U.S. Modifies Human Rights Reporting on El Salvador, Israel, and Russia

Post by : Monika

Photo: Reuters

The United States has a long tradition of speaking out about human rights issues in other countries. For many years, it has used official reports to point out problems and call for improvements. These reports help show how countries treat their people, especially when it comes to fairness, freedom, and safety.

However, the drafts of the 2024 human rights reports show a big change. These drafts reveal that the U.S. government is now less critical of certain countries, including El Salvador, Israel, and Russia. This is a sharp change from what past U.S. governments have done.

What Has Changed in the Reports?
El Salvador
The new draft report for El Salvador states that there were “no credible reports of significant human rights abuses” in 2024. This is very different from last year’s report, which described serious problems like government involvement in killings, torture, and poor prison conditions. The change means that the new report is saying things are better or not as bad as before, even though many experts disagree with this.

Israel
For Israel, the draft report has been drastically shortened. It is now only about 25 pages, while under the previous government, it was more than 100 pages long. The shorter report leaves out many important details that used to be included, such as:

• The corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• The controversial changes made to the Israeli judicial system.
• Information about the Israeli government watching Palestinians and restricting their movement.
• This means the report no longer discusses these major issues openly.

Russia
The draft report on Russia also shows significant changes. It has removed mentions of violence against LGBTQ+ people and softened the language about the government cracking down on civil society groups. Many descriptions of human rights abuses have been shortened or removed, making the report seem less harsh than before.

Why Has This Happened?
A senior official from the U.S. State Department explained that the 2024 report was rewritten to be clearer and easier to read. The goal was to remove repeated information and focus the report more closely on legal rules about what needs to be included. The official said the changes make the report more focused and easier to understand.

What Do Critics Say?
Many human rights advocates and former government officials disagree with these changes. They worry that the U.S. is no longer holding all countries equally responsible for human rights problems. Some say this shows the U.S. is picking and choosing which countries to criticize based on politics or strategy, instead of sticking to its long-held values.

One former State Department employee called the changes “a glaring omission.” They said the U.S. should be fair and honest in reporting, regardless of the country’s relationship with America.

How Does This Fit Into U.S. Foreign Policy?
Experts see this shift as part of a bigger change in how the U.S. deals with the world, especially under President Trump’s leadership. Instead of putting human rights and democracy first, the administration appears to focus more on strategic interests and partnerships. This means that the U.S. might avoid criticizing countries it considers important allies or trading partners, even if those countries have serious rights issues.

At the same time, the U.S. has become more critical of some Western democracies, especially in Europe, for things like censorship and limits on free speech. This suggests a different approach that focuses more on political interests than on consistent human rights standards.

Why Are These Reports Important?
The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are very important documents. By law, the U.S. government must publish them every year. Many people and groups depend on these reports, including:

• Lawmakers, who use them to decide on giving foreign aid or approving military support.
• Non-government organizations (NGOs), journalists, lawyers, and immigration officials, who rely on the information to understand how safe or fair a country is.

If the reports leave out important problems or make the situation seem better than it is, critics say the reports will lose trust. This could make it harder for the U.S. to push for human rights improvements around the world.

What Could Happen Next?
The drafts leaked so far may not be the final reports. Normally, these reports come out in early spring, but this year they have been delayed. When the final versions are released, people will watch carefully to see if the missing details are put back or if the softer tone stays.

How the U.S. handles this could affect its global reputation. If the reports stay weak and less detailed, some might think the U.S. is stepping back from its leadership role in promoting human rights.

Country Main Change in Draft Report

• El Salvador    Says no serious abuses in 2024, unlike previous reports
• Israel    Report shortened by about 75%, removes key political issues and surveillance details
• Russia    Removes mention of LGBTQ+ violence and reduces criticism of government repression

The draft 2024 human rights reports show a clear shift from past U.S. practice. Instead of pointing out serious human rights violations in countries like El Salvador, Israel, and Russia, the new reports use softer language and leave out much detail.

Officials say the change is about making the reports clearer and following legal rules better. But many human rights experts argue that this approach weakens the U.S. stance on human rights and damages its credibility.

The full impact of these changes on U.S. influence worldwide will become clearer when the final reports come out. Until then, many will be watching closely to see if the U.S. sticks to its values or changes course for political reasons.

Human rights reports