The U.S. government announced Friday its ‘blacklist’ of countries and organizations that undermine religious freedom, including Cuba, China, Iran, Russia, the Wagner Group and the Taliban, among others.
«Around the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, imprison and even kill people for their beliefs. In some cases, they abridge people’s freedom of religion to take advantage of opportunities for political gain,» explains Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
«These actions sow division, undermine economic security, and threaten political stability and peace,» Blinken said in a statement, stressing that «the United States will not stand idly by in the face of these abuses.»
This ‘black list’ drawn up by Washington is made up of Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, countries which it accuses of committing or tolerating «particularly serious violations of religious freedom».
On the other hand, there is another list, this time made up of countries «under surveillance» for having committed or tolerated this alleged religious persecution, which is made up of Algeria, Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam.
As far as non-state organizations are concerned, Washington has focused on terrorist groups such as Al Shabab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al Sham – formerly Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria – and various groups associated with the Islamic State, such as the West African Province and the Greater Sahara.
The rest of those identified are the Huthis, the Taliban and the Wagner mercenary group, which has links with the Kremlin.
Washington closes the communiqué by stressing that it will continue to «carefully monitor» the state of religious freedom «in all countries around the world», warning that it will defend those who suffer persecution or discrimination on these grounds.
