H.R. 5808: Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025
This bill, named the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, aims to address issues of religious freedom violations in Nigeria by taking several key actions:
Designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern
The bill requires the Secretary of State to classify Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern." This designation is assigned to countries that engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
Annual Reporting Requirements
Within 90 days of the bill's enactment, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State must submit a report to Congress listing specific Nigerian individuals involved in religious freedom abuses. This includes:
- Federal officials or state governors who have promoted or enforced blasphemy laws or tolerated violence committed by non-state actors using religious justifications.
- Judicial or law enforcement personnel who have enforced blasphemy laws leading to the prosecution or imprisonment of individuals.
The initial report will cover a ten-year period prior to the bill's enactment, while subsequent reports will track violations from the date of the previous report.
Imposition of Sanctions
The bill mandates that the President impose sanctions on individuals identified in these reports. The sanctions are to block the assets of those involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption, aligning with existing executive orders concerning human rights violations.
Designation of Specific Groups as Entities of Particular Concern
In conjunction with the designation of Nigeria, the bill also identifies Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa as "Entities of Particular Concern." This designation targets organizations involved in significant religious freedom violations.
Conditions for Waiving Designations
The Secretary of State can waive the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern if it is determined that:
- Neither Boko Haram nor ISIS-West Africa is currently active in Nigeria.
- The Nigerian government and all state governments are not enforcing blasphemy laws.
Technical and Legislative Changes
The bill also includes technical corrections to existing legislative language to ensure consistency in terminology, specifically correcting the phrase "freedom religion" to "religious freedom" in related laws.
Definitions
The bill clarifies several terms, including:
- "Appropriate congressional committees" refers to the Senate and House committees on foreign relations and foreign affairs.
- "Boko Haram" is defined as Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad.
- "ISIS-West Africa" refers to the Islamic State West Africa Province.
- "Nigerian blasphemy laws" are those laws that criminalize expressions or behaviors perceived as insulting to religion.
Implementation and Oversight
The bill mandates that the Secretary of State regularly report to Congress, ensuring that legislative oversight and public accountability are maintained regarding religious freedom issues in Nigeria.
Relevant Companies
- AMZN - Amazon.com, Inc.: Potentially impacted due to its global supply chain and relationships in Nigeria.
- VZ - Verizon Communications Inc.: May face implications from sanctions affecting communication operations in Nigeria.
- GOOGL - Alphabet Inc.: May encounter operational challenges in Nigeria if sanctions affect internet services.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
1 sponsor
Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Oct. 21, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| Oct. 21, 2025 | Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
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