The US’ annual reports stirs indignation from countries who consider Washington’s criticism to be unjustified grand-standing but Kyrgyzstan’s reaction was especially sharp.

The Kyrgyz ministry of foreign affairs called the report politically motivated, unjustified and a form of geopolitical blackmail.

“The United States of America was pretty comfortable with previous authorities, who used to chase and burn the opposition, killed journalists and robbed the country,” it said in a statement on its website in a reference to the ousted regime of Kurmanbek Bakiyev. He was overthrown in a violent revolution in 2010.

It then pointed out the US’ human rights failings, including racial discrimination, police abuse and torture at the now closed Guantanamo detention centre.

The row between Kyrgyzstan and the US over human rights is rooted in the US’ recognition of Azimzhan Askarov, an ethnic Uzbek arrested and imprisoned in 2010 while he was investigating alleged police brutality, as a political prisoner.

The US has awarded him a human rights prize and called for his release.

In Bishkek, opinion was divided over the US’ criticism.

Some, like Shamima, a 23-year-old student, said Kyrgyzstan had swung towards Russia over human rights. She said that women’s rights were also weak in Kyrgyzstan.

“Official statistics says that up to 30 young women are being stolen every day through bride kidnapping, and the state does little to protect social minorities, such as sexual and other minorities,” she said.

But others defended the Kyrgyz government.

“Americans should not intervene into affairs of other countries. Whenever Russia does it, everybody points at it. But why then does the US keep intervening?” said 53-year-old Yuri.