U.S. Commission: Violators of Religious Freedoms Should Be Sanctioned

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced that violators of religious freedoms should be sanctioned.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released its annual report on international religious freedom on Tuesday, March 25, addressing multiple instances of persecution of religious and faith-based minorities in Iran during 2024.

In the U.S. Commission’s report, Iran was listed among countries of significant concern regarding violations of religious freedom, with the commission urging the U.S. government to sanction violators of religious freedoms and provide necessary conditions for refugees fleeing religious and faith-based persecution.

Countries listed alongside Iran as “countries of particular concern” include: Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.

One section of the report addressed the persecution of Christians who in 2024 faced systematic persecution, detention, harassment, and severe sentencing due to their Christian beliefs and peaceful religious activities. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also mentioned Anoosheh Aoudian, Yaser Akbari, Hakop Gochumyan, Mina Khajavi, Laleh Saati, and Matthias Haghqannejhad in its report.

According to the report, at least 21 Christians were imprisoned in Iranian prisons last year, and eight Christians in Idae were sentenced to prison for religious activities on charges of “promoting Zionist Christianity.” In addition to Christians, the report addressed the persecution of other religious minorities including Sunnis and Baha’is. The commission emphasized that Islamic Republic authorities subjected imprisoned conscience prisoners to torture and severe punishments including denial of medical services.

The U.S. Commission wrote in another section of the report: “The government has continued to systematically harass, intimidate, and target religious and faith-based minorities through arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, business closures, property destruction, and the promotion of hate speech on social media.”

The commission called on the United Nations and international organizations to investigate possible crimes against humanity in Iran. Additionally, 41 human rights organizations and Article 18 issued a joint letter to the Human Rights Council calling for the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and the continuation of the work of the United Nations Fact-Finding Committee.