The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) will hold a virtual hearing on June 5 on the situation in Azerbaijan, and will also discuss the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage, the USCIRF informed in a statement.

"Religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh remain threatened as Azerbaijani authorities develop the region and eliminate Armenian cultural heritage," the statement said.

It was noted that the religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan remain concerning.

“The country’s religion law imposes onerous registration requirements on religious communities to engage in religious activities legally. In recent years, following a deterioration of relations with Iran, the Azerbaijani government has arrested and imprisoned a record number of Shi’a Muslims, presumably on the basis of religion. Many of those imprisoned have accused law enforcement of physical violence and other forms of mistreatment,” the USCIRF statement added.

“In February, USCIRF traveled to Azerbaijan to survey the country’s religious freedom conditions and meet with religious communities, human rights activists, and government officials. In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Azerbaijan to the Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom,” the USCIRF statement said.