US says global human rights protections declined in 2015

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is blaming a global crisis in governance, as well as atrocities by non-state actors, for a decline in human rights standards around the world last year.

In its annual human rights report released yesterday, the State Department said governments in 2015 pushed back with increasing vigor and viciousness" against groups that seek to empower ordinary people and fight corruption.

The report singled out North Korea, China, Cuba, Sudan and Iran and also cited Russia, Rwanda, Congo, Venezuela, Azerbaijan, Uganda, Egypt and Vietnam for repressive steps.

"In every part of the world, we see an accelerating trend by both state and non-state actors to close the space for civil society, to stifle media and Internet freedom, to marginalize opposition voices, and, in the most extreme cases, to kill people or drive them from their homes," Secretary of State John Kerry said.

The report also condemned abuses by the Islamic State group, Boko Haram, al Shabab and the Taliban in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and several African nations where it said lack of governance, poor governance or outright repression fueled radical movements.

Some highlights from the report:

—Afghanistan: The report found widespread Taliban attacks on civilians; detainee abuse and torture; endemic discrimination against girls and women, including arrests for "moral crimes"; killings by security forces and lack of investigations; pervasive corruption; sexual abuse of children, human trafficking, forced labor and child labor; and general disregard for rule of law.

—China: The report noted routine repression of civil rights advocates and minorities; family members of activists prosecuted; tight control of the Internet; severe repression of free speech and religion for Uighurs and Tibetans; mass terrorism trials; executions without due process; torture and coerced confessions at "black jails"; widespread corruption; and forced abortions and sterilizations.

—Cuba: Despite the ongoing normalization of relations with the US, the report criticized Cuba for denying its citizens basic democratic rights and continuing arbitrary, short-term detentions aimed at suppressing freedoms of expression and assembly and calls for reform.

—Egypt: The report said the government continued to apply restrictive registration laws to investigate and shut down human rights organizations, especially those linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. It said the government also imposed travel bans on human rights defenders and political activists.

—Iran: The government stifled and harassed human rights groups looking into allegations of abuses in addition to stifling dissent, the report said. It also noted severe restrictions on civil liberties, including the freedoms of assembly, association, speech and religion, a lack of free and fair elections and abuse of due process and use of capital punishment.

—Israel and the Palestinian territories: The reported cited attacks against civilians and discrimination against Arabs and African citizens, foreign workers and non-Orthodox Jews. In the Palestinian territories, it said the most significant issues were restrictions on civil liberties, particularly by Hamas in Gaza, and excessive use of force by Israeli security forces.

—Libya: The report cited indiscriminate shelling by militias and government-aligned forces; civilians killed regularly; political figures, journalists and activists kidnapped and killed; and no effective governance, justice or security.

—Myanmar: The report noted official discrimination against the stateless Rohingya minority, who face killings, detentions, torture, and denial of due process; rape and sexual violence in conflict areas; corruption and widespread land confiscation; arrests of journalists; life-threatening conditions in labor camps; child soldiers; and trafficking and forced labor of children.

—Nigeria: The report cited Boko Haram killings and destruction, creating more than 100,000 refugees; security services responding with killings, torture and rape; ethnic, regional and religious violence; vigilante killings; lack of independent judiciary; official corruption; violence against women, child abuse, female genital mutilation and infanticide; bonded labor; and impunity at all levels of government.

—North Korea: The report repeats criticism of North Korea's vast network of forced labor camps with life-threatening conditions; killings, disappearances, political prisoners and torture; no fair trials; trafficking of women refugees and workers into China; and claims of crimes against humanity.

—Russia: Russia continued suppression of dissent or criticism of government, especially regarding Ukraine, the report said. It also cited NGOs fined and stigmatized as "foreign agents"; lack of due process for activists; government discrimination of racial, religious and sexual minorities; torture, excessive force and life-threatening prison conditions; widespread corruption and election irregularities; limits on women's rights; trafficking in persons; and rapes, killings, torture and lack of rule of law in North Caucasus.

—Turkey: The Turkish government used anti-terror laws as well as a law against insulting the president to stifle legitimate political discourse and investigative journalism, said the report, which criticized the prosecution of journalists and the driving of opposition media outlets out of business or bringing them under state control.

—Venezuela: The report said the government adopted overly restrictive media laws and detained dozens of dissenters.