Latest news with #MuslimUyghur
Euractiv
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Human rights in Europe worsen due to internet regulations, US report claims
The United States on Tuesday alleged that human rights were worsening in Western Europe due to internet regulations, in a pared-down annual global report that spared partners of President Donald Trump. The State Department's congressionally required report historically has offered extensive accounts of all nations' records, documenting in dispassionate detail issues from unjust detention to extrajudicial killing to personal freedoms. For the first report under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department trimmed sections and took particular aim at countries that have been in Trump's crosshairs, including Brazil and South Africa. On China, which has been identified as a top US adversary across administrations, the State Department report said "genocide" was ongoing against the mostly Muslim Uyghur people, whose plight Rubio took up as a senator. But the report also took aim at some close US allies, saying human rights have worsened in Britain, France, and Germany due to restrictions on online hate speech. In Britain, following the stabbing deaths of three young girls, authorities took action against internet users who falsely alleged that a migrant was responsible and urged revenge. The State Department report accused British officials of having "repeatedly intervened to chill speech." State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, without naming Britain specifically, said online restrictions have targeted "disfavored voices on political or religious grounds". "No matter really how disagreeable someone's speech may be, criminalizing it or silencing it by force only serves as a catalyst for further hatred, suppression or polarization," Bruce told reporters. The criticism comes despite Rubio moving aggressively to deny or strip US visas of foreign nationals over their statements and social media postings, especially student activists who have criticized Israel. 'Shocking' omissions Bruce said previous State Department rights reports had been "politically biased" and, on the level of detail, "sometimes less is more." But a group of former State Department officials called some omissions "shocking," like LGBTQ rights in Uganda, where a severe law against homosexuality passed in 2023. Democratic party lawmakers accused Trump and Rubio of treating human rights only as a cudgel against adversaries, inviting charges by Beijing and Moscow of US hypocrisy. Rubio's State Department has "shamelessly turned a once-credible tool of US foreign policy mandated by Congress into yet another instrument to advance MAGA political grievances and culture war obsessions," said Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The report said there were "no credible reports of significant human rights abuses" in El Salvador and instead noted a "historic low" in crime. President Nayib Bukele has unleashed a sweeping crackdown on crime, which rights groups say has put many innocent people in detention. Bukele took migrants from Trump's mass deportation drive and held them in a maximum-security prison, where some have reported mistreatment too recently to be covered by the report. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration admits was wrongly deported, filed a lawsuit alleging severe beatings, sleep deprivation and inadequate nutrition in El Salvador's CECOT prison. The report trimmed down its section on Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. It acknowledged cases of arbitrary arrests and killings by Israel but said authorities took "credible steps" to identify those responsible. In contrast, the report said rights deteriorated in 2024 in Brazil, where Trump has decried the prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro, his ally accused of a coup attempt that echoes the 6 January 2021 riot at the US Capitol by Trump's supporters. Brazil, the report said, has "undermined democratic debate by restricting access to online content deemed to 'undermine democracy.'" The report also said rights "significantly worsened" in South Africa, where Trump has embraced the cause of the white minority. Amnesty International USA's Amanda Klasing said the report sent a "chilling message" that the United States will overlook abuses if doing so suits its political agenda. "We have criticized past reports when warranted, but have never seen reports quite like this," she said.
Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
US denounces Europe on speech in pared-down rights report
The US on Tuesday alleged that human rights were worsening in Western Europe due to internet regulations, in a pared-down annual global report that spared partners of President Donald Trump such as El Salvador. The State Department's congressionally required report historically has offered extensive accounts of all nations' records, documenting in dispassionate detail issues from unjust detention to extrajudicial killing to personal freedoms. For the first report under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department trimmed sections and took particular aim at countries that have been in Trump's crosshairs, including Brazil and South Africa. On China, which has been identified as a top US adversary across administrations, the State Department report said "genocide" was ongoing against the mostly Muslim Uyghur people, whose plight Rubio took up as a senator. But the report also took aim at some close US allies, saying human rights have worsened in Britain, France and Germany due to restrictions on online hate speech. In Britain, following the stabbing deaths of three young girls, authorities took action against internet users who falsely alleged that a migrant was responsible and urged revenge. The State Department report accused British officials of having "repeatedly intervened to chill speech." State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, without naming Britain specifically, said online restrictions have targeted "disfavored voices on political or religious grounds." "No matter really how disagreeable someone's speech may be, criminalizing it or silencing it by force only serves as a catalyst for further hatred, suppression or polarization," Bruce told reporters. The criticism comes despite Rubio moving aggressively to deny or strip US visas of foreign nationals over their statements and social media postings, especially student activists who have criticized Israel. Bruce said previous State Department rights reports had been "politically biased" and, on the level of detail, "sometimes less is more." But a group of former State Department officials called some omissions "shocking," like LGBTQ rights in Uganda, where a severe law against homosexuality passed in 2023. Democratic party lawmakers accused Trump and Rubio of treating human rights only as a cudgel against adversaries, inviting charges by Beijing and Moscow of US hypocrisy. Rubio's State Department has "shamelessly turned a once-credible tool of US foreign policy mandated by Congress into yet another instrument to advance MAGA political grievances and culture war obsessions," said Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The report said there were "no credible reports of significant human rights abuses" in El Salvador and instead noted a "historic low" in crime. President Nayib Bukele has unleashed a sweeping crackdown on crime, which rights groups say has put many innocent people in detention. Bukele took migrants from Trump's mass deportation drive and held them in a maximum-security prison, where some have reported mistreatment too recently to be covered by the report. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration admits was wrongly deported, filed a lawsuit alleging severe beatings, sleep deprivation and inadequate nutrition in El Salvador's CECOT prison. The report trimmed down its section on Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. It acknowledged cases of arbitrary arrests and killings by Israel but said authorities took "credible steps" to identify those responsible. In contrast, the report said rights deteriorated in 2024 in Brazil, where Trump has decried the prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro, his ally accused of a coup attempt that echoes the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by Trump's supporters. Brazil, the report said, has "undermined democratic debate by restricting access to online content deemed to 'undermine democracy.'" The report also said rights "significantly worsened" in South Africa, where Trump has embraced the cause of the white minority. Amnesty International USA's Amanda Klasing said the report sent a "chilling message" that the US will overlook abuses if doing so suits its political agenda.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
US denounces Europe's human rights record
The United States on Tuesday alleged that human rights were worsening in Western Europe due to internet regulations, in a pared-down annual global report that spared partners of President Donald Trump such as El Salvador. The State Department's congressionally required report historically has offered extensive accounts of all nations' records, documenting in dispassionate detail issues from unjust detention to extrajudicial killing to personal freedoms. For the first report under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department trimmed sections and took particular aim at countries that have been in the crosshairs of Trump, including Brazil and South Africa. On China, which the United States across administrations has identified as a top adversary, the State Department report said that "genocide" was ongoing against the mostly Muslim Uyghur people, whose plight Rubio took up as a senator. But the report also took striking aim at some of the closest allies of the United States, saying that human rights had worsened in Britain, France and Germany due to regulations on online hate speech. In Britain, following the stabbing deaths of three young girls, authorities took action against internet users who falsely alleged that a migrant was responsible and urged revenge. The State Department report described the British efforts as officials having "repeatedly intervened to chill speech" and said that the close US ally had experienced "credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression." The criticism comes despite Rubio moving aggressively in the United States to deny or strip visas of foreign nationals over their statements and social media postings, especially student activists who have criticized Israel. Trump is an avid social media user who frequently berates opponents in personal tones. His administration has repeatedly taken on Europe over restrictions on social media platforms, many of which are US-based. In February, Vice President JD Vance used a visit to Germany to champion the far-right AfD party after the country's spy agency called it extremist. The report also said that rights deteriorated in 2024 in Brazil, where Trump has pressed against prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro, his ally accused of a coup attempt with echoes of the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by Trump's supporters.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
US accuses Britain, France, Germany of stifling online speech
WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday alleged that human rights were worsening in Western Europe due to internet regulations, in a pared-down annual global report that spared partners of President Donald Trump such as El Salvador. The State Department's congressionally required report historically has offered extensive accounts of all nations' records, documenting in dispassionate detail issues from unjust detention to extrajudicial killing to personal freedoms. For the first report under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department trimmed sections and took particular aim at countries that have been in the crosshairs of Trump, including Brazil and South Africa. On China, which the United States across administrations has identified as a top adversary, the State Department report said that "genocide" was ongoing against the mostly Muslim Uyghur people, whose plight Rubio took up as a senator. But the report also took striking aim at some of the closest allies of the United States, saying that human rights had worsened in Britain, France and Germany due to restrictions on online hate speech. In Britain, following the stabbing deaths of three young girls, authorities took action against internet users who falsely alleged that a migrant was responsible and urged revenge. The State Department report accused British officials of having "repeatedly intervened to chill speech." State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, without naming Britain specifically, said that online restrictions have targeted "disfavored voices on political or religious grounds." "No matter really how disagreeable someone's speech may be, criminalizing it or silencing it by force only serves as a catalyst for further hatred, suppression or polarization," Bruce told reporters. The criticism comes despite Rubio moving aggressively to deny or strip US visas of foreign nationals over their statements and social media postings, especially student activists who have criticized Israel. In February, Vice President JD Vance used a visit to Germany to champion the far-right AfD party after the country's spy agency called it extremist. Trump is an avid social media user who frequently berates opponents in personal tones. Bruce said that previous State Department rights reports had been "politically biased" and that on the level of detail, "sometimes less is more." Lawmakers of the rival Democratic Party accused Trump and Rubio of treating human rights only as a cudgel against adversaries, inviting charges by Beijing and Moscow of US hypocrisy. Rubio's State Department has "shamelessly turned a once-credible tool of US foreign policy mandated by Congress into yet another instrument to advance MAGA political grievances and culture war obsessions," said Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The report said there were "no credible reports of significant human rights abuses" in El Salvador and instead noted a "historic low" in crime. President Nayib Bukele has unleashed a sweeping crackdown on crime in which rights groups say many innocent people have wound up in detention. Bukele took in migrants sent from the United States in Trump's mass deportation drive, some of whom have since reported mistreatment during nearly round-the-clock confinement in a maximum-security prison, which took place after the time covered by the report. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration admits was wrongly deported, filed a lawsuit alleging severe beatings, sleep deprivation and inadequate nutrition in El Salvador's CECOT prison. The report trimmed down its section on Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. It acknowledged cases of arbitrary arrests and killings by Israel but said that authorities took "credible steps" to identify those responsible. In contrast, the report said that rights deteriorated in 2024 in Brazil, where Trump has pressed against prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro, his ally accused of a coup attempt with echoes of the Jan 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by Trump's supporters. Brazil, the report said, has "undermined democratic debate by restricting access to online content deemed to 'undermine democracy,' the report said.
France 24
6 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
US denounces Europe on speech in pared-down rights report
The State Department's congressionally required report historically has offered extensive accounts of all nations' records, documenting in dispassionate detail issues from unjust detention to extrajudicial killing to personal freedoms. For the first report under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department trimmed sections and took particular aim at countries that have been in the crosshairs of Trump, including Brazil and South Africa. On China, which the United States across administrations has identified as a top adversary, the State Department report said that "genocide" was ongoing against the mostly Muslim Uyghur people, whose plight Rubio took up as a senator. But the report also took striking aim at some of the closest allies of the United States, saying that human rights had worsened in Britain, France and Germany due to regulations on online hate speech. In Britain, following the stabbing deaths of three young girls, authorities took action against internet users who falsely alleged that a migrant was responsible and urged revenge. The State Department report described the British efforts as officials having "repeatedly intervened to chill speech" and said that the close US ally had experienced "credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression." The criticism comes despite Rubio moving aggressively in the United States to deny or strip visas of foreign nationals over their statements and social media postings, especially student activists who have criticized Israel. Trump is an avid social media user who frequently berates opponents in personal tones. His administration has repeatedly taken on Europe over restrictions on social media platforms, many of which are US-based. In February, Vice President JD Vance used a visit to Germany to champion the far-right AfD party after the country's spy agency called it extremist. Brazil denounced but not El Salvador The report also said that rights deteriorated in 2024 in Brazil, where Trump has pressed against prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro, his ally accused of a coup attempt with echoes of the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by Trump's supporters. Brazil, the report said, has "undermined democratic debate by restricting access to online content deemed to 'undermine democracy,' the report said. The State Department said that rights "significantly worsened" in South Africa, where Trump has embraced the cause of the white minority. The report accused the post-apartheid government of taking "substantially worrying steps towards land expropriation" of Afrikaners and other minorities. By contrast, the State Department said there were "no credible reports of significant human rights abuses" in El Salvador and noted a "historic low" in crime. President Nayib Bukele has unleashed a sweeping crackdown on crime in which rights groups say many innocent people have wound up in detention. Bukele took in migrants sent from the United States in Trump's mass deportation drive, some of whom have since reported mistreatment during nearly round-the-clock confinement in a maximum-security prison, which took place after the time covered by the report. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration admits was wrongly deported, filed a lawsuit alleging severe beatings, sleep deprivation and inadequate nutrition in El Salvador's CECOT prison. The latest report trimmed down its section on Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. It acknowledged cases of arbitrary arrests and killings by Israel but said that authorities took "credible steps" to identify officials responsible. In a letter earlier this year, Democratic senators led by Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voiced alarm over changes to the report that they said damaged US credibility. "When the United States conveniently wields human rights principles as a political cudgel against our adversaries, but does not apply those same standards to our allies, countries like China and Russia are quick to point out such hypocrisy, and American influence on the world stage drops precipitously," they wrote.
