US President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House next week threatens freedoms at home and abroad, the head of Human Rights Watch said Thursday, warning that his second term could be more damaging than his first. Is.
The comments from Tirana Hassan, executive director of the New York-based independent rights group, come as it launches its world report reviewing rights practices in more than 100 states.
“The first term of the Trump administration showed us what they are capable of and particularly their lack of commitment to human rights,” Hassan told Reuters ahead of the annual report launch.
He has proposed conservative policy proposals and plans to launch a massive deportation campaign for immigrants.
Hassan, an Australian lawyer who has represented asylum seekers, said the tone set by Trump’s administration could encourage autocrats around the world to pass repressive policies.
Trump’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his comments.
Hassan also criticized outgoing President Joe Biden’s policies for providing weapons to Israel in the Gaza war, calling it clear evidence that they were being used to commit atrocities. A ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday.
“2024 was not a proud moment for the outgoing administration,” he told Reuters, adding that its failure to protect civilians in Gaza and provision weapons was a “taint” on Biden’s legacy.
Israel has denied committing atrocities in Gaza. Last month, HRW said Israel had committed an act of genocide by depriving Gaza of water, a charge Israel rejects.
Thursday’s 546-page HRW report said conflicts and humanitarian crises in places like Sudan, Ukraine and Haiti over the past year have exposed the weaknesses in international security.
It said some authoritarians, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders in Africa’s Sahel, have tightened their grip on power in 2024, but such trends were countered elsewhere, such as in South Korea.
“This shows that it is possible to stand up when human rights are under all-out attack,” Hassan said.
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