the world,” Blinken said in the statement.
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