The US State Department’s 2024 Human Rights Report has sparked criticism from human rights groups, who claim the report contains omissions and mischaracterizations that fit the current administration’s political agenda. The German government has rejected the report, with Deputy Government Spokesman Steffen Meyer stating that there is no censorship in Germany and freedom of expression remains a priority.
The report says the human rights situation in Germany worsened during the year, citing restrictions on freedom of expression and reports of crimes motivated by antisemitism. However, it also notes that the German government has taken steps to investigate and prosecute officials who committed human rights abuses.
In contrast, the report gives Israel and El Salvador a relatively light treatment compared to previous years’ reports. The report devotes less space to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, failing to mention the humanitarian crisis and death toll. El Salvador was also downgraded from “significant human rights issues” in 2023, with no credible reports of abuses in 2024.
The report has been criticized for its ideological slant, reflecting a shift towards “Western values.” Human rights groups argue that the Trump administration’s influence on the report led to omissions and mischaracterizations. The US State Department disputes this, saying the report was restructured to improve readability.
Rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also condemned the report, calling it “reflective of Soviet propaganda” and “a democratic system’s failure.”
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-rejects-us-censorship-claims-in-human-rights-report/a-73618478