US Rights Report Based on Politicized Assessments, Ideology Stereotypes - Moscow

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized in a statement on Monday the annual report of the US State Department on Human Rights Practices for 2017 as being based on "politicized assessments and flagrant ideology-driven stereotypes."

On Friday, the US State Department released its annual report on the situation with human rights worldwide. The report calls the government of Russia along with the Chinese, Iranian and North Korean authorities "forces of instability" and accuses them of violating human rights on a daily basis.

"[The report] is replete with politicized assessments and flagrant ideology-driven stereotypes… Thus, the chapter devoted to Russia is prepared in negative terms and without taking into account the comprehensive clarifications on specific subjects concerning ensuring human rights in Russia, which were provided by the Russian side on numerous occasions both publicly and at specialized international human-rights platforms," the statement said.

The ministry has also drawn attention to the fact that the report overlooked the poor human rights record in the United States itself.

"Mounting systemic problems are being ignored, including hardened racial discrimination, unprecedented scope of xenophobic ideas and extremist organizations' activities, impunity for inhumane treatment and torture as part of Central Intelligence Agency's programs," the statement read further.

The US State Department's report mentions among most significant human rights issues in Russia the "annexation of Crimea," alleged extrajudicial killings, harsh conditions in prisons, lack of judicial independence and severe interference with privacy.

In 2014, Crimea rejoined Russia as a result of referendum. Even though the West has not recognized the vote, the Russian authorities have maintained that the plebiscite was carried out in line with international standards.