Human Rights Watch repeated its finding that the US engaged in enforced disappearances – a crime under international law – by sending 252 Venezuelan migrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. ‘Less free’ nowHuman Rights Watch pointed to metrics by which democracy has declined to the level of 1985 – when the Soviet Union still existed. “From our perspective, for such an alliance to be strong and lasting, it must be built on principles and values – democracy, international law, human rights,” he said. The 529-page report stands in contrast to the latest human rights report issued by the US State Department, which toned down sections on countries friendly to Trump. Israel has angrily rejected the Human Rights Watch genocide allegation first issued in December 2024, with the United States backing Israel’s stance.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 04, 2026 14:20 UTC