The United States has designated Pakistan and China as countries of particular concern for violation of religious freedom.
This was stated by US Secretary of State – Mike Pompeo.
Pakistan and China along with 8 other countries – Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have been placed in a list for engaging in egregious violations of religious freedom
The United States State Department also placed Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia on a Special Watch List (SWL).
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“Religious freedom is an unalienable right, and the bedrock upon which free societies are built and flourish. Today, the United States — a nation founded by those fleeing religious persecution, as the recent Commission on Unalienable Rights report noted — once again took action to defend those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom,” Pompeo said.
The U.S. also designated al-Shabaab, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and the Taliban as ‘Entities of Particular Concern’