LONDON, May 28 (UPI) -- Powerful countries are blocking international justice and the progress of protecting human rights London's Amnesty International said in an annual report.
Amnesty International, the non-governmental organization working to prevent and end human rights abuses, called out China, Russia, Turkey and the United States specifically as countries using their global authority to stand outside of international human rights laws.
The report said the four countries, which it accused of only complying to international obligations when politically convenient, must fully sign on to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, and ensure that crimes are prosecuted anywhere in the world they occur.
Amnesty International Interim Secretary-General Claudio Cordone said the report "shows that powerful states hold themselves above the law and protect their allies so justice is only served when expedient."
The annual report, title "Amnesty International Report 2010: State of the World's Human Rights," covers 159 countries where abuses were documented.
