The report, titled Bastion of "Impunity, Mirage of Reform," said the
administration has failed to address human rights in summits with Arab
states. The institute cited a meeting between Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton with her Arab counterparts in Morocco in November 2009.
"This was a kind of a green light given to the Arab governments to
continue these practices," institute director Bahey El Din Hassan said.
The report said Arab states, including those under pressure during the
Bush administration, were cracking down on human rights activists. The
institute cited Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia as countries
that repress independent political and social activities.
"Moreover, the Egyptian police state is increasingly acquiring certain
theocratic features, which have reduced some religious freedoms, and have
lead to an unprecedented expansion of sectarian violence within the
country," the report said.
Syria was also identified as a country that has increased repression.
The Obama administration has been wooing the regime of Syrian President
Bashar Assad.
"The single most worrying sign for the future of the Arab region is the
widespread impunity and flagrant lack of accountability that persists," the
report, released on Dec. 8, said.