[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 249 (Thursday, December 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 80247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-28311]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 11943]


Secretary of State's Determinations Under The International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and Frank R. Wolf International Religious 
Freedom Act of 2016

    Pursuant to Section 408(a) of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-292), as amended (the Act), notice is hereby 
given that, on November 30, 2022, the Secretary of State, under 
authority delegated by the President, has designated each of the 
following as a ``country of particular concern'' (CPC) under section 
402(b) of the Act, for having engaged in or tolerated particularly 
severe violations of religious freedom: Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, 
Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, 
Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The Secretary 
simultaneously designated the following as satisfying the requirement 
to take Presidential Action for these CPCs:

    For Burma, the existing ongoing restrictions referenced in 22 
CFR 126.1, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For China, the existing ongoing restriction on exports to China 
of crime control or detection instruments or equipment, under the 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 
(Pub. L. 101-246), pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For Cuba, the existing ongoing restrictions referenced in 31 CFR 
515.201 and the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) 
Act of 1996 (Helms-Burton Act), pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the 
Act;
    For the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the existing 
ongoing restrictions to which the Democratic People's Republic of 
Korea is subject, pursuant to sections 402 and 409 of the Trade Act 
of 1974 (the Jackson-Vanik Amendment), and pursuant to section 
402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For Eritrea, the existing ongoing restrictions referenced in 22 
CFR 126.1, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For Iran, the existing ongoing travel restrictions in section 
221(c) of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 
2012 (TRA) for individuals identified under section 221(a)(1)(C) of 
the TRA in connection with the commission of serious human rights 
abuses, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For Nicaragua, the existing ongoing restrictions referenced in 
section 5 of the Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act of 2018 
(the NICA Act)
    For Pakistan, a waiver as required in the ``important national 
interest of the United States,'' pursuant to section 407 of the Act;
    For Russia, the existing ongoing sanctions issued for 
individuals identified pursuant to section 404(a)(2) of the Russia 
and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law 
Accountability Act of 2012 and section 11 of the Support for the 
Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine 
Act of 2014, as amended by Section 228 of the Countering America's 
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, 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 Tajikistan, a waiver as required in the ``important national 
interest of the United States,'' pursuant to section 407 of the Act; 
and
    For Turkmenistan, a waiver as required in the ``important 
national interest of the United States,'' pursuant to section 407 of 
the Act.

    In addition, the Secretary of State has designated the following 
countries as ``special watch list'' countries for engaging in or 
tolerating severe violations of religious freedom: Algeria, the Central 
African Republic, Comoros, and Vietnam.
    Pursuant to Section 408(a) of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-292), notice is hereby given that, on November 
30, 2022, the Secretary of State, under authority delegated by the 
President, has designated each of the following as an ``entity of 
particular concern'' under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf 
International Religious Freedom Act of 2016 (Pub. L. 114-281), for 
having engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom: 
Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS-Sahel 
(formerly known as ISIS in the Greater Sahara), ISIS-West Africa, 
Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, the Taliban, and Wagner Group based 
on its actions in the Central African Republic.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carter Allen, Office of International 
Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State, (Phone: (202) 718-1792 or 
Email: [email protected]).

Carson Relitz Rocker,
Acting Director, Office of International Religious Freedom, Department 
of State.
[FR Doc. 2022-28311 Filed 12-28-22; 8:45 am]
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