HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor...2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices hide 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 11, 2020 The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – the Human Rights Reports – cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The U.S. Department of State submits reports on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974. Translations In this section / Preface Preface Overview and Acknowledgements Country Report Preparation The DRL Editorial Team Country Reports Africa (Sub-Saharan) East Asia and Pacific Europe and Eurasia Near East (Middle East and North Africa) South and Central Asia Western Hemisphere Notes on Preparation of the Country Reports and Explanatory Material Reporting on Worker Rights Additional Resources FY 2019 Foreign Assistance Actuals UN General Assembly's Third Committee Country Resolution Votes 2019 Universal Declaration of Human Rights Errata Preface From the time we declared our independence as a free nation, the United States has committed itself to the ideals of democracy, individual freedom, equal protection under the rule of law, and the protection of human rights. Our nation was founded on the premise that all human beings are created equal in rights and in dignity. We are proud, 244 years later, to remain a leader in the effort to champion human rights and democratic ideals. The U.S. government does not stand alone in this commitment to human rights for all individuals. After the carnage of World War II, members of the global community sought to chart a new path by committing themselves to recognize and defend those rights that transcend all national boundaries because they are, by common understanding, rooted in our shared sense of humanity. Enshrined in international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, these rights include the freedoms of expression, religion and conscience, and peaceful assembly. The global community knew then, and knows now, that recognizing human rights is only the starting point. Defending them includes not only clarity in the words we use to describe them but also the actions we take to champion shared freedoms wherever, and by whomever, they are denied. Defense of human rights includes our commitment to address the destructive effects that oppression causes across the world. Experience teaches that government officials who oppress, abuse, and tolerate the denial of the human rights of their own people are also responsible for creating social environments that are ripe for both economic and humanitarian crises, and that encourage corruption, violent conflict, and terrorism. The United States is committed to using its voice and position on the world stage to draw attention to these violations and abuses of human rights, and to promote accountability for human rights violators and abusers. The 44th annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices provide carefully researched, factual, and objective information on actions foreign governments are taking – or not taking – to demonstrate observance of and respect for internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms. By publishing these reports, we reaffirm the United States’ longstanding commitment to advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms. Michael R. Pompeo Secretary of State Overview and Acknowledgements Country Report Preparation This report is submitted to the Congress by the Department of State pursuant to Sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. 19 U.S.C. § 2464, 2467 also require that U.S. foreign and trade policy take into account countries’ human rights and worker rights performance and that country reports be submitted to the Congress on an annual basis. This report includes documents on several countries that do not fall into the categories established by these statutes and thus are not covered by the congressional requirement. The report addresses situations and events in calendar year 2019 only. The Department of State prepared this report using information from U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, foreign government officials, nongovernmental and international organizations, jurists and legal experts, journalists, academics, labor activists, and published reports. U.S. diplomatic missions abroad prepared the initial drafts of the individual country reports. Once the initial drafts of the individual country reports were completed by U.S. missions abroad, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), in cooperation with other Department of State offices with the relevant country and regional expertise, reviewed and edited the reports, drawing on its own sources of information as well as of the Department of Labor. Bureau officers also consulted experts in the Department of State and elsewhere on worker rights, refugee issues, police and security issues, women’s issues, and legal matters, among many others. The guiding principles were that all information be reported objectively, thoroughly, and fairly. DRL, working with other Department offices as necessary, also ensured that all reports followed the same methodology and conformed to standard format and structure. The DRL Editorial Team Coordinator of Human Rights Reports/Editor in Chief: Stephen Eisenbraun Senior Advisor: Marc Susser Senior Editors: Jonathan Bemis, Jillian Burns, Douglas Dearborn, Stephen Eisenbraun, Jerome