WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing on Thursday, June 5, on Religious Freedom Conditions in Azerbaijan that highlighted political prisoners and lack of freedom of speech in the country, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
The hearing focused on Azerbaijan’s “concerning” religious freedoms and destruction of cultural heritage, particularly religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh that remain threatened as Azerbaijani authorities “eliminate Armenian cultural heritage.”
In February 2025, USCIRF traveled to Azerbaijan to survey the country’s religious freedom conditions and met with religious communities, human rights activists, and government officials. In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Azerbaijan to the Special Watch List for “severe violations of religious freedom.”
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