US: Iranian regime's human rights record worsened

US: Iranian regime's human rights record worsened



Friday, 27 February 2009
WASHINTON (AFP)--Iran is severely restricting civil liberties and further weakening its already poor human rights record, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday in an annual report. "The government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous serious abuses," said the report, the first published under the new administration of President Barack Obama.
According to the State Department, Iran "severely limited" the democratic process, while security forces were guilty of "politically motivated violence, including torture."
In addition to holding political prisoners and cracking down on supporters of women's rights, the Iranian government has "severely restricted civil liberties, including freedoms of speech, expression, assembly." The report was part of a major annual State Department survey of human rights around the world, including both foes and countries closely allied to the U.S.