Uzbekistan is one of a handful of countries that has seen dramatic improvements for religious freedom in recent years; however, religious communities are still experiencing high levels of government regulation and repression that is continuing to impact their ability to exercise their freedom of religion or belief.

In April 2022, USCIRF sent a delegation to Uzbekistan. Senior Policy Analyst Keely Bakken, who was part of that USCIRF delegation to Uzbekistan, joins us today to discuss the outcome of the trip, recent developments since then, and other areas of possible reform in Uzbekistan.

Read USCIRF’s report on Uzbekistan’s Religious and Political Prisoners

With Contributions from:

Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF

Keely Bakken, Senior Policy Analyst, USCIRF

Gabrielle Hasenstab, Communications Specialist, USCIRF