; Whereas the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) defines particularly severe violations of religious freedom as torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention without charges, causing the disappearance of persons by the abduction or clandestine detention of those persons, other flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons, requires the President to designate each country the government of which has engaged in or tolerated [particularly severe violations of religious freedom in that country during the preceding 12 months or since the date of the last review of that country] … as a country of particular concern for religious freedom, and requires the United States as a matter of policy to condemn violations of religious freedom, and to promote, and to assist other governments in the promotion of, the fundamental right to freedom of religion ; Whereas the Secretary of State designated as CPC OSCE participating States Uzbekistan in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2017, Turkmenistan in 2014, 2016, and 2017, and Tajikistan in 2016 and 2017; Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended for CPC designation OSCE participating States Turkmenistan from 2000 to 2018, Uzbekistan from 2005 to 2018, Tajikistan from 2012 to 2019, Russia from 2017 to 2018, and Turkey in 2012; Whereas the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act ( Public Law 114–281 ) requires the President to designate each country that engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom during the previous year, but does not meet, in the opinion of the President at the time of publication of the Annual Report, all of the criteria … for designation as a CPC as being placed on a Special Watch List , and the Secretary of State designated no OSCE participating States as a Special Watch List country when designating countries of particular concern and one Special Watch List country on December 22, 2017