; (2) cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; (3) prolonged detention without charges; and (4) forced disappearances; Whereas, on December 29, 2023, the Biden administration designated Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of particular concern; Whereas the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act ( Public Law 114–281 ; 130 Stat. 1426) requires the President to annually designate countries with severe religious freedom violations that do not reach the threshold of systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations to a Special Watch List ; Whereas, on December 29, 2023, the Biden administration designated Algeria, Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, Comoros, and Vietnam as Special Watch List countries; Whereas to enhance accountability for global human rights violations, including violations of religious freedom, President Joseph R. Biden signed the permanent authorization of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2656 note) into law on April 8, 2022; Whereas the Senate passed a resolution calling for the global repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws in 2020 (Senate Resolution 458, 116th Congress, agreed to December 19, 2020); Whereas, in 2023, threats to religious freedom worsened around the world, including incidents targeting the exercise of religion in public or private, participation in religious advocacy, conversion from one religion to another, engagement in religious practices broadly, and those choosing to have no faith at all; Whereas, according to USCIRF, there were thousands of incidents wherein religious freedom was violated in 2023, including— (1) the targeting of 2,228 individuals by 27 countries and entities; (2) the imprisonment of 1,491 individuals; (3) the ongoing imprisonment of 1,311 individuals; and (4) the death of 9 individuals while in custody