Nigeria added to list of world’s worst religious freedom violators.

The United States under Trump’s administration has added Nigeria to a list of the world’s worst violators of religious freedom, opening up the African nation to punitive measures.

This development came as the US State Department designated Nigeria for the first time as a Country of Particular Concern on under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing egregious violations of religious freedom.”

Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were all re-designated as CPCs, the statement department said.

Nations designated as a CPC become punishable by U.S. sanctions, including the suspension of foreign aid, trade restrictions or loan prohibitions though the law allows the executive branch the power to determine which if any restrictions to apply.

“The U.S. is unwavering in its commitment to religious freedom,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet. “No country or entity should be allowed to persecute people with impunity because of their beliefs. These annual designations show that when religious freedom is attacked, we will act.”

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said it welcomed the addition of Nigeria to the CPC list.

“Nigeria is the first secular democracy that has been named a CPC, which demonstrates that we must be vigilant that all forms of governments respect religious freedom,” USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin said in a statement.

The USCIRF had recommended in April for Nigeria to be added to the list due to state- and societally perpetrated violations against religious freedom.

The spring report said the government of Nigeria continued to detain the leader of its largest Shiite Muslim minority group and had violently cracked down on its members during religious processions and protests after banning the group for stating it was violent and annoying to society.

The country has also experienced security issues caused by terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, which as recently as last month has been suspected of killing more than a 100 Nigerian farms in a terrorist attack.