A U.S. panel recommended the State Department designate Russia, China, India, North Korea, and 11 other nations for "Country of Particular Concern" status, effectively punishing the countries for violating acts of religious freedom.

In a report released Monday, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said the 15 countries were chosen because "their governments engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations."

The other CPC nations are Afghanistan, Burma, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.

The USCIRF's 2022 annual report identifies countries that don't possess a strong track record of granting religious freedoms.

The report also targets nations that use and abuse "restrictive laws to repress religious freedom" around the world.

Russia's inclusion on the CPC list predates its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began Feb. 24. The USCIRF findings/recommendations date to November.

In a news release, USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza also condemned the Taliban for its governmental efforts in Afghanistan, eight months after taking hostile control of the country.

"We are disheartened by the deterioration of freedom of religion or belief in some countries — especially Afghanistan under the Taliban's de facto government since August. Religious minorities have faced harassment, detention, and even death due to their faith or beliefs, and years of progress toward more equitable access to education and representation of women and girls have disappeared," said Maenza.

As a secondary measure, the USCIRF report identified 12 potential countries for the State Department's "Special Watch" list: Algeria, Cuba, Nicaragua, Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. 

The USCIRF recommendations are separate from the State Department's "Sponsors of Terrorism" list, which currently includes just four countries: Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria.

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