(Catholic World News) — The governments of 16 nations — Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam — engage in, or tolerate, “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2025 annual report.
The commission recommended that the US State Department designate these nations as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs) and include a dozen other nations in its “special watch list.”
The 2025 annual report refers dozens of times to the persecution of Catholics in various nations. The commission, whose members are appointed by the president and House and Senate leaders, is chaired by Stephen Schneck, a retired Catholic University of America professor.
See the Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
