Media Centre

This update include cases, trends, and concerns that have been followed by CSW since the last issue was released in October 2025.

Despite constitutional protections, and some positive steps taken by the government in recent years, religious minorities are increasingly vulnerable to hate speech, discrimination and intolerance.

Religious minorities continue to be viewed with suspicion and treated as a threat by a theocratic system that imposes a strict interpretation of Shia Islam.

Sudan's civilians continue to bear the brunt of violence marked by an insidious disregard for human life, with estimates of over 150,000 people having been killed.

Since the takeover, the HTS has given repeated assurances of protection and inclusion to religious minority communities.

Algeria is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the freedoms of religion or belief, assembly and association.

President Xi called for the Sinicisation of religion in 2016, requiring the adaptation of religious venues, clergy and education to excellent traditional Chinese culture and socialist society.

Iraq's constitution contains two competing principles: equal rights for everyone, and a system of Islamic law in which rights vary based on whether one is male or female, Muslim or non-Muslim.

Both the Tanzanian and Zanzibari constitutions stipulate equality regardless of religion, prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, and specify freedom of conscience and choice in matters of religion.

Nigeria's Federal Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion and guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief to all citizens, including the right to change religion or belief.

The ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) continues to violate every provision articulated in the country's ratified but unimplemented constitution.

CAR's constitutional provisions do not fully reflect the definition of FoRB outlined in the ICCPR or the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, which the CAR has ratified.

Despite limited advances in relation to the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), challenges remain for many religious and belief groups.

FoRB is of particular importance in light of Nepal's transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular democratic republic, which was completed with the new constitution promulgated in 2015.

As well as government policies and laws, India's religious diversity is under threat from the spread of religious intolerance by non-state actors who act with impunity.

Secularism is enshrined in Article 12 of the 1972 constitution of Bangladesh, though Article 2(A) asserts that Islam is the state religion.

Sri Lanka's 30-year ethnic civil war ended in 2009, however there are ongoing challenges to unifying the country's diverse ethno-religious population.

Pakistan is an Islamic republic, and the majority of the population follows Sunni Islam, but the constitution guarantees freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and specifically protects religious minorities.

Afghans have experienced sectarian violence and violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) both before and after the August 2021 withdrawal of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces.

FoRB remains highly restricted, with arbitrary detention, discriminatory treatment against religious minorities in detention facilities, and the conversion of churches into military camps highlighting the junta's discriminatory practices.