A new report documenting North Korean violations of religious freedoms was released on Wednesday by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government commission created to monitor violations of religious freedoms around the world.
"At its most essential level, North Koreans experience the denial of the right to religious freedom from birth," the report stated.
USCIRF stated they documented instances of torture by North Korean investigation officers against civilians suspected of religious adherence.
The forms of torture used by North Korea include physical beating, deprivation of food, water and sleep, hanging torture and body cavity searches.
Several accounts of executions of North Koreans practicing Christianity were also documented in the report.
In April 2011, Kwon Eun Som and her grandchild were executed by firing squad, with only a few security and law enforcement officials present, which reflects the level of secrecy the North Korean government takes to deal with these incidents.
Six people convicted of practicing Christianity were executed in secret by firing squad in 2015. Up to 40 others were sentenced to a political prison camp for life.
In addition, three Lee Min Park family members were arrested in a raid by officers from the state security ministry after being wiretapped and surveilled for four months.
After a month of pre-trial interrogation, the three family members were sentenced to execution for conducting Christian worship.
USCIRF concluded that their report "demonstrates the denial of fundamental religious freedom rights perpetrated against religious adherents by the North Korean government."