The intersection of torture and violations of religious freedom has been sharply outlined in a recent report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). On Tuesday, USCIRF shed light on the grim reality of governments worldwide employing torture and ill treatment as tools for suppressing individuals based on their religion or beliefs. These actions are in direct conflict with international law, yet they persist as mechanisms to undermine foundational human rights.
In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF articulates instances of religious persecution compounded by acts of torture, furnishing a factsheet that delineates the relationship between the two issues. The factsheet encompasses U.S. policy related to the overlap, relevant international human rights standards, and contexts where such violations occur. Remarkably, it contains case studies from countries like Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Turkmenistan, providing concrete examples of where religious freedoms are aggressively quashed through inhumane practices.
These state-sanctioned violations do not occur in a vacuum; they are tightly woven into the fabric of how some governments control their populations. In its attempt to document the breadth and spectrum of these abuses, USCIRF has also compiled the Frank R. Wolf FoRB Victims List—a record of individuals who have suffered under the weight of their religious identity. This list serves not only as a ledger of oppression but as an appeal for greater accountability and intervention.
The report from USCIRF insists on the importance of recognizing the intertwining of torture and religious freedom violations to bolster the protection of these rights. Their findings suggest that a concerted effort to address these abuses could lead to more robust remedies for victims and pave the way for increased state accountability. It is a plea for the U.S. government and international community to witness these atrocities not as distant transgressions, but as urgent matters requiring immediate attention and rectification.
