Human rights in Mali
According to the United States Department of State's annual report on human rights in Mali for 2003, Mali's government generally respects the human rights of its citizens and observes relevant constitutional provisions (for example, freedom of speech and of the press, freedom of assembly and association, freedom of religion) and prohibitions (for example, arbitrary arrest and detention, forced exile, torture, and discrimination based on race, sex, disability, language, or social status).