The US regrets the lack of freedom of religion in North Korea and denounces acts of repression

June 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States Government has lamented the lack of freedom of religion in North Korea, a situation that has stagnated over the last decade, and has denounced the existence of acts of repression by security forces against the civilian population for question of religion.

This was stated in its annual report on religious freedom at the international level, in which it stated that the situation in North Korea “has barely changed over the last ten years.” The document, which analyzes the situation in 199 countries and territories around the world based on official information, religious groups and non-governmental organizations, places North Korea and eleven other countries as places of “special concern.”

In this regard, he pointed out that the Asian country has recorded “violations of religious freedoms for the 22nd consecutive year,” a position that has barely changed on the US blacklist, according to a statement from the State Department.

“Various sources indicate that the situation has hardly changed since the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea was published in 2014, which found evidence that the authorities were denying religious rights and freedoms. This pointed to that the Government committed violations of Human Rights that constituted crimes against Humanity,” the text states.

“The Government has continued to execute, torture, arrest and physically abuse individuals for their religious activities,” they maintain from Washington, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked to implement measures to “safeguard freedom of religion throughout the world.” world”.

“It is about protecting an essential part of what it means to be human: the ability to explore something greater than ourselves and decide what to believe in and what not to believe, without fear of repression,” he noted before stating that “the “The right to choose one’s beliefs allows us to learn from those who are different and celebrate what we have in common.”