The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released its 2023 Annual Report, highlighting religious oppression taking place in dozens of nations around the world.
In the report, the independent watchdog “sound[ed] the alarm regarding the deterioration of religious freedom conditions,” then outlined policy recommendations for the U.S. government in response to their findings.
After “assess[ing] religious freedom violations and progress in 28 countries,” the report then recommended which countries the U.S. State Department should designate as a Country of Particular Concern and which countries should be placed on its Special Watch List.
In the report, USCIRF recommended 12 countries be redesignated as CPCs: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, with Cuba and Nicaragua being added as first-timers.
The Special Watch List report suggested Algeria and the Central African Republic remain on the list and encouraged the U.S. State Department to include nine more: Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
The only difference standing between the two groups is the word “particularly.” Governments from CPC countries “[engage] or [tolerate] ‘particularly severe’ violations of religious freedom.” Governments from SWL countries “[engage] or [tolerate] ‘severe’ violations of religious freedom.”