ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan — A comprehensive new report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has shed light on the dire state of religious liberty in Turkmenistan, documenting systematic violations against independent Muslims and minority religious communities in what is widely regarded as one of the world’s most isolated nations.

The report examines religious freedom conditions under the authoritarian rule of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and his father, former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, whose cult of personality governance has profoundly impacted the country’s religious landscape since gaining independence from the Soviet Union.

Turkmenistan’s complex web of religious restrictions has created an environment where independent Muslim practitioners and minority faith communities face constant surveillance and persecution. The country’s legal framework effectively criminalizes most forms of religious expression outside of state-controlled institutions, leaving believers vulnerable to arbitrary detention and harassment.

The Berdimuhamedov dynasty has maintained power through an elaborate personality cult that often intersects with and suppresses traditional religious practices. This system of control extends deep into the religious sphere, where state authorities monitor and restrict virtually all forms of spiritual expression.

Independent Muslims, who seek to practice their faith outside of state-sanctioned mosques and religious institutions, face particular scrutiny from security forces. The government’s approach to Islam reflects broader concerns about maintaining absolute control over all aspects of society, including spiritual life.

Minority religious groups, including Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other faith communities, encounter even more severe restrictions. These communities often operate in secrecy, facing the constant threat of raids, arrests, and forced closure of their places of worship.

The USCIRF report’s analysis of the corruption-religious persecution nexus reveals how government officials profit from the systematic targeting of religious communities, creating perverse incentives that perpetuate and escalate violations of fundamental human rights.

As Turkmenistan continues its isolation from the international community, religious freedom advocates warn that conditions for believers are likely to worsen without sustained international pressure and accountability measures targeting the Berdimuhamedov regime’s systematic oppression of religious liberty.