US puts Azerbaijan on Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations

The United States has put Azerbaijan on a Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in his press statement on Thursday.

In addition to Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, the Comoros, and Vietnam have also been designated as Special Watch List countries.

The designation comes after the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) raised concerns over the preservation of Christian religious sites in Artsakh.

The Commission also voiced concerns over regulations on religious practice in the Muslim-majority country under Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, including a requirement that all religious groups be registered and their literature approved by an official body.