Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

Russian human rights report criticises US and NATO

Russia has criticised the US of grave human rights violations and double standards in dealing with allegations of rights abuses.

The Kremlin's first report on human rights abuses detailed allegations of torture, phone tapping and indefinite detention by the US.

It criticised the Obama government for failing to shut down Guantanamo Bay and protecting officials from prosecution.

"The situation in the United States is far from the ideals proclaimed by Washington," Russia's foreign ministry said in a 63-page report posted on its Foreign Affairs website.

"The main unresolved problem is the odious prison in Guantanamo Bay."

"The White House and the Justice Department shelter from prosecution CIA operatives and highly placed officials who are responsible for mass and flagrant breaches of human rights," it said.

It also accused the US and NATO serious human rights violations during their involvement in the Libyan uprising, going as far as claiming the overthrow and murder of Colonel Gaddafi was NATO's 'main goal'.

The US did not dismiss the report and has said they are open towards discussing the issues laid out.

"These kinds of human rights reports can be a useful mechanism," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

"We certainly don't regard it as interference in our internal affairs when foreign governments, individuals or organizations comment on or criticize U.S. human rights practices."

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.