SW News: According to the annual report of the US Commission on Interreligious Freedom (USCIRF), China topped the list of countries that detained Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) victims in 2021. The database of the Commission says that Beijing accounted for the detention of almost half of the 1,300 individuals included in the FoRB Victims List last year. The victims were targeted by 21 different nations or entities. The other top violators include Russia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Vietnam and Eritrea.

The report released by the Commission on Monday, April 25, says that more than 1,000 victims on the list are still under some form of custody of the state or an outfit. Last year, less than 200 detainees were released. The report says that the status of 40 persons under custody remains unknown while three died in state custody.

As per the annual report, India, Nigeria, Syria and Vietnam have to be added to the list of 10 designated Countries of Particular Concern (CPC). This is in addition to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The US State Department had recognized 10 countries as having issues regarding religious freedom in November last year and they comprise Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

After the release of the report, USCIRF Chairperson Nadine Maenzea said the Commission is disheartened by the deterioration of “freedom of religion or belief in some countries-especially Afghanistan under the Taliban’s de-facto government since August”. She said members of religious minority groups have undergone harassment, incarceration and death because of their faith.

Maenzea urged the Biden administration to implement the Commission’s recommendations in order to continue the prioritization of international religious freedom. She also called for designating Nigeria as a CPC and enhancing its priority refuge designation in order to provide access to at-risk religious communities in Afghanistan.

A bipartisan federal commission, the USCIRF advises the American government and Congress and probes religious freedom abuses taking place in different parts of the world. Based on its findings, it recommends the US State Department to designate certain nations as CPC.