Uzbekistan’s human rights record remains appalling. Torture is endemic in the criminal justice system. Authorities target rights activists, opposition members, and journalists, and persecute religious believers who worship outside strict state controls. Freedom of expression remains severely limited. Government-sponsored forced child labor during the cotton harvest continues. Authorities deny justice for the 2005 Andijan massacre in which government forces shot and killed hundreds of protestors, most of them unarmed. Reacting to the Arab Spring, authorities increased the presence of security forces across the country and widened control over the Internet. Despite this, the United States and European Union are pursuing closer relations with Tashkent, seeking cooperation in the war in Afghanistan.