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The Trump administration has significantly revised and scaled back the US government’s annual report on global human rights, according to reports.
The document, historically regarded as the most comprehensive study of its kind produced by any government, reportedly reduces criticism of some US allies, including Israel and El Salvador, while increasing disapproval of countries such as Brazil and South Africa.
Numerous sections previously included in prior years’ reports have been eliminated, dramatically reducing coverage of issues such as government corruption and persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals.
State Department officials have stated the report was “restructured” to “remove redundancies” and “increase readability”.
The report also characterizes the human rights situation as having “worsened” in major European democracies, including the UK, France, and Germany.
The language employed echoes previous criticisms from the Trump administration and some US tech executives who oppose online harm reduction laws in certain European nations, framing them as infringements on free speech.
Uzra Zeya, a former senior State Department official and current head of the charity Human Rights First, has accused the Trump administration of “gutting” decades of respected work on human rights protections, describing it as an “abandonment of core values” for the US.
“It sends a signal that there’s going to be a free pass from the United States government, that it will look the other way if a government is willing to cut deals or do the bidding of this administration,” she told the BBC.
The report alleges “significant human rights issues” in the UK, including “credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression.” It also describes the prosecution and punishment for human rights abuses as “inconsistent”.
Brazil, which the Trump administration has frequently criticized, was singled out in the State Department report for “disproportionate action to undermine freedom of speech”.
Both the UK and Brazil have previously refuted similar criticism from the US.
In the section addressing Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, the report acknowledges that the ongoing conflict “led to a rise in reports of human rights violations”.
However, the report states, “the government took several credible steps to identify officials who committed human rights abuses.” It also accuses Hamas and Hezbollah of war crimes, allegations both groups have denied.
The report omits reference to the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a Hamas commander, Mohammed Deif.
ICC judges concluded there were “reasonable grounds” that the men bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.
El Salvador has been accused by Amnesty International of “arbitrary detentions and human rights violations,” as well as “inhumane” detention conditions.
However, the State Department report concluded there were “no credible reports of significant human rights abuses”.
Trump has a close relationship with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, whom he lauded in April as “one hell of a president” and doing a “great job”.
The document’s publication followed a months-long delay amid reports of significant internal dissent within the State Department regarding its contents.
It follows internal guidance issued by political leaders earlier this year reportedly advising staff to shorten the reports and remove certain references to issues, including corruption and gender-based crimes, and aligns with some executive orders on related matters issued by President Trump.
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