USCIRF 2026 Annual Report: Key Nations Continue Religious Persecution

China arrests underground church members, mob violence is on the rise in India and Pakistan leading to attacks on religious minorities and the destruction of their homes, Burma’s military bombs houses of worship, and Tajikistan denies parents the right to teach their children about faith, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom‘s (USCIRF) 2026 Annual Report.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Agency 2025 Report: 35 Countries Continue to Repress Religious Freedom ]

“As USCIRF’s Annual Report shows, far too many people in key nations are denied religious freedom through unjust laws, discrimination, harassment, violence, and even crimes against humanity,” says USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler.

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The report documents religious freedom conditions throughout 2025 and presents US policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and US Congress to advance freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) abroad.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Violent Attacks Against Christians Spike in Europe ]

Congress mandated USCIRF’s Annual Report in the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. Beyond recommendations, the report includes a summary of the implementation of IRFA, other global developments, and an evaluation of entities that violate FoRB.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 2026 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community ]

Recommendations from the 2026 Annual Report include:

• 18 countries recommended to the Secretary of State for designation as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) for particularly severe FoRB violations under IRFA (Afghanistan, Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Libya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam).

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Staggering Increase of Violence Against Christians: World Watch List ]

• 11 countries recommended to the Secretary of State for Special Watch List (SWL) designation for severe FoRB violations under IRFA (Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Qatar, Turkey, Uzbekistan).

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Nigeria, Rwanda, China, Mozambique, and Mexico Are the Top Persecutors of Christians: GCR Red List ]

• 7 entities recommended for designation as Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) (Al-Shabaab—operating in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya; Islamic State – Sahel Province (ISSP)—operating in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions; Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP)—operating in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad; Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM)—operating in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger; Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS)—operating in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger; Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—operating in Sudan; the Houthis—operating in Yemen).

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of THREAT ANALYSIS ]

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