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On September 24, 2014, the Department of State published a document [Public Notice 8875] containing the Secretary of State’s designation of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) for religious freedom violations pursuant to section 408(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105–292), as amended (the Act).
On July 18, 2014, the Secretary of State, under authority delegated by the President, designated each of the following as a CPC for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The Secretary simultaneously designated the following Presidential Actions for these CPCs:
For Burma, the existing ongoing arms embargo referenced in 22 C.F.R. 126.1(a) pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
For China, the existing ongoing restriction on exports to China of crime control and detection instruments and equipment, under the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101–246), pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
For Eritrea, the existing ongoing arms embargo referenced in 22 C.F.R. 126.1(a) pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
For Iran, the existing ongoing travel restrictions based on serious human rights abuses under section 221(a)(1)(C) of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
For North Korea, the existing ongoing restrictions to which North Korea is subject, pursuant to sections 402 and 409 of the Trade Act of 1974 (the Jackson-Vanik Amendment) pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
For Saudi Arabia, a waiver as required in the “important national interest of the United States,” pursuant to section 407 of the Act;
For Sudan, the restriction on making certain appropriated funds available for assistance to the Government of Sudan in the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, currently set forth in section 7042(j) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2014 (Div. K, Pub. L. 113–76), and any provision of law that is the same or substantially the same as this provision, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
For Turkmenistan, a waiver as required in the “important national interest of the United States,” pursuant to section 407 of the Act; and
For Uzbekistan, a waiver as required in the “important national interest of the United States,” pursuant to section 407 of the Act. Dated: September 16, 2014.
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