The US Department of State has released its annual human rights report, in which it criticizes Bulgaria for �problems in several areas' including police abuse, government corruption and increasing limitations on the freedom of the press, the US State Department website reported late Wednesday.

The report concludes that the Bulgarian government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, but lays into human rights violations in certain areas of society.

Police abuse was one of the main focuses of the report, stating problems including beatings and other mistreatment of pretrial detainees, prison inmates, and members of minorities; harsh conditions in prisons and detention facilities; arbitrary arrest and detention; and impunity.

Increasing Press Freedom limitations were also highlighted along with discrimination against nontraditional religious minorities and widespread corruption in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

Other problems included violence against women and children, substandard education for Roma children; harsh conditions in state-run institutions for children; trafficking in persons; discrimination against persons with disabilities; and discrimination against minority groups, according to the report.