U.S. removes Uzbekistan from nations with worst religious tolerance

The US Commission has removed Uzbekistan from the category of countries of particular concern in the field of religious freedoms. Information about this is contained in the report of the US Commission on international religious freedom, which assesses the state of religious freedom in the world in 2019.

This decision means the recognition of progress in Uzbekistan, as the Commission previously indicated the need to include the country in the "black list" of violators of religious freedoms, despite the fact that the State Department removed the country from the CPC in December 2018 and placed it on a "special monitoring list".

In the introductory part of the report, the Commission's leadership has separately identified two States that demonstrate progress in the field of religious freedoms. "We are encouraged by the positive steps taken by some governments in 2019, especially the two that work closely with USCIRF, to create a safer environment for freedom of religion or belief," Commission Chairman Tony Perkins concluded.

The head of the Commission noted that Uzbekistan made important progress in 2019 toward fulfilling the commitments it made to allow religious groups greater freedom. The second separately marked state was Sudan.

A similar statement was made by the Deputy Chairman of the Commission, Nadine Maenza, in an interview for The Washington Post. The article of a leading American publication highlighted the Commission's high assessment of progress in ensuring religious freedoms in Uzbekistan and the decision to withdraw the country from the CPC for the first time since 2005.