UK government says Iraqis freer than ever before

LONDON (AP) - The people of Iraq are probably freer now than at any time in their history, the British government said Thursday in an upbeat assessment of the country’s human rights record.

The Foreign Office’s annual human rights report said security was improving and “Iraq has continued to emerge as a functioning democracy, with diverse political representation and a respect for human rights enshrined in its constitution.”

The report said “significant challenges” remain _ particularly in protecting the rights of women and minority groups _ and said that, while violence has declined, Iraq’s security situation remains fragile. But it concluded that “Iraqis are arguably freer now than at any time in the country’s history.”

Britain has 4,100 troops in Iraq, most of whom are scheduled to leave by July.

Iraq is one of 18 “countries of concern” highlighted in the annual human rights survey. Others cited for rights violations include North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Israel was criticized for its blockade of the Gaza Strip and the “restrictions and humiliations” imposed on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Gaza’s Hamas leadership was condemned for rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and violence against its political opponents.

The report called Iran’s human rights record “dismal,” and said China has made little progress toward greater respect for human rights.

The document criticized China for continuing to restrict religious and cultural freedom in Tibetan-populated areas and said human rights activists, journalists and others had been detained or expelled from Beijing in the run up to last year’s Olympic Games.

“Despite Chinese assertions that human rights would improve if Beijing were chosen to host the Olympic Games, there were several instances where repression increased,” the report said.

Afghanistan, where 8,000 British troops are part of an international force fighting a Taliban insurgency, was also on the list. But it was judged to have made “significant progress” since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion, despite continuing political instability and insurgent violence.

On the Net: https://www.fco.gov.uk