Report links mass atrocities to religious freedom violations

Violations of religious freedom often precede mass atrocities such as genocide and crimes against humanity, a report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom concludes.

“When religious freedom is systematically denied or religious identities are targeted, the risk of atrocity crimes escalates,” the commission report states.

The commission released its report—“Preventing Mass Atrocities Targeting Religious Communities”—Sept. 9 exploring the relationship between mass atrocities and religious freedom.

Although 153 countries have signed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocideand agreed to prevent and punish genocide, atrocities continue.

“Despite these declarations of ‘never again,’ perpetrators around the world continue to commit atrocities, including those that target religious communities, often with impunity,” the commission report states.

Early warning signs of atrocities

Religious freedom violations often serve as “early warning signs” in advance of mass atrocities, the report notes.

Violations of freedom of religion or belief “can lead to mass atrocities by fostering dehumanization of religious groups, making them targets of discrimination and violence,” the report states.

The U.N. Holocaust Museum’s Early Warning Project global risk assessment identifies the top 30 countries most at risk of mass killings. More than half—17—are among the nations the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom cited in its 2025 annual report for religious freedom violations.

The commission recommended nine of those nations be designated as Countries of Particular Concern for systemic, ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations. It recommended others be assigned to the Special Watch List for religious freedom violations or recommended designation of a nonstate actor within a country’s borders as an Entity of Particular Concern.

Missed deadlines, failure to fulfill mandates

While President Donald Trump publicly has emphasized the elimination of perceived anti-Christian bias and discrimination domestically, his administration’s State Department has failed to fulfill its mandates regarding international religious freedom, the commission report on preventing mass atrocities notes.

The International Religious Freedom Act requires the U.S. Department of State to prepare a report on religious freedom conditions in each foreign nation on or soon after May 1 each year. The 2025 International Religious Freedom report detailing 2024 conditions still has not been released.

“The IRF Report is an important tool to inform policy responses in countries where ongoing religious freedom violations contribute to atrocity risk,” the commission report states.

During his first term in office, Trump signed into law the bipartisan Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018. It codifies atrocity prevention efforts and creates legislative mandates to support those efforts—including requiring an annual report by the administration to Congress. The commission report points out the current Trump administration missed the due date to file its first report.

During the first Trump administration, interagency coordination of atrocity prevention was implemented through the Atrocity Early Warning Task Force. Its secretariat was housed in the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations—which was eliminated during a recent reorganization.

The report also notes the State Department in the past made genocide determinations at the senior level after a joint legal and factual assessment. In practice, the Office of Global Criminal Justice led the process, with input from the relevant regional bureau, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Office of the Legal Adviser. The Office of Global Criminal Justice also was eliminated in the State Department reorganization.

Recommendations to U.S. government

“Promoting religious freedom is a crucial tool in preventing atrocities, including genocide, and rebuilding societies in their aftermath. Countries with dismal religious freedom records are often at risk for mass atrocities, presenting some of the greatest national security challenges to the United States,” the commission report concludes.

The commission recommends the U.S. government “increase the use of context-specific atrocity prevention tools to address religious freedom violations.”

“In addition, as a critical first step toward prevention is accurate and reliable assessment of countries at risk for future violence, USCIRF encourages timely implementation of IRFA provisions, including the immediate release of IRF Reports, to inform critical assessments of religious freedom conditions abroad,” the commission report states.

The report also recommends “building on the work of the first Trump administration” by prioritizing atrocity prevention “through a whole-of-government approach that integrates international religious freedom.”

The commission’s report calls on the administration to fulfill its reporting and operational requirements under the Elie Wiesel Act and to “provide clarity regarding atrocity prevention responsibilities within the State Department.”