News / Human Rights

UN issues scathing report of US human rights record

Saturday, 16 May 2015 6:06 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 16 May 2015 7:22 PM ]

Marchers prepare to head out during the start of what is being called the "March 2 Justice" march from Staten Island to Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2015 in New York City. (AFP photo)

The United Nations Human Rights Council has revealed hundreds of major human rights violations in the United States, including police brutality and the racial profiling against minorities and immigrants.

The Geneva-based UN council adopted a scathing report Friday, calling on the US to halt the detention of immigrant families and children, and to probe allegations of torture by the CIA, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Human Rights Program Director Jamil Dawar said in a statement on Friday.

The report was part of a process called the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which examines the human rights record of all 193 UN member states.

Earlier this week, the US was sharply criticized over its human rights record by member of the human rights council. Washington was rebuked for widespread police brutality, racial injustice, detention of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay and the continued use of the death penalty.

"In many areas — including national security, criminal justice, social and economic rights and immigration policy — the US has an abysmal record compared to other liberal democracies," Dawar said on Friday, citing the report.

The UN Human Rights Council has documented 348 recommendations for the United States government to address in order to improve its human rights record.

"[The report] made many fitting recommendations to address police brutality and excessive use of force, as well as ending racial profiling against minorities and immigrants," Dawar said.

The ACLU stated that the UN has sent a strong message of no-confidence in the US human rights record. "It clearly demonstrates that the United States has a long way to go to live up to its human rights obligations and commitments," Dawar said.

AHT/AT

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