3. Uzbekistan
According to the International Religious Freedom Report issued by the State Department in 2015, a vast majority of Uzbeks are Muslims and the government intends to keep it so. In order to be allowed to exist and teach their doctrine, all religious groups must be registered with the Committee on Religious Affairs, a government body in charge of enforcing religious laws. One of the main issues that have sent many to prison camps is proselytizing. Several members of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been sent to prison for violating the ban on proselytizing, which is considered an “unauthorized religious activity”. Their offense was reading a Bible in a private home and talking about their religion. Other denominations suffer a similar fate, including several Islamic groups that are outright banned in Uzbekistan. And now, let’s see the top two entries on our list of countries where religion is illegal.
