Amnesty International found much to complain about in terms of the world's human rights situation in 2004. It saved some special criticism for the United States.

Here's an excerpt from the BBC story, which has links to the actual report and other good background:

In a 300-page annual report, the group accused the US government of damaging human rights with its attitude to torture and treatment of detainees.

This granted "a licence to others to commit abuse with impunity", the human rights advocates said.

The report also criticised the world as a whole for failing to act over crises, notably in Sudan's Darfur region.

Afghanistan was slipping into a "downward spiral of lawlessness and instability", it added.

'No safer'

The report, published on Wednesday, accused governments of adhering stubbornly to "politically convenient" but inefficient tactics to address terrorism in 2004, despite a lack of success. ...

The report also highlighted the London-based organisation's concerns about:

• A lack of accountability for human rights violations in Haiti and in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Reported abuses by Russian forces in Chechnya
• New levels of brutality against civilians by armed groups in places like Iraq
• Slow progress in achieving the Millennium Development goals
• Indifference to violence against women
• Lack of a full independent investigation into abuses against detainees in US custody in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.

Even the UN High Commission on Human Rights came in for criticism:

"The UN Commission of Human Rights has become a forum for horse-trading on human rights," (secretary general Irene Khan) said.

"Last year the commission dropped Iraq from scrutiny, could not agree on action on Chechnya, Nepal or Zimbabwe and was silent on Guantanamo Bay."