BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN/HUMAN RIGHTS/JOE BIDEN: “As the United States works to advance human rights around the world, we must also recognize that our task begins here at home. My administration is committed to ensuring every person is free to flourish in a society that values and defends equal justice for all. #HumanRightsDay“ ––Joe Biden, Twitter.com, December […]
Category: Human Rights
11/2/2020
2020 ELECTION/HUMAN RIGHTS/JOE BIDEN/LGBTQ/VOTING: “I believe LGBTQ+ rights are human rights — and they are on the ballot tomorrow. Vote: http://iwillvote.com“ ––Joe Biden, Twitter.com, November 2, 2020 5:35 pm […]
10/11/2020
2020 ELECTION/EDUCATION/HUMAN RIGHTS/JOBS/JOE BIDEN/KAMALA HARRIS/WOMEN: “Today, let’s all celebrate the one billion girls and young women around the world — and recommit to fight for their education, work, health, rights, and opportunities. A Biden-Harris administration will work to elevate their voices and ensure an equal future. #DayOfTheGirl“ ––Joe Biden, Twitter.com, October 11, 2020 6:50 am […]
9/24/2020
CUBA/HUMAN RIGHTS/JOE BIDEN/VENEZUELA: “On this Feast Day of Our Lady of Mercy, I stand in solidarity with all defenders of human rights from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela — and pray for the freedom of all political prisoners. En el Día de la Virgen de las Mercedes, acompaño en solidaridad a todos los defensores de derechos […]
9/23/2020
HUMAN RIGHTS/JOE BIDEN/KAMALA HARRIS/VENEZUELA: “As [Venezuelan politician] Juan Guaidó speaks about the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis and the crimes against humanity perpetrated by [President Nicolás] Maduro, I reaffirm my commitment to stand with the Venezuelan people. A Biden-Harris administration will always champion democracy and human rights around the world.“ ––Joe Biden, Twitter.com, September 23, 2020 4:20 […]
9/21/2020
HUMAN RIGHTS/ICE/IMMIGRATION/JOE BIDEN: “If this reporting is true, this complaint is deeply concerning and needs to be independently investigated immediately. These women are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. Practices like this would end in a Biden Administration. https://t.co/Yrf3qW5f7E?amp=1″ [Editor’s Note: The link is to a Rolling Stone article about allegations of forced […]
9/20/2020
EU/HUMAN RIGHTS/JOE BIDEN/LGBTQ: “Let me be clear: LGBTQ+ rights are human rights — and ‘LGBT-free zones’ have no place in the European Union or anywhere in the world. https://t.co/zc8YvSq6iN?amp=1″ ––Joe Biden, Twitter.com, September 20, 2020 2:00 pm […]
8/10/2020
BELARUS/ELECTION/JOE BIDEN: “After suffering systematic repression for the past 26 years under the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenka, the people of Belarus are demanding their voices be heard… I stand with those who are calling for a transparent and accurate vote count and the release of all political prisoners… My administration will never shy […]
6/17/2020
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/OFFICIAL STATEMENT: “Today, I have signed into law S. 3744, the “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020” (the “Act”). The Act holds accountable perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses such as the systematic use of indoctrination camps, forced labor, and intrusive surveillance to eradicate the ethnic identity and religious beliefs of […]
12/10/2019
FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/SANCTIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is imposing sanctions on at least 20 more people accused of human rights abuses, targeting government officials, businessmen and others in countries from Myanmar to Pakistan — but still avoiding penalizing some world leaders deemed critical partners. The new sanctions, announced Tuesday [12-10-19], are the latest in […]
12/9/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The Trump administration has refused to support a move by members of the United Nations Security Council to hold a discussion Tuesday [12-10-19] on North Korea’s rampant human rights abuses, effectively blocking the meeting for the second year in a row. The American action appeared aimed at muting international criticism […]
11/26/2019
CHINA/HUMAN RIGHTS/MIKE POMPEO/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday [11-26-19] stopped just short of endorsing legislation that would punish violent crackdowns against pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, a plan that could imperil trade with both the Hong Kong government and China. In wide-ranging remarks at the State Department, Mr. Pompeo took care […]
9/3/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/MILITARY/MYANMAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Baptist minister from Myanmar had less than 60 seconds in the Oval Office to tell President Trump about the mistreatment and abuse his people suffer. The minister, Hkalam Samson, told the president in July that ethnic groups in his homeland were being ‘oppressed and tortured by the Myanmar military government’ […]
8/7/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/IRAQ/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A 41-year-old Detroit man deported to Iraq in June died Tuesday [8-6-19], according to the American Civil Liberties Union and two people close the man’s family. The man, Jimmy Aldaoud, spent most of his life in the U.S., but was swept up in President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts. Edward […]
8/5/2019
ATTORNEY GENERAL/DHS/HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/SECRETARY OF STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/VENEZUELA: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, in order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015 (Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Venezuela), as amended, […]
7/26/2019
DRUGS/HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TERRORISM/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/UN: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the situation in Mali, including repeated violations of ceasefire arrangements made pursuant to the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali; the expansion of terrorist activities into southern and central Mali; the intensification of drug trafficking and trafficking […]
7/3/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/LGBTQ/MINORITIES/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Trump administration plans to officially launch a new panel on human rights as early as Monday [7-8-19]— one already under scrutiny from Democrats who fear its stated focus on ‘natural law and natural rights’ could undercut protections for women and LGBTQ people around the world. State Department officials are […]
6/19/2019
CLIMATE CHANGE/HUMAN RIGHTS/SAUDI ARABIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN: “President Trump’s choice for United Nations ambassador said Wednesday [6-19-19] that Saudi Arabia must be held accountable for rights abuses and that humans have contributed to climate change, posing ‘real risks to our planet.’ The positions expressed by the nominee, Kelly Knight Craft, currently the ambassador to Canada, suggested she […]
