30 counties were listed by the British Foreign Office report that highlighted human rights violations and lack of religious freedom.
The statement shed light on religious freedom restrictions in Libya, Yemen, Russia, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, pointing out the religious persecution and discrimination in certain countries over the last year.
The 30 countries that are on the human rights priority list are Libya, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burundi, Republic of Central Africa, China, Colombia, North Korea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, the Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
The report says that Egypt has seen modest developments of religious freedom after the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el Sisi opened the largest Cathedral in the Middle East on January 06, let alone providing limitless licenses for building new churches as per the law.
The British government has stepped up its engagement on the issue of international liberty, and 2018 saw the creation of the post of Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
