Algeria has been named by the U.S. State Department among the world worst violators of religious freedom. “I have designated Algeria, Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam as Special Watch List countries for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a press release issued lately. Advancing the freedom of religion or belief has been a core objective of U.S. foreign policy ever since Congress passed and enacted the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998, said Mr.Blinken. In its latest report, the U.S. States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said religious freedom conditions in Algeria have deteriorated in recent years, affirming that the authorities frequently restrict religious expression and practice. The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government body set up by the Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious violations committed abroad.
