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Religious Freedom ReportsFive new publications from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom document blasphemy laws, forced conversions, restrictions on worship and government tolerance of violations, and restate the Commission’s 2026 recommendations to the U.S. Department of State.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has published a series of 2026 country briefs examining freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq. Each brief reviews laws, enforcement and recent cases, and repeats the Commission’s recommendation from its 2026 Annual Report on how the U.S. Department of State should classify the country.
USCIRF Country Brief · Government Violations of FoRB
This publication examines federal and state governments’ own affirmative violations of FoRB. USCIRF has recommended Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) since 2009.
The U.S. government’s designation of Nigeria in October 2025 as a CPC has increased international scrutiny of Nigeria’s federal and state governments and their ongoing tolerance or advancement of particularly severe religious freedom violations.
USCIRF Country Brief · Conditions Throughout 2026
This report documents religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan throughout 2026, including systematic restrictions on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and other prominent violations of religious freedom.
In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State maintain Azerbaijan on the Special Watch List for countries that advance or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.
USCIRF Country Brief · Blasphemy, Forced Conversion & Anti-Ahmadiyya Laws
This publication provides an update on recent cases involving blasphemy and forced conversion as well as ongoing attacks against religious minority communities in Pakistan. It also offers an overview of relevant legislation and the broader legal framework in Pakistan as it relates to blasphemy, forced conversions, and anti-Ahmadiyya laws.
In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF again recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern, or CPC, for ongoing, egregious, and systematic religious freedom violations.
USCIRF Country Brief · Blasphemy Laws, Policing & Places of Worship
This publication outlines the Indonesian government’s systematic and ongoing religious freedom violations, laying out the framework and enforcement of blasphemy laws; the expansion of policing authority and other legislative updates; particular challenges facing Christians, Ahmadiyya Muslims, and others in building and repairing places of worship; and ongoing violence in Papua.
In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State place Indonesia on its Special Watch List.
USCIRF Country Brief · Restrictive Laws & Iran-Backed Militias
Religious freedom conditions in Iraq remained strained in 2026. The country maintains several laws that restrict freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), including its blasphemy and personal status laws.
Iraq’s new government took encouraging steps to confront Iran-backed Iraqi militias, which are the biggest threat to religious freedom in the country. In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended Iraq for placement on the Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom.
All five briefs are published by USCIRF, the independent, bipartisan U.S. federal commission that monitors freedom of religion or belief abroad. The links above open the full PDF reports on uscirf.gov.
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