International Actions Taken Against Religious or Belief-Based Acts of Violence That Constitute International Crimes
In a world where religious freedom should be a fundamental right, recent events have highlighted a disturbing trend of international crimes targeting religious communities. These atrocities, ranging from killings and kidnappings to forced labor and indoctrination, are occurring across the globe.
Nigeria is currently grappling with an acute crisis, with over 7,000 Christians killed by Islamic extremists and radicalized Fulani herder militias in the first 220 days of 2025. This violent wave includes at least 7,800 abductions for faith, averaging nearly 30 deaths and 35 abductions daily. The Nigerian government's failure to effectively investigate and protect minority religious groups has been heavily criticized, with some religious freedom laws enabling extrajudicial violence.
In Syria and Iraq, long-standing histories of religious persecution, especially against Christian and Yazidi minorities by groups like ISIS, continue to affect religious freedoms severely. Although specific 2025 data was not provided, the ongoing conflicts continue to pose a significant threat.
China has been accused of persecuting Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, with allegations of mass detentions, forced labor, and repression of religious practices. While no 2025-specific details were found, this remains a critical international concern.
Afghanistan and Iran have documented situations of religious persecution and human rights violations against religious minorities such as Christians, Baha'is, and others. However, no new 2025 data was included in the provided material.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), persistent violence linked to religious and ethnic militias has targeted various communities, but specific recent international crimes based on religion in 2025 were not described.
Baha'is in Iran are denied equal rights, affecting all aspects of their lives in the country. Religious minorities such as Christians, Ahmadiyas, Baha'is, among others, are effectively extinct in Afghanistan after many were evacuated when the Taliban took over. Hazara Shias, a numeric minority group in Afghanistan, continue to be subjected to targeted attacks by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (IS-KP) and other groups, with the Taliban failing to prevent these attacks.
The United Nations General Assembly has established a day to condemn acts of violence targeting individuals on the basis of or in the name of religion or belief. The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide imposes a legal duty on States to prevent genocide, where there is a serious risk. All such attacks, which meet the legal definitions of international crimes, require attention from states and the international community.
The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recognized the gravity of the crimes by Boko Haram in Nigeria and sought formal investigations in 2020. One such attack in the town of Komanda resulted in the killing of 40 worshipers in a church. In Nigeria, Boko Haram and other militia groups have been targeting anyone who does not subscribe to their interpretation of Islam, with Christians being a minority among their victims.
Yazidis in Iraq continue to fight for justice and accountability, eleven years after the Daesh genocide, with close to 2,600 Yazidi women and children still enslaved to this day. In Iran, Baha'is face persecution, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention.
The Responsibility to Protect (R2P), a political commitment, should trigger responses, especially where the duty to prevent genocide does not reach. The international community's approach of condemning atrocities but failing to act is hypocritical, as it allows the repeated occurrence of such acts.
August 22nd is the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. Violence based on religion or belief may amount to international crimes, including crimes against humanity and genocide. It is crucial that states and the international community take decisive action to prevent and punish these crimes, ensuring that every individual can live free from fear and persecution.
- The trend of international crimes targeting religious communities, such as killings, abductions, and forced labor, is not exclusive to Nigeria; it is also apparent in other countries like Syria, Iraq, Iran, China, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The international community's approach towards condemning atrocities based on religion or belief but failing to take decisive action is criticized as hypocritical, allowing the repetition of such acts.
- It is crucial for states and the international community to take decisive action to prevent and punish violence based on religion or belief, which can amount to international crimes such as crimes against humanity and genocide, as highlighted on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.
