Riyadh is accused of a pattern of abuses, including torture and intimidation, while Russia's concentration of power in the Kremlin was also highlighted.

The report comes four days after US President George W Bush raised Russia's human rights record with President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Slovakia.

The document also lists areas where the Bush administration says its foreign policies have been successful, listing advances in democracy in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Iraq.

What do you think of the US state department's findings?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

Maybe the US should look on their own doorstep before criticising other countries. Their soldiers have treated the Iraqis very badly, also people in Afghanistan and also at Guantanamo Bay. However I do agree that China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Sudan and other Third world countries have very serious human rights problems.
Bharti, Stanmore, Middlesex, UK

This report will be used as a weapon of control rather than a tool to help. In other words, it's a bad intention wrapped up in a good one.
Gerry Noble, Salisbury, UK

The issue of human rights needs to be raised everyday all around the world. This report helps raise it - good.
Joe, Santa Fe, USA

Just because this report did not include the United States does not mean we don't look at ourselves Erik, Ft Collins, US

Just because this report did not include the United States does not mean we don't look at ourselves first. There are many Americans speaking out against Guantanamo the death penalty and other human rights issues. How many people are speaking out for human rights in Saudi Arabia? Someone has to speak for them.
Erik, Ft Collins, US

Anything that brings attention to any human rights abuses surely has to be a good thing. One idea that is often overlooked, is that even if only a few suspect individuals' rights are abused, any member of that state could someday be categorised in the same way, so everyone's rights are forfeit.
Stew, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

If we were looking for a way to explain hypocrisy then we need look no further than this report.
Sami N, Toronto, Canada

If the best the anti-American BBC readers can come up with is Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, then the US is doing very well, indeed. Any incidental violation of rights at these facilities pales in comparison to the systematic and institutionalized violations practiced in other countries. I mean, I'm not sure when the last time an American women was buried up to her neck and stoned to death for fornicating. Come on Europe, try and make a little sense.
Rowland Parks, Newport News, Virginia

We have enough human rights problems here in the USA to be worrying about other countries Robmhill, NYC, USA

We have enough human rights problems here in the USA to be worrying about other countries. The Bush administration has no right to criticize others, till they restore the various suspensions of our constitution. As for the other countries, if you improve the economies and education you can improve human rights.
Robmhill, NYC, USA

Interesting but hardly surprising that the US State Department conveniently ignores human rights abuses and rampant extortion by the police and total corruption by nearly all government officials in Uzbekistan. The US government should put its own house in order, choose its friends carefully, and if it wants to preach to the rest of the world about values, then I say: First practise what you preach.
Peter, Zbiroh, Czech Republic

I am an American and I don't think we have any business criticising these countries given the human rights abuses which have occurred under the Bush administration to say nothing about the invasion of Iraq which has caused and continues to cause enormous suffering for the Iraqi people and for the coalition forces.
Patricia Montgomery, Longmont, CO, USA

Let us hope that this report will result in some action to alleviate the pain and suffering of the victims of oppression F Ryan, London, Canada

Let us hope that this report will result in some action to alleviate the pain and suffering of the victims of oppression and cruelty. The US has produced this report, here is an opportunity to endorse it. A 'global' condemnation of human rights abuses might be more effective than one coming from the US alone.
F Ryan, London, Canada

This annual report clearly furthers the cause of human rights, but it would greatly benefit from including the US itself too. America would be accused of a lack of self-criticism anyway, but wouldn't it be better than accusations of obvious hypocrisy?
Lasse Laitinen, Edinburgh, UK

It's interesting to see that this report came out after the meting with Putin. Whilst it's clear that there are a number of countries giving cause for concern on the human rights issue at the moment, the US is hardly standing on the moral high ground on this matter (Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay).
Martin Greenaway, Farnborough, UK

Pick a nation and I will identify a human rights problem. And while the media's attention is always on the US record, it often neglects to talk about nations where there are more significant and systematic deprivations of human rights like China where there is little religious freedom, little freedom of the press, and many people still rot behind bars for merely criticizing their government. The focus of the US State Dept report is where it should be - on countries where there are fundamental problems.
Steve, Los Angeles, CA

The US admittedly has a chequered past with human rights; however, America has become pro-active towards human rights ,whereas, Russia and Saudi Arabia have failed to address their deficiencies.
Kirkwood, Buffalo, United States

