Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor February 25, 2009
The government's human rights record remained poor, and
authorities continued to commit numerous, serious abuses,
including: abridgement of citizens' right to change their
government through a democratic process; unlawful killings by
security forces; torture and beating of prisoners, sometimes
resulting in death; abuse and torture of national service
evaders, some of whom reportedly died of their injuries while in
detention; harsh and life threatening prison conditions;
arbitrary arrest and detention, including of national service
evaders and their family members; executive interference in the
judiciary and the use of a special court system to limit due
process; and infringement on privacy rights, including roundups
of young men and women for national service and the arrest and
detention of the family members of service evaders. The
government severely restricted freedoms of speech, press,
assembly, association, and religion. The government also