Central Asia identified as problem area for religious freedom – report

Eurasianet  Mar 30, 2026

Commission recommends ‘targeted sanctions’ on Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.  

A US governmental commission is recommending the redesignation of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan for “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations” of religious freedom, potentially exposing the Central Asian states to US sanctions. Overall, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its 2026 annual report, recommends that 18 countries receive designation as countries of particular concern (CPC) due to their restrictive practices concerning religious expression. 

The USCIRF report notes that in 2025 “the Tajik government tightly controlled religious activities as part of its longstanding campaign to maintain political influence under the guise of combating ‘extremism,’” adding that “Tajik officials particularly targeted independent Muslims who deviated from the state’s preferred interpretation of Hanafi Sunni Islam.” Meanwhile, Turkmenistan is cited by the commission for its ongoing “use [of] a restrictive legal framework to control the activities of all religious groups.” The report calls on the US government to impose “targeted sanctions” on both Central Asian states, along with other would-be CPC-designated countries, and link efforts to improve security cooperation and trade relations to improvements in religious freedom.  In addition, the annual report calls for the inclusion of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on a special watch list (SWL).  

The USCIRF was established in 1998 as an independent, bipartisan government advisory body with a mission to make policy recommendations to the executive and legislative branches that aim to improve religious freedom around the world.  The US State Department is responsible for the formal designation of states with CPC and SWL status. It is not obliged to follow USCIRF recommendations. Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were last designated with CPC status in 2023. The report notes that the Trump administration in 2025 stepped up engagement with all five Central Asian states, along with Azerbaijan, in efforts to expand trade and widen access to the region’s abundant reserves of critical minerals. Given the region’s rising importance for US economic interests, some regional observers say it is unlikely that US officials will impose sanctions, conditions or other punitive measures on Central Asian states, even if the State Department follows the USCIRF recommendations to designate Central Asian states with CPC and SWL status.

USCIRF defines CPCs as “countries where the government engages in or tolerates ‘particularly severe’ violations of religious freedom.” SWL status is given to “countries where the government engages in or tolerates ‘severe’ violations of religious freedom.”