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4h ago

U.S. State Department’s New Human Rights Reports Omit Women and LGBTQ+ Abuses

Critics see the delayed, condensed reports as a whitewash of allied partners that compromises asylum seekers’ evidence by recasting adversaries

Photo collage of a deconstructed statue of Lady Justice and the USA flag
Russian riot police detain LGBTQ+ rights activists during a St Petersburg march. (Getty)
DeLovie Kwagala pictured holding a sign that says "Uganda kill the bill not the gays equality!" (Getty)
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Overview

  • After months of delay, the State Department released the 2024 Human Rights Reports on August 12 following a reworking of drafts, with officials describing the overhaul as a “streamlined” effort to remove redundancies.
  • The new edition slashes country chapters—Russia cuts from 101 to 41 pages and Pakistan from 100 to 27—and omits references to abuses against women, LGBTQ+ persons, and other vulnerable groups.
  • Allies including El Salvador and Honduras saw documented human rights violations minimized or excised, while adversaries faced unchanged or heightened scrutiny.
  • Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Rep. Mark Takano and certain allied governments have denounced the edits and launched legal challenges and diplomatic protests.
  • Immigration judges and asylum officers reliant on these reports are seeking alternative evidence sources from NGOs and foreign bodies to support asylum claims.