Source: BBC
The US State Department has removed an online portal for reporting alleged human rights violations by foreign military units supplied with American weapons.
The Human Rights Reporting Gateway (HRG) acted as a formal “tip line” to the US government.
It was the only publicly accessible channel of its kind for organisations or individuals to inform it directly of potentially serious abuses by US-armed foreign forces.
Its deletion has been condemned by human rights campaigners and by a senior congressional aide who drafted the law requiring it. The State Department insisted it was still abiding by the law.
The portal was established in 2022 following pressure on successive administrations to abide by updated provisions of the Leahy Law, named after former US Senator Patrick Leahy. These require the government to “facilitate receipt” of information on alleged gross violations of human rights by military units supplied by Washington.
Tim Rieser, former senior aide to Senator Leahy who wrote the 2011 amendment mandating information gathering, told the BBC the gateway’s removal meant the State Department was “clearly ignoring the law”.
“The United States will find itself supporting foreign security forces that commit heinous crimes even though nothing is done about it,” said Rieser. “As a result there will be less incentive for foreign governments to bring people who commit such crimes to justice.”
In response, the US State Department insisted it was continuing to receive reports regarding gross violations of human rights and was engaging with “credible organisations” on a full spectrum of human rights concerns. It said: “The Department abides by its legal requirements”.
