Results for: Human Rights Abuses

The US House of Representatives voted to approve a $60.89 billion aid package for Ukraine. The Senate followed suit, with 79 votes in favor and 18 against. President Biden signed the bill into law.

A State Department report on human rights in Ukraine found that both Russian forces and the Ukrainian government have committed human rights abuses, including arbitrary killings, torture, and restrictions on freedom of expression.

The report also highlighted corruption and a lack of accountability for human rights abuses within the Ukrainian government.

Congress is now considering whether to continue financial support for Ukraine in light of these human rights concerns and the rising national debt.

The US State Department is conducting an investigation into potential human rights abuses by the Israeli military during the recent Gaza conflict. US State Secretary Antony Blinken emphasized that the probe adheres to the same standards applied to other countries, rejecting any suggestion of a ‘double standard’.

The US is set to invoke the Leahy Law, a landmark congressional act, to halt military aid to an Israeli army unit due to credible evidence of gross human rights abuses committed in the West Bank prior to the Gaza conflict. This move marks the first time a US administration has invoked the law against an Israeli military unit and highlights the strain in US-Israeli relations. The Leahy Law, championed by former Senator Patrick Leahy, mandates the automatic cutoff of aid to military units found to have committed such abuses. Despite accusations of shirking rigorous investigations, Israel maintains that its security forces investigate abuses and hold offenders accountable.