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.”
In his opening remarks, USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck described Azerbaijan’s law on religion as among the “most repressive in the world.” He criticized recent legislative amendments that reinforced the regime’s control and distanced the country even further from international norms.
Schneck expressed concern over President Ilham Aliyev regime’s “continued destruction and repurposing of ancient Armenian churches and other religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh.” He urged the U.S. Department of State to maintain Azerbaijan on the Special Watch List and continue to monitor religious rights and freedoms in the country.
Commissioner Vicky Hartzler condemned the repression and brutality faced by religious groups in Azerbaijan, and called for political and economic sanctions against officials and entities involved in violating religious rights.