Religious freedom conditions in Uzbekistan have begun to trend negatively. While the government has taken notable steps in recent years to address long-standing and significant religious freedom issues, some incidents have reinforced concerns that the government continues to restrict Muslim religious practices that are not in line with the state-prescribed interpretation of Islam.

Religious freedom conditions in Turkmenistan continue to show no signs of improvement. The government is suspicious of all independent religious activity and maintains a large surveillance apparatus that monitors believers at home and abroad. Turkmenistani law requires religious groups to register under intrusive criteria, strictly controls registered groups’ activities, and bans and punishes religious activities by unregistered groups.

The Tajikistani government’s already dismal record on religious freedom continues to deteriorate. The regime of President Emomali Rahmon maintains its repressive policies, suppressing displays of public religiosity by individuals of all faiths and persecuting minority communities—especially actual and alleged Salafists, a term that is broadly applied. There are restrictions on wedding and funerary banquets, as well as bans on beards and hijabs.