Brussels - Washington: Europe and the Arabs
The US government is preparing a revised human rights report that explicitly criticizes freedom of expression in Europe. According to a senior State Department official, the Trump administration is seeking to clearly distinguish itself from its predecessor by also addressing forms of censorship with allies.
The official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, argued that the Biden administration has been too reluctant to address restrictions on freedom of expression in friendly countries. The current administration wants to change this and "have open dialogues about political or religious voices that are being suppressed," according to local media in Brussels, citing the Belgian news agency on Thursday morning, including the website of the daily newspaper Nieuwsblad.
Vice President J.D. Vance has publicly defended this course of action. In a speech in Munich in February, he claimed that freedom of expression in Europe is deteriorating. His remarks, in which he appeared sympathetic to the Alternative for Germany party, which the German Federal Security Service (BfV) has classified as far-right, sparked an uproar in Germany and abroad. Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian organization already banned in Germany, is cited as an example of targeted organizations. The US State Department's annual report, which is usually published in the spring and describes the global human rights situation in each country, has been delayed this year. According to the official involved, the document is undergoing a comprehensive revision to make it "easier to read" and "clearer" in its message.
The United States tones down its human rights criticism of El Salvador, Israel, and Russia
The US administration under President Donald Trump intends to tone down its annual human rights reports on countries such as El Salvador, Israel, and Russia. The Washington Post reported this based on leaked drafts of the State Department report.
The draft texts are said to be much shorter than those issued under Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, and, according to the newspaper, include more lenient language regarding human rights violations. The official reports, which cover incidents from the previous year, are usually published in March or April, but have not yet been made public. This comes as US President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to place Washington under federal control following a potential attack on a former official in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the "shithole" capital, controlled by Democrats, is suffering from rampant juvenile delinquency. The president is threatening to deploy the National Guard "perhaps very soon." Trump recently sent federal forces to Los Angeles, against the wishes of California's Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday: "Crime in Washington, D.C., is completely out of control. Local 'youths' and gang members, some as young as 14, 15, and 16, are randomly attacking innocent citizens. They rob, maim, and shoot them, knowing they will be let off almost immediately." They don't fear the police because they know nothing will happen to them, but now it will. The Trump administration has frozen $584 million in federal funding for the University of California, Los Angeles. According to the administration, the university allowed anti-Semitism to spread during pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war on Gaza. The university denies this, arguing that criticism of Israel is wrongly equated with hate speech. Jewish groups also participated in the protests and advocated for Palestinian rights. The freeze primarily affects research projects. UCLA describes the action as detrimental to academic freedom and wishes to discuss the matter with [unclear context].