I N T R O D U C T I O N A N D OV E R V I E W defines the State Department’s SWL for countries where the govern• Maintain on the SWL the following two countries: Cuba and ment engages in or tolerates “severe” violations of religious freedom. Nicaragua; Under IRFA, particularly severe violations of religious freedom • Include on the SWL the following 10 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, mean “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations . . . , including Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Turkey, violations such as—(A) torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatand Uzbekistan; and ment or punishment; (B) prolonged detention without charges; (C) • Redesignate as EPCs the following seven nonstate actors: causing the disappearance of persons by the abduction or clandestine al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), detention of those persons; or (D) other flagrant denial of the right to Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal life, liberty, or the security of persons.” Although the statute does not Muslimin (JNIM), and the Taliban. specifically define severe violations of religious freedom, in making The conditions supporting the CPC or SWL recommendation SWL recommendations USCIRF interprets it to mean violations that for each country are described in the relevant country chapter of this meet two of the elements of IRFA’s systematic, ongoing, and egrereport. The conditions supporting the EPC recommendations for gious standard (i.e., that the violations are systematic and ongoing, Boko Haram are described in the Nigeria chapter, for HTS in the Syria systematic and egregious, or ongoing and egregious). chapter, and for the Taliban in the Afghanistan chapter. To meet the legal standard for designation as an EPC, a nonstate For al-Shabaab, the Houthis, ISGS, and JNIM, the EPC recomgroup must engage in particularly severe violations of religious freemendations are based on the following conditions: dom, as defined above, and must also be “a nonsovereign entity that Although al-Shabaab suffered a considerable territory loss in exercises significant political power and territorial control; is outside recent years, the terrorist group remained active and in control of the control of a sovereign government; and often employs violence rural areas in Somalia. In 2020, al-Shabaab carried out multiple attacks in pursuit of its objectives.” on both Muslims and non-Muslims. In March, al-Shabaab conducted The Annual Report’s emphasis on the countries and entities a series of attacks targeting school teachers in the Kenya-Somalia that, in USCIRF’s view, merit CPC, SWL, or EPC designation is border, forcing thousands of intended to focus the attention teachers to leave their posts. For of U.S. policymakers on the worst example, in January, the group violators of religious freedom attacked and killed three local globally. The fact that a country The fact that a country or nonstate group teachers in the village of Kamuthe or nonstate group is not covered is not covered in this report does not mean in Garissa county. In September, in this report does not mean that that it did not violate religious freedom the group stopped a bus on its it did not violate religious freeway to Nairobi from Lafey town, dom during the reporting year. during the reporting year. Northern Kenya, from which it It only means that, based on the singled out and abducted three information available to USCIRF, non-Muslims. Within its territory, the conditions during that year the group targeted and killed individuals who were suspected of did not, in USCIRF’s view, meet the high threshold—the perpetration converting from Islam to another religion or becoming nontheists. or toleration of particularly severe or severe violations of religious In 2020, the Houthi movement, formally known as Ansar Allah, freedom—required to recommend the country or nonstate group continued to hold territory throughout Yemen. The group’s slogan, for CPC, SWL, or EPC designation. In the case of a nonstate group, posted widely throughout Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, includes it also could mean that the group did not meet other statutory the phrase “a curse on the Jews,” and the tiny remaining Jewish comrequirements, such as exercising significant political power and munity faces ongoing and severe repression from Houthi authorities. territorial control. In November, then Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo called for USCIRF monitors and has concerns about religious freedom the Houthis to release Jewish prisoner Libi Marhabi who is suffering conditions worldwide, including violations of freedom of religion or health problems and remains detained despite a court ordering his belief perpetrated or tolerated by governments and entities not covrelease in 2019. The Houthis released six Baha’is in July, including ered in this report. The full range of USCIRF’s work, on a wide variety religious prisoner of conscience Hamid bin Haydara, but continue to of countries and topics, can be found at www.uscirf.gov. In addition, pursue legal action against them and other members of the Baha’i information on religious freedom conditions in all foreign countries community. Christians also face persecution at the hands of Houthi can be found in the State Department’s annual International Religious authorities, and were subject in 2020 to violent attacks. Freedom reports. In 2020, ISGS reportedly executed individuals who refused to pay a religious obligation tax in its areas of control in Niger. It also placed USCIRF’S 2021 CPC, SWL, and restrictions on religious practice, including the prohibition of music and EPC Recommendations parties and limitations on women’s abilities to choose their own partners. For 2021, based on religious freedom conditions in 2020, USCIRF Finally, ISGS controls religious preaching in its areas of control, allowing recommends that the State Department: the traditional Tijani Sufi Brotherhood to preach only in some mosques. • Redesignate as CPCs the following ten countries: Burma, China, In 2020, leaders of JNIM tolerated particularly severe religious Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikifreedom violations perpetrated by their Katiba Macina branch, under stan, and Turkmenistan; the leadership of Amadou Kouffa. Katiba Macina fighters publicly • Designate as additional CPCs the following four countries: India, killed local imams and traditional leaders in central Mali and northern Russia, Syria, and Vietnam; Burkina Faso who disagreed with Kouffa’s beliefs. The group also 2 USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2021