L. Hoganson, Victor J. Huser, Lawrence Lesser, Jason Vorderstrasse, Joseph Dean Yap Editors: Muzna Abbas, Naim Ahmed, Paula Albertson, Wendall Albright, Asim Ali, Jaroslaw Anders, Mary Angelini, Paul Baldwin, Jonathan Bemis, Chelsea Brint Tucker, Brian Campbell, Dana Castagna, Jessica Chesbro, Ann Cody, Mauricio Cortes, Stephen Dreyer, Christina Droggitis, Mort Dworken, Lelia Dusthimer, Sara Epstein, Janie Esteva, Luke Falcon-Sapp, Joshua Fellman, Gabriella Fernandes, Sheridan Gardner, Sarah Givens, John Gorkowski, David Guinn, Charles Gurney, Matt Hickey, Victor Huser, Christina James, Rachael-Therese Joubert-Lin, Stephen Kaufman, Orly Keiner, Charles Kellett, Esther Kim, Lawrence Lesser, Henrietta Levin, Kevin Lewis, Vidya Mani, Hannah Meropol, Stephen Moody, Greta Morris, Daniel J. Murphy, Catherine Newling, Brian Olinger, Molly O’Neal, Thomas Opstal, Kurt Pearson, Steven Pierce, Alan Purcell, Lauren Ravekes, Ereni Roess, Emily Rose, Hilary Rosenthal, Christopher Russell, Stephanie Sandbeck, James Sayre, Stephanie Schmid, Daniel Schneider, Austin Schott, Corena Sharp, Lisa Sherman, Wendy Silverman, Gregory Simkiss, Rachel Spring, Greg Staff, Jennifer Stein, Brandon Strassberg, Zackary Suhr, Denise Taylor, Leslie Taylor, Dennis Dean Tidwell, Dania Torres, Ambar Valles, Dan Vernon, Pilar Velasquez, David G. Wagner, Rachel Waldstein, Meir Walters, Alexander Werman, Lindsey Whitehead, Thomas Whitney, Megan Wong, Joseph Dean Yap Technical Editors: Cabell Willis, Mubashra Jamil Technical Coordinator: Geoffrey Palcher Rollout Preparation: Jessica Adams, Karlygash Faillace, Carol Finerty, Elizabeth Garrison, Patrick Harvey, Mubashra Jamil, Claudette Laprise, Stacy MacTaggert, Eunice Mooney, Cabell Willis Country Reports Africa (Sub-Saharan) Angola Côte d’Ivoire Guinea Mozambique Somalia Benin Democratic Republic of the Congo Guinea-Bissau Namibia South Africa Botswana Djibouti Kenya Niger South Sudan Burkina Faso Equatorial Guinea Lesotho Nigeria Sudan Burundi Eritrea Liberia Republic of the Congo Tanzania Cabo Verde Eswatini Madagascar Rwanda Togo Cameroon Ethiopia Malawi Sao Tome and Principe Uganda Central African Republic Gabon Mali Senegal Zambia Chad Gambia Mauritania Seychelles Zimbabwe Comoros Ghana Mauritius Sierra Leone East Asia and Pacific Australia Japan Mongolia Samoa Tonga Brunei Kiribati Nauru Singapore Tuvalu Burma Laos New Zealand Solomon Islands Vanuatu Cambodia Malaysia North Korea South Korea Vietnam China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet) Maldives Palau Taiwan Fiji Marshall Islands Papua New Guinea Thailand Indonesia Micronesia Philippines Timor-Leste Europe and Eurasia Albania Cyprus Iceland Monaco Serbia Andorra Czech Republic Ireland Montenegro Slovakia Armenia Denmark Italy Netherlands Slovenia Austria Estonia Kosovo North Macedonia Spain Azerbaijan Finland Latvia Norway Sweden Belarus France Liechtenstein Poland Switzerland Belgium Georgia Lithuania Portugal Turkey Bosnia and Herzegovina Germany Luxembourg Romania Ukraine Bulgaria Greece Malta Russia United Kingdom Croatia Hungary Moldova San Marino Near East (Middle East and North Africa) Algeria Iraq Lebanon Qatar United Arab Emirates Bahrain Israel, West Bank, and Gaza Libya Saudi Arabia Western Sahara Egypt Jordan Morocco Syria Yemen Iran Kuwait Oman Tunisia South and Central Asia Afghanistan India Nepal Tajikistan Bangladesh Kazakhstan Pakistan Turkmenistan Bhutan Kyrgyzstan Sri Lanka Uzbekistan Western Hemisphere Argentina Chile El Salvador Mexico Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bahamas Colombia Grenada Nicaragua Suriname Barbados Costa Rica Guatemala Panama Trinidad and Tobago Belize Cuba Guyana Paraguay Uruguay Bolivia Dominica Haiti Peru Venezuela Brazil Dominican Republic Honduras Saint Kitts and Nevis Canada Ecuador Jamaica Saint Lucia Tags Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Human Rights and Democracy Human Rights Report View report by: 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas, The Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet) Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Côte d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia, The Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel, West Bank, and Gaza Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Build A Custom Report On This Page search > < Preface Overview and Acknowledgements Country Report Preparation The DRL Editorial Team Country Reports Africa (Sub-Saharan) East Asia and Pacific Europe and Eurasia Near East (Middle East and North Africa) South and Central Asia Western Hemisphere Notes on Preparation of the Country Reports and Explanatory Material Reporting on Worker Rights Additional Resources FY 2019 Foreign Assistance Actuals UN General Assembly's Third Committee Country Resolution Votes 2019 Universal Declaration of Human Rights Errata Back to Top Close 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Build a Custom Report 01 / Select a Year 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 02 / Select Sections Select All Sections 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. Select all Deselect all Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan The Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon The Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Tibet Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam West Bank Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Build Your Custom Report