The annual assessment of human rights around the world was released by the US State Department on Tuesday. The report includes excerpts on various countries, including Iraq. The assessment highlighted issues such as sectarian-driven violence, acts of terrorism, and revenge by armed groups, which have hindered government efforts to establish and maintain the rule of law in Iraq. Sunni Arab groups like al Qaeda in Iraq and Shia militias with ties to the Iraqi Security Forces were mentioned as perpetrators of violence targeting each other's communities. Pakistan: Despite President Musharraf's pledge to promote democracy and 'enlightened moderation,' Pakistan's human rights situation remained dire. Security forces were still engaged in extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture. Corruption was widespread in both the government and police forces. 

Russia: The centralization of power in the executive branch continued in Russia, with changes to election laws and new regulations for political parties giving the government extensive control over parties. When looking at the overall situation, with a compliant State Duma, corruption and selectivity in law enforcement, political pressure on the judiciary, and restrictions on NGOs and the media, these factors led to a further decline in government accountability. In Afghanistan, despite some progress in human rights since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, there were ongoing issues with arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, torture, and poor prison conditions. North Korea remained highly repressive in 2006, with the regime controlling nearly all aspects of citizens' lives and severely limiting freedoms such as speech, press, assembly, association, movement, and worker rights. Approximately 150,000 to 200,000 individuals, including political prisoners, were imprisoned in detention camps, where many died from torture, starvation, disease, and exposure. The military government in Myanmar used various tactics such as executions, rape, torture, arbitrary detention, and forced relocation of villages, especially targeting ethnic minorities, to maintain control. In Iran, the government severely restricted freedom of speech and assembly, targeting dissidents, journalists, and reformers with arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture, disappearances, excessive force, and unfair trials. In Zimbabwe, the Mugabe government continued to violate human rights across the board. Official corruption and impunity were rampant in Cuba and China in 2006. In Cuba, under temporary leadership of Raul Castro, the government violated the rights of its citizens, including the right to peacefully change their government or criticize the revolution and its leaders. In China, there was a decline in the human rights record with an increase in cases of monitoring, harassment, detention, and imprisonment of political and religious activists, journalists, writers, and defense lawyers seeking to exercise their rights under the law.