The United States is accusing authoritarian governments around the world of suppressing people with severe human rights “violations and abuses” to control any activities that might threaten their power.
“Experience teaches that government officials who oppress, abuse, and tolerate the denial of the human rights of their own people are also responsible for creating social environments that are ripe for both economic and humanitarian crises, and that encourage corruption, violent conflict, and terrorism,” said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement Wednesday unveiling the 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
Iran
On Iran, the U.S. report highlighted the widespread protests that began last November after a fuel price increase.
The Tehran government “blocked almost all international and local internet connections for most of a week, and security forces used lethal force to end the protests, killing approximately 1,500 persons and detaining 8,600, according to international media reports. There was no indication government entities were pursuing independent or impartial investigations into protester deaths,” said the State Department.
The U.S. report detailed a grim picture in Iran, citing significant human rights abuses including executions for crimes not meeting the international legal standard and without fair trials of individuals.
The State Department also said Iranian government officials materially contributed to human rights abuses in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, through military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and pro-Iran militia groups.
Source » voanews