USCIRF Releases New Report on Protection of Religious Sites During Armed Conflict

USCIRF Releases New Report on Protection of Religious Sites During Armed Conflict

Washington, DC –The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Protection of Religious Sites During Armed Conflict – This report provides an overview of international humanitarian law’s protections for religious sites in conflict zones. The Geneva Conventions and their accompanying Protocols establish that religious sites may not be used for military purposes or targeted for destruction unless the strict conditions articulated in the distinction principle, the proportionality principle, and the precautionary principle are met. This report also documents cases in which parties involved in armed conflicts have targeted religious sites, including during the Burmese civil war, the Israel-Hamas conflict, the conflict between the Nigerian government and U.S.-designated Entities of Particular Concern, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the Sudanese civil war. In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF documented attacks against religious sites in armed conflict zones.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].