United States Releases Annual Report on Human Rights Situation

4 March 2002

United States Releases Annual Report on Human Rights Situation

Report Includes Data Prior to General Jaime Marte Martínez’s Arrival

Santo Domingo – On March 4, 2002, the United States State Department presented its Annual Human Rights Report. This report analyzes the situation of 194 countries, and covers four broad subjects: democracy, human rights, freedom of religion, and labor affairs.

The Annual Human Rights Report does not attempt to place the countries in any order, nor to “quantify” the abuses committed against human rights, but rather attempts to present an accurate view of the situation of human rights in all countries.

The Annual Human Rights Report only covers the calendar year of 2001, and does not cover the positive events which have occurred since the beginning of this year, such as the commitment made by the new Chief of the National Police, Major General Jaime Marte Martínez, of promoting human rights inside the police institution.

The United States Government has offered to provide training for the National Police to promote respect for human rights, to create an effective police force, and hopes to be able to collaborate closely with the National Police in the future.

As in previous years, the Annual Human Rights Report for the Dominican Republic points out the more than 250 extrajudicial killings which prevail happened at the hands of the police, and the harsh conditions which exist in the country´s prisons.

The Annual Human Rights Report also includes certain positive actions which have occurred in the country. For example, the Secretariat of Labor, in cooperation with the International Labor Organization, has been working hard to combat child labor, by establishing successful programs in Constanza and San José de Ocoa.

It also points out the decision of the government to send some policemen who have committed serious abuses against human rights to civil courts, and the recent Supreme Court of Justice decision on the jurisdiction of civil courts in those cases in which abuses have been committed against human rights at the hands of the National Police.

This report is available to the general public on the web page of the State Department (www.state.gov). The section on the Dominican Republic is available in Spanish on the Embassy´s web page, through the address of www.usemb.gov.do.