US designates Iran, China and Russia as countries of concern over religious freedom
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Raven Ruma
- . December 3, 2022
- . Update: December 3, 2022 3:36 pm
The United States (U.S.) has designated the People’s Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia as countries of particular concern under the US Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, revealed the news on Friday. He said in a statement that those countries are engaged in severe violations of religious freedom. Among the designated include North Korea, Myanmar, Cuba, Eritrea, Nicaragua, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The US placed Algeria, the Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam on the watch list. However, the US designated the Kremlin-aligned Wagner Group as an entity of particular concern over its activities in the Central African Republic. The group also has a presence in Ukraine and Syria.
Blinken reportedly said in the statement, “Around the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, jail, and even kill individuals on account of their beliefs.” He further said that the US couldn’t tolerate such abuses.
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In recent months, the US raised concern over Iranian authorities’ violent crackdown on protesters in Iran. The US said that more than 300 people were killed during the protest. Reportedly, 14,000 people were also arrested for participating in the protest.
Earlier, the United Nations (UN) experts also called on the majority Shi’ite Muslims in Iran to stop persecution and harassment of religious minorities in the country.
The US also expressed grave concerns about human rights abuses in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. The US said that the Chinese administration committed crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, which is home to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.
Under the US Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the secretary of State can condemn violations of religious freedom and help other governments to promote the fundamental right to freedom of religion.
