Releasing its 408-page annual report on rights abuses around the world Wednesday, the watchdog group described 2016 as "the year when the cynical use of 'us vs. them' narratives of blame, hate and fear took on a global prominence to a level not seen since the 1930s," when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany. Salil Shetty, the group's secretary-general, said France has used emergency powers introduced in 2015 in the wake of terror attacks in an abusive and "deeply discriminatory" manner, confining more than 600 people, mostly Muslins, under house arrest and banning more than 140 protests. The more countries backtrack on fundamental human rights commitments, the more we risk a domino effect of leaders emboldened to knock back established human rights protections.