The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has issued a report, where the fate the Armenian church in Baku—the capital city of Azerbaijan—also was noted.

The report states that the Azerbaijani authorities need to take serious steps to establish religious freedom in the country, reported the Voice of America Armenian Service.

The USCIRF report presents the countries that have serious challenges with respect to ensuring religious freedom.

US Secretary of State John Kerry presented this report, and stressed the importance of religious freedom for the development of a country.

Ever since 2013, Azerbaijani is among the countries that have serious problems regarding religious freedom, and where the rights of not solely Muslims but also those of other religions are violated.

And as an example of the violation of religious freedom, the USCIRF report also points to the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Baku. This house of Christian worship was confiscated from the Armenians many years ago, and it is now used as an archive for the Azerbaijani presidential staff.

Kerry also criticized the authorities which curtail religious freedom, and noted that this leads to extremism.