4/26/2019
GUNS/HUMAN RIGHTS/NRA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “In a speech to National Rifle Association members on Friday [4-26-19] that was part political rally and part pep talk, President Trump called himself a champion of gun rights. Then he proved it, whipping out a pen onstage to sign a letter that would effectively cease America’s involvement in an arms […]
4/10/2019
FOREIGN DIGNITARIES/HUMAN RIGHTS/MYANMAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States needs to raise pressure on Myanmar to resolve a massive refugee crisis following what many officials and human rights researchers around the world believe was an act of genocide, a top foreign diplomat urged this week. In an interview with POLITICO in Washington, Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul […]
3/27/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/MIKE POMPEO/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A former State Department official turned congressman questioned Mike Pompeo on Kim Jong Un’s culpability for human rights violations, pressing the Secretary of State to answer how such a person could be likeable. Rep. Tom Malinowski, a former assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, asked […]
3/13/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/MEDIA/SAUDI ARABIA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The State Department’s human rights report for 2018 released Wednesday [3-13-19] notes Saudi Arabia’s killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi without mentioning Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who US intelligence services believe ordered the premeditated murder. The annual report catalogs violence, repression and cruelty around the world, under a […]
3/1/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/SUMMIT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump responded to criticism Friday [3-1-19] about his apparent acceptance of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s denial that he had any involvement in the death of a young American who had been held in North Korean custody…After meeting with Kim in Vietnam for a summit on North […]
3/1/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “….for Otto’s mistreatment and death. Most important, Otto Warmbier will not have died in vain. Otto and his family have become a tremendous symbol of strong passion and strength, which will last for many years into the future. I love Otto and think of him often!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, March […]
3/1/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “never like being misinterpreted, but especially when it comes to Otto Warmbier and his great family. Remember, I got Otto out along with three others. The previous Administration did nothing, and he was taken on their watch. Of course I hold North Korea responsible….” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, March 1, 2019 […]
2/28/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said Thursday [2-28-19] he did not hold Kim Jong Un responsible for the death of Otto Warmbier, the U.S. college student who died after being imprisoned in North Korea. In 2016, Warmbier, then 21 years old, was arrested and accused of committing a ‘hostile act’ as he […]
2/28/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It almost sounded like compassion — compassion for the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un — when President Donald Trump explained that Kim ‘felt very badly’ about what had happened to Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American student taken prisoner by Kim’s henchmen for 17 months. Gone were Trump’s charges that […]
2/28/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/SUMMIT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The family of Otto Warmbier, the American student who died in 2017 after being imprisoned in North Korea, spoke out on Friday about President Trump’s refusal to blame Kim Jong-un for the death of their son, saying the North Korean leader was responsible. The statement was the first reaction from […]
1/28/2019
HUMAN RIGHTS/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/VENEZUELA: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I, […]
12/10/2018
AFRICA/HUMAN RIGHTS/LOBBYING/RUDY GIULIANI/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “On a July evening, Trump administration officials and allies, including the president’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, gathered with investors atop the Hay-Adams hotel overlooking the White House for a cocktail reception featuring a short presentation by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s special envoy to the United States. An invitation […]
11/20/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/MEDIA/SAUDI ARABIA/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The bipartisan leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is demanding a definitive determination from President Donald Trump about whether Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In a letter to Trump, the panel’s chairman, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), and ranking […]
11/14/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/MEDIA/SANCTIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The ‘America First’ Trump administration has surprised critics with its willingness to sanction human rights abusers around the world. But with the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, that willingness is facing its biggest test yet. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has permitted the use of a relatively new law, […]
10/9/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The leader of Amnesty International said human rights movements are being galvanized globally by the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump. Kumi Naidoo, who took over as Amnesty’s secretary general last month, told The Associated Press in an interview that Trump administration policies have fueled campaigns on climate change, women’s equality […]
9/24/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/MILITARY/MUSLIMS/MYANMAR/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The State Department on Monday [9-24-18] quietly released the results of its investigation into Myanmar’s military campaign against Rohingya Muslims, detailing a slew of atrocities but stopping short of calling the crackdown either a ‘genocide’ or ‘crimes against humanity’ — two designations that carry legal ramifications. The department posted its report […]
9/14/2018
FEMA/HURRICANE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @fema: If you’re in a mandatory evacuation zone for #Florence, your window of time to leave is closing rapidly. Here are the zones for S…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 14, 2018 6:33 am […]
