The United States Department of State yesterday removed Nigeria from its list of religious freedom violators.
It announced its list of designations for state and non-state religious freedom violators, according to a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The most severe category of designation, called the “Countries of Particular Concern (CPC)” list, includes countries that have engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
Secretary Blinken had announced that he would include Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan on the CPC list.
Notably missing from the list is Nigeria, a country that the State Department had named as a CPC in previous years.
The statement reads: “Each year, the Secretary of State has the responsibility to identify governments and non-state actors, who, because of their religious freedom violations, merit designation under the International Religious Freedom Act.
“I am designating Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Eritrea, Iran, the DPRK, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
