The annual human rights assessment by the US State Department, released on Tuesday, highlighted issues in various countries. In Iraq, sectarian violence, terrorism, and acts of revenge by armed groups have hindered government efforts to establish and uphold the rule of law. Sunni Arab groups like al Qaeda in Iraq, remnants of the Baathist regime, and insurgents have violently opposed the government and targeted Shia communities. Meanwhile, Shia militias with connections to the Iraqi Security Forces have carried out large-scale death squad and kidnapping activities targeting Sunnis. PAKISTAN: Despite President Musharraf's pledge to promote democracy and 'enlightened moderation,' Pakistan's human rights situation remained dire. Security forces continued to engage in extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture. Corruption was rampant within the government and police. 

RUSSIA: Russia saw further consolidation of power within the executive branch, with changes to election laws and new regulations on political parties giving the government extensive control over their operations. When combined with a cooperative State Duma, corruption, biased law enforcement, political influence on the judiciary, and limitations on NGOs and the media contributed to a decline in government accountability. In Afghanistan, despite progress in human rights since the Taliban's downfall in 2001, the country's human rights record was still deemed poor. Reports continued of arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, torture, and substandard prison conditions. North Korea remained highly repressive in 2006, controlling nearly all aspects of its citizens' lives and restricting freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, movement, and worker rights. Between 150,000 and 200,000 individuals, including political prisoners, were detained in camps where many died from torture, starvation, disease, and exposure. In Burma, the military regime employed executions, rape, torture, arbitrary detention, and forced relocation of entire villages, particularly targeting ethnic minorities, to maintain control. Prisoners faced abuse and harsh conditions. In Iran, the government violated freedom of speech and assembly, cracking down on dissidents, journalists, and reformers through arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture, disappearances, excessive force, and denial of fair trials. In Zimbabwe, the Mugabe government continued widespread violations of human rights. Official corruption and impunity were prevalent in Cuba and China in 2006. In Cuba, under temporary leadership of Raul Castro due to Fidel Castro's illness, the government continued to violate the rights of its citizens, including the right to peacefully change the government or criticize the revolution and its leaders. In China, there was a decline in the human rights record with an increase in cases involving monitoring, harassment, detention, and imprisonment of political and religious activists, journalists, writers, and defense lawyers trying to exercise their legal rights.