Tajikistan again accused of violating freedom of religion rights

The U.S. State Department has once again included Tajikistan in the list of countries that “raise particular concern” for violating the religious freedom of their citizens.

In its latest report on religious freedom worldwide, published on January 4, 2024, the U.S. State Department criticized the situation regarding religious freedom in Tajikistan. The report notes that Tajikistan, along with several other countries, is included in the list of countries “raising particular concern” due to serious violations of citizens’ religious freedoms.

Burma, Cuba, China, North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan were also included in the list of countries “raising particular concern,” where citizens’ religious freedoms are seriously violated. Five of these eleven countries are Muslim-majority countries.

 It is also reported that serious violations of religious freedom occur in other countries not included in this list.

The U.S. State Department also urged the governments of these countries to “put an end to such abuses, including attacks on representatives of religious minorities and their places of worship, interfaith violence, and prolonged imprisonment for peaceful expression of opinion, transnational repression, and calls for violence against religious communities.”

“Religious freedom issues worldwide are structural, systemic, and deeply rooted,” the report states. However, the U.S. has called for all possible efforts to improve the situation globally.