Bipartisan Commission Urges U.S. Government Action Amid Rising Persecution
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has issued two critical new reports highlighting escalating threats to religious freedom in Syria and Russia. The findings paint a sobering picture of state and non-state actors violating religious rights in both conflict and peacetime settings.
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Post-Assad Syria: Islamist Rebels Fill Power Vacuum, Targeting Civilians
In a newly released policy update titled “Religious Freedom and U.S. Policy in Post-Assad Syria,” USCIRF details the deteriorating conditions following the December 2024 overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by a coalition of Islamist rebels. The report warns that religious minorities are facing increased violence and persecution, especially in regions controlled by transitional authorities or extremist groups.
“Since Assad’s fall, religious freedom remains under threat from a variety of actors, including loyalists to the transitional authorities, who have targeted civilians with mass sectarian attacks,” the report states.
USCIRF recommends that the U.S. Department of State add Syria to its Special Watch List for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom, in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The Commission’s May 2025 Spotlight Podcast episode and its 2022 factsheet on HTS-controlled territories provide further context for the religious abuses occurring in Syria’s ongoing crisis.
Russia: Systematic State Persecution of Religious Minorities
A separate report, “Russia Country Update,” condemns the Kremlin for ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom within Russia and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. The report notes that the Russian government continues to perpetrate severe violations against a range of religious groups and freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) actors, in clear violation of international norms.
In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF reaffirmed its recommendation that the State Department designate Russia as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) — the most severe designation under IRFA. The Commission had previously spotlighted Russia’s use of blasphemy laws to silence religious voices and dissenters, an issue highlighted in its April 2025 report on blasphemy enforcement.
A Call for U.S. Engagement and Policy Action
Both reports come as part of USCIRF’s ongoing mission to advise the President, Congress, and the U.S. Department of State on how to address global religious persecution. As an independent and bipartisan agency created by Congress, USCIRF continues to serve as a watchdog for religious freedom violations worldwide.
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