State Department Names "Countries of Particular Concern"

The State Department announced yesterday that it has redesignated ten countries as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act. CPC's are nations guilty of the most egregious violations of religious liberty. The countries are: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.  The Sate Department also placed Pakistan on a Special Watch List-- a new category created by 2016 amendments to the International Religious Freedom Act. This category is for countries with severe violations of religious freedom.  Last April, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom had recommended six additional countries be added as CPC's. (See prior posting.)  In a Release yesterday praising the State Department's action, USCIRF urged the Department to also exercise its authority to designate non-governmental groups as "Entities of Particular Concern."