"In some cases trials for war crimes and crimes against humanity conducted before domestic courts did not meet internationally recognized standards of fairness," reads the part of the report referring to Croatia.
According to AI, most Croatian army and police members continued to enjoy immunity for wartime human rights violations, although the authorities had initially demonstrated readiness to investigate and prosecute such cases.
The AI report, presented today throughout the world, covers human rights violations registered in the period between January and December 2004.
Four years after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, human rights continue to be violated throughout the world, for which the United States bears the most responsibility, says the London-based nongovernmental organisation.
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the picture is gloomy. The governments are increasingly perverting the rule of law, learning from the example of the US war on terror.
"The USA, as the unrivalled political, military and economic hyper-power, sets the tone for governmental behaviour worldwide. When the most powerful country in the world thumbs its nose at the rule of law and human rights, it grants a licence to others to commit abuse with impunity and audacity," says AI Secretary-General Irene Khan in the foreword to the report.
According to AI statistics, people were imprisoned without a verdict or trial in 42 countries, and the death penalty was executed in 26 countries.
Armed opposition groups attacked civilians in 28 countries, tortured and abused prisoners in 11, and abducted people and held them hostage in 15 countries, reads the report.
AI registered 104 countries where people were exposed to torture or abuse by security forces, police and other bodies of authority.
Eleven countries in 2004 ratified the CEDAW protocol referring to violence against women, which makes it possible to file individual complaints to the United Nations and enables the U.N. to investigate cases of grave or systematic abuse of women.
Another five countries in 2004 endorsed the International Criminal Court, so the overall number of countries-signatories now is 97, reads the report.