WASHINGTON — Human rights in Iran worsened in 2005 and the Chinese government continued to “commit numerous and serious abuses,” the US State Department’s annual report on human rights said yesterday. The report also criticised Russia for abuses in the Chechnya conflict and said the human rights records of Egypt and Saudi Arabia — two close US friends — “remained poor” despite some progress.
In Belarus, the report said human rights under President Aleksander Lukashenko worsened further, criticised recent moves against pro-democracy groups and predicted that March 19 presidential elections will not be free and fair.
Washington has previously protested the arrest of political dissidents and opponents in the former Soviet-bloc nation.
On Iran, the US cited Teheran’s disqualification of more than 1,000 candidates in June’s presidential election and accused Teheran of arbitrary arrests, summary executions and religious discrimination.
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