8/6/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/IRAN/NUKES/SANCTIONS/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, in light of my decision on May 8, 2018, to cease the participation of the United States in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of July 14, 2015 (JCPOA), and to re-impose all sanctions lifted or waived in connection with […]
6/29/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/RACISM/STATE/UN/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A Trump administration appointee to the State Department tore into standard UN documents that condemn racism as a threat to democracy. The deputy assistant secretary for refugees and migration, a foreign service officer promoted by the White House to an unusually senior position for his rank, disputed the idea that leaders have […]
6/20/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/NIKKI HALEY/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN: “US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced the United States is withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council Tuesday, accusing the body of bias against US ally Israel and a failure to hold human rights abusers accountable. The move, which the Trump administration has threatened for months, came down […]
6/19/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/MIKE POMPEO/NIKKI HALEY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The Trump administration said Tuesday [6-19-18] it is withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council, delivering on a long-running threat to leave the organization unless it made major changes. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced the U.S. withdrawal in […]
6/19/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/MIKE POMPEO/NIKKI HALEY/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN: “The United States withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday [6-19-18] accusing it of a ‘chronic bias against Israel,’ a move that activists warned would make advancing human rights globally even more difficult. Standing with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Haley slammed Russia, China, Cuba and […]
6/18/2018
CHILDREN/HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The United Nations’ top human rights official on Monday [6-18-18] entered the mounting furor over the Trump administration’s policy of separating undocumented immigrant children from their parents, calling for an immediate halt to a practice he condemned as abuse. United States immigration authorities have detained almost 2,000 children in the past […]
6/15/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Friday [6-15-18] defended his warm praise of Kim Jong Un, saying his newfound affinity for the North Korean dictator was making Americans safer. At the same time, Trump expressed esteem for the forced deference North Koreans show for their leader and joked he wished ‘my people’ […]
6/12/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump praised North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un — a man who leads a government that outside observers say brutalizes and starves its own citizens — as someone who ‘loves his people.’ Speaking with Voice of America’s Greta Van Susteren following his historic summit in Singapore on Tuesday […]
6/4/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SINGAPORE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Barreling toward a historic summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump has his sights set on a nuclear deal, leaving allies and advocates worried that he may give short shrift to human rights abuses and regional security concerns. With a week to go before the June 12 […]
6/4/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/TORTURE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Early in the reign of North Korea’s current supreme leader, merchant Kim Young-hee shared a flea-infested prison cell for a year with more than two dozen other women, enduring regular whippings from guards. Her crime was helping her sister’s child flee one the of the world’s most repressive dictatorships. Conditions […]
5/29/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A U.S. State Department spokeswoman declined to say whether human rights abuses were on the agenda of meetings with North Korea, despite criticism by successive administrations and a U.S. government report on Tuesday that described Pyongyang as running a system of prison labor camps…Any summit between U.S. President Donald Trump […]
5/29/2018
HUMAN RIGHTS/MIKE POMPEO/RELIGION/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will host a gathering of mostly ‘like-minded’ foreign counterparts later this summer to brainstorm ways to advance the cause of religious freedom around the world. The event, slated for July 25-26 in Washington, will likely please evangelical Christians who support President Donald Trump, many of whom […]
12/21/2017
HUMAN RIGHTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Public […]
12/20/2017
CORRUPTION/ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the prevalence and severity of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, such as those committed or directed by persons listed in the Annex […]
9/20/2017
ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUKES/SANCTIONS/SECRETARY OF STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that: The provocative, destabilizing, and repressive actions and policies of the Government of North Korea, including its intercontinental ballistic missile launches of July 3 and July 28, 2017, and its nuclear test of September […]
8/24/2017
HUMAN RIGHTS/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/VENEZUELA: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, in order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, and particularly in light of recent actions and policies of the Government of Venezuela, including serious abuses of human […]
7/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/VENEZUELA: “The U.S. plans to put sanctions on 13 high-ranking Venezuelan officials for alleged corruption, human-rights violations and undermining the country’s democracy, a congressional aide briefed on the White House’s plans said on Wednesday. The sanctions, expected to be announced later on Wednesday [7-26-17], come days before embattled President Nicolás Maduro has scheduled […]
3/21/2017
HUMAN RIGHTS/OBAMA/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: “The Trump administration did not attend a regional human rights hearing that examined how U.S. policies are hurting asylum claims or triggering other alleged immigration abuses. For decades, U.S. administrations have enthusiastically supported the Inter-American Human Rights Commission as it defended rights throughout the hemisphere, especially in repressive […]