Those that demand higher standards of the US have a valid point Jacob, Panama City, Panama

I find it encouraging that the state department still wields enough autonomy to criticize close allies of the US. And it is logical to say that Guantanamo and Saudi Arabia are two different issues. However, those that demand higher standards of the US have a valid point. Those who are supposedly proponents of world democratization and individual human rights ought to hold themselves to a higher standard than their counterparts. Then, and only then, will they have a firm foundation from which to criticize.
Jacob, Panama City, Panama

The US has every right to comment on the rights abuse by any nation we provide economic support to. Perhaps we should simply stop providing economic/foreign aid to any country we don't agree with instead. Actually, I like that answer better than doling out criticism, this way we can be provided tax relief! These countries receiving US foreign aid would do well to listen once in a while.
Mike, Las Vegas, USA

Although the USA feels themselves to be in position to comment on issues of human rights, they must first look inside their own borders. They execute more than any Western country, abuse in military and civilian prisons is rife and the Bush government has signalled the end of states rights; Once a constitutional right!
A Sawyer, London

It's depressing to know that with the dismal state of human rights around the world that the US has lost so much of its credibility on this issue. The dismantling of our democracy at home while simultaneously attempting to export it abroad is one of the saddest ironies of this decade.
Daniel, New York, NY

I guess you could say that the US is hypocritical to comment because we aren't perfect K, USA

This is not a new policy by the Bush administration - the state department has been putting out these reports for years. I guess you could say that the US is hypocritical to comment because we aren't perfect. On the other hand, the same people who take to the streets to protest our lack of perfection, never organize protests against North Korea, Zimbabwe, China or any other country whose human rights record is clearly worse than ours. Isn't that hypocritical?
K, USA

The situations at Guantanamo Bay and in Saudi Arabia are incomparable. The US is being threatened on a great scale by international terrorists, whereas Saudi Arabia cuts hands and fingers off for stealing! How can you even compare? Stop American bashing!
Mathew McRae, Stockport, UK

This is not the denial of rights to a handful of suspect individuals Oliver, London, UK

For all those who shriek "hypocrisy", let's compare what we're truly dealing with. This is not the denial of rights to a handful of suspect individuals, this is the progressive intimidation of entire societies. It's not a double standard, or a case of the glass house, as every post here is testimony to our relative freedom. Like it or not, the US must condemn: they will not listen to anyone else!
Oliver, London, UK

I find it slightly humorous, but mostly disturbing that the state department even bothers to publish this report. Several of the greatest violators are our biggest trade partners and I see nothing in our economic policy that intends on punishing their human rights abuses.
Mark Larson, Ontonagon, USA

Human rights and peoples choices of democracy are sweeping the world. Afghanistan and Iraq were made that way by outside force. The Ukraine, possibly Lebanon and others may succeed on their own. That is the best hope the free West can hope for. Saudi Arabia, Russia and even China will have no choice but to further democratize.
Dwayne Chastain, West Jefferson, Ohio

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. When human rights are restored to prisoners at Guantanamo, maybe the US state department might have some credibility.
Mike, Brisbane, Australia

While the US isn't perfect, neither is any other country Russ Black, USA

While the US isn't perfect, neither is any other country. We just don't hear enough about how other countries handle themselves and others.
Russ Black, USA

It really is beyond comprehension how the Bush Administration can tolerate and even promote such a double standard. They truly are hypocrites. With each passing day I become more and more embarrassed by the conduct of my country's leadership.
Robert, Mobile, AL, USA

I say well done. The shocking degree of silence among the so-called human rights groups concerning these autocracies is quite disturbing. While they (human rights groups) focus most of their resources on attacking the US for the push for freedom and democracy worldwide, somebody's got to do their job for them until they become more focused and play a more positive role in the changes taking place in world today. The traditional human rights groups should realise that they are relinquishing their noble duty in the fight for human rights to the US State dept.
Ife Ebenuwa, Urbana Illinois, USA

Laughable, what right has the US to lecture others on human rights? Maybe they should get there own house in order before doing that.
Alan, Leeds

I agree with the US state department's findings especially with Saudi Arabia. I have live and worked at that country where women have no rights. Things have to change and move on to the 21st century.
Sunjay, London, UK