Australia has been named on a list of worst human rights offenders in the Human Rights Watch World Report.

AUSTRALIA has been named and shamed on a list of the world’s worst human rights offenders — but it’s not just our treatment of indigenous people and asylum seekers that has landed us there.

Sharing the dubious honours with the likes of Syria, Nigeria and Egypt, we have made the cut for reasons you might not expect.

According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2015, our counterterrorism laws — hastily introduced by the Abbott government last year — have been slammed as “vague” and “over-broad” in the damning report, infringing on the basic rights of all Australians.

In response to the threat of home-grown terrorism, new laws extend to the use of control orders and preventive detention and also make it a criminal offence to travel to “declared areas’’ abroad, which overly restricts people’s freedom of movement, the report states.

The controversial proposal that would force telecommunications companies to retain metadata for use by intelligence organisations has also been slammed.

The laws would essentially give Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) unprecedented power to monitor the entire Australian web with only one warrant.

“Draconian counterterrorism laws undermining free speech are causing incalculable damage to Australia’s international standing as a rights-respecting country,” warns Australian director of HRW Elaine Pearson.

“The government rammed these measures through parliament despite their having lasting consequences on Australians’ civil liberties.”

“These are excessive restrictions on freedom of speech, so a whole range of peaceful conduct can be prosecuted under these laws — something that affects the civil liberties of all Australians.”

The 656-page report, its 25th edition, reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries ranging from so-called democratic nations such as the United States, France and Australia to trouble spots including Iraq and Syria.

Last year, the Abbott government rushed through several new counterterrorism offences imposing criminal penalties for “advocating terrorism” and travelling to “declared areas” abroad, as well as making unauthorised disclosures of information related to “special intelligence operations.”

The reforms also contained tough penalties for journalists and whistleblowers, who could be jailed for up to 10 years for “recklessly” disclosing information related to a “special intelligence operation”.

“Australia’s new counterterrorism laws mean journalists, whistleblowers, and activists will risk prison for certain disclosures — even if it’s in the public interest,” Ms Pearson said.

But our counterterrorism laws aren’t the only thing to have landed us on the shame list.

FOREIGN POLICY HYPOCRISY:

According to HRW, Australia used its United Nations Security Council seat to promote human rights in Syria, North Korea, Central African Republic, and elsewhere, but failed to speak out and act on abuses taking place there.

It also accuses the Abbott government of muting its criticism of authoritarian governments in Sri Lanka and Cambodia “apparently in hopes of winning support of these governments for its refugee policy.”

‘DISASTROUS OBSESSION WITH STOPPING THE BOATS’:

Australia’s foreign policy has focused on deterring asylum seekers from coming here at the exclusion of other issues, the report claims.

“Australia’s aspirations for a more powerful role in world affairs will get nowhere until it acts on human rights concerns both at home and abroad.”

The Abbott government was also heavily criticised over it’s policy of transferring all asylum seekers who arrive by boat to Nauru and Papua New Guinea despite concerns about prolonged refugee status violence and poor conditions in detention.

“On foreign policy, Australia used its seat on the UN Security Council very effectively to raise issues like human rights in North Korea and humanitarian access in Syria. However in the Asia-Pacific region, the obsession with “stopping the boats” is a main driver of foreign policy with disastrous consequences,” Ms Pearson said.

HWR also noted that as of October last year, more than 2000 men, women and children were held in detention centres in Nauru and Manus Island, yet only 271 had been determined to be refugees.

Australia’s offshore detention policy was also criticised by the United Nations Refugee Agency, which noted the detention centres were overcrowded and claims were not processed in a fair, transparent or fast manner, the report noted.

‘HETEROSEXUALS ONLY’:

The government’s response to same sex marriage was also criticised despite some states and territories moving to recognise it.

“Despite increasing public support for same-sex marriage in Australia, marriage remains restricted to heterosexual relationships in accordance with the federal Marriage Act,” the report states.

According to HRW, all these issues undermine Australia’s ability to call for stronger human rights protections overseas.

‘THEY CONTINUE TO DIE AT ALARMINGLY HIGH RATES’:

The government’s decision to establish an indigenous advisory council while defending the Congress of Australia’s First Peoples was also criticised as was the high numbers of indigenous people in jail.

“While some health and socio-economic indicators are improving for indigenous Australians, they still on average live 10-12 years less than non-indigenous Australians,” the report warns.

Aboriginals also “have an infant mortality rate almost two times higher, and continue to die at alarmingly high rates from treatable and preventable conditions such as diabetes and respiratory diseases”.

THE DANGERS OF BEING DISABLED:

The report notes the Australian Human Rights Commission found last April that Australians with disabilities have inadequate safeguards and poor access to services.

Forty-five per cent also live below the poverty line and are at an increased risk or violence or prison.

HOW THE WORLD COMPARES:

In the global report, HRW also highlighted growing problems in Iraq whose government “carries out carry out killing and cleansing of Sunni civilians with impunity.”

It also heavily criticised Syria for heinous human rights abuses, including President Bashar al-Assad’s decision to “attack civilians in opposition-held areas” and their use of “indiscriminate weapons — most notoriously, barrel bombs — [which] has made life almost intolerable for civilians.”

The report mentions the growing rise of extremist groups such as the Islamic State and how governments, including the United States and France, are using this to further “subordinate human rights” including free speech.

It also blames both a lack of policy in neighbouring countries as well as a power vacuum left by the US, for contributing to the rise of the militant group.

“ISIS did not emerge out of nowhere,” HRW warn.

“In addition to the security vacuum left by the US invasion of Iraq, the sectarian and abusive policies of the Iraqi and Syrian governments, and international indifference to them, have been important factors in fuelling ISIS.”

It also accused the United Nations Security Council of standing by because Russia and China use their veto power to stop unified efforts to end the carnage.

“The United States and its allies have allowed their military action against ISIS to overshadow efforts to push Damascus to end its abuse,” the report said.

“This selective concern allows ISIS recruiters to portray themselves to potential supporters as the only force willing to stand up to Assad’s atrocities.”

Nigeria was also heavily criticised in the report over its brutal rounding up of civilians accused of having ties to terror group Boko Haram, while the US was slammed over ongoing concerns of torture and its response to the CIA torture report.

Kenya, Egypt, and China, governments all came under fire after its security forces have responded to real or perceived terrorism threats with abusive policies that ultimately fuel crises.