WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 27, 2025) – Coinciding with International Religious Freedom Day on October 27, the McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) today released a report titled, “The State of Religious Freedom Worldwide: An Inside Look at the Axis of Upheaval’s Religious Persecution and How the U.S. Can Counteract It.”
“Senator McCain said, ‘There is no right more fundamental to a free society than the free practice of religion.’ This report reflects Senator McCain’s commitment to religious freedom and the indispensable role of the United States in advocating for this fundamental human right worldwide,” said McCain Institute Human Rights & Freedom Senior Program Manager Alexis Mrachek.
Concerned about this reality, the McCain Institute convened top regional and functional experts to provide their analysis of international religious freedom in China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – also known as the Axis of Upheaval. This report presents assessments of religious persecution by the hands of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, drawing on existing research and publicly available data, and draws conclusions regarding how the United States government should respond. The authors represent leading voices from the foreign policy and human rights community, from different backgrounds, faiths, and politics. In addition to presenting the facts of the Axis of Upheaval’s religious persecution, they make a compelling case for robust U.S. leadership as key to countering these threats, safeguarding and promoting international religious freedom, and protecting human rights and dignity.
The following authors contributed to the report:
- Alexis Mrachek, Senior Human Rights & Freedom Program Manager, McCain Institute
- Knox Thames, Pepperdine University Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies Director
- Benedict Rogers, Fortify Rights Senior Director and Hong Kong Watch Co-Founder
- Jewher Ilham, Workers Rights Consortium Forced Labor Project Manager and Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region Spokesperson
- Elizabeth A. Clark, Brigham Young University’s International Center for Law and Religion Studies Associate Director
- Marjan Keypour-Greenblatt, Alliance for Rights of All Minorities Founder and StopFemicideIran Founder
- Olivia Enos, Hudson Institute Senior Fellow
- Rana Siu Inboden, Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas-Austin Senior Fellow
- Peter Mandaville, George Mason University’s International Affairs Professor and Center for Global Islamic Studies Director
“For over 25 years, the United States has been the global leader in protecting and promoting religious freedom internationally, across Republican and Democratic administrations,” said Pepperdine University Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies Director Knox Thames, who co-led the report with the McCain Institute. “Our report examines the dire state of religious freedom in China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia – an axis of persecution – highlighting the challenge and ways the United States can respond.”
Click HERE to read the full report.