USA chastises Germany for discrimination against the Scientology organization
Saudi Arabia and Israel also criticized
USA reproaches human rights politic in Russia and ChinaWashington, USA
March 5, 2002
Rheinische PostWashington (rpo). The US State Department has used some hefty criticism in the human rights situation on a number of countries.
In its annual report, which it published in Washington on Monday, the State Department was especially critical of Russia for violations of human rights in Chechnia, and of China, Iran and Iraq. Israel, however, received approval with respect to the fight against terrorism for extensively respecting the rights of Arabs. But even in that country there were said to be several objectionable practices taking place.
The State Department, for the most part, disregarded the numerous reports from human rights organizations about excessive use of force by Israeli authorities. Those were justified by the State Department as being necessary in Israel's fight against "terrorism" by Palestinians. On the other side, various militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah were condemned for their attacks on Israel.
Germany and other European countries were also mentioned in the report. The German judicial system, for instance, was accused of discrimination against the Scientology organization, among others. In France several cases of abuse of prisoners and excessive use of force by the police and investigative authorities were cited.
China was accused of violations against religious freedom. Besides that, said the report, Peking was abusing the international fight against terrorism to persecute Moslems in Singkiang. Russia, according to the report, used torture in the fight against Chechnian separatists, and it said that prisoners were tortured in Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, the police were criticized for infringements, which were said to include rape and murder. It said that in most cases nobody had been held accountable.
Iran and Iraq were brought to task for violations against the freedoms of assembly and of opinion, and other restrictions. It was said that in neither country did the people have the option of voting out the government. That same reproach was also used on North Korea, in addition to which it was said in all three countries that torture used, prisoners disappeared and were executed in the absence of a judicial process.