Russia Slams US for Human Rights Abuses

Russia's foreign ministry is accusing the United States of human rights violations both at home and abroad, in it’s first-ever report on the state of human rights in other countries.

The report, released Wednesday, criticizes the U.S. for the continued operation of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and accuses the White House of sheltering officials and CIA operatives from prosecution.

The report also laments what it calls U.S. prying into citizens' private lives and says the situation in the United States is “far from the ideals” proclaimed by Washington.

In the past, the Russian foreign ministry has strongly slammed U.S. accusations of Russian rights violations in the State Department's annual reports on human rights worldwide.

Russia's Interfax news agency says a Russian foreign ministry representative on human rights, speaking at a briefing on the report, also accused NATO of committing human rights violations during the conflict this year in Libya.

Interfax quotes the official as saying Russia believes there is a need for an “unbiased investigation” into all violations of international humanitarian law in Libya. ---VOA News