Lisbon - The Portuguese Minister of Justice has shrugged off an official US report accusing Portugal of human rights abuses. Mr Antonio Costa said the report was full of errors and he would not be taught a lesson by a country which imposed the death penalty.
The human rights report, prepared by the US Department of State, said Portuguese prison guards committed abuses. It also cited the treatment of women, violence and discrimination against ethnic minorities as problems needing to be solved. The Minister referred to a Portuguese journalist in Washington, who said the report identified the Portuguese escudo currency as the peseta. The peseta is Spain's currency. "That says everything about the document's credibility," Mr Costa said.