US slams Europe over speech in trimmed-rights report.

US State Department Highlights Human Rights Gaps in Western Europe

The U.S. Department of State released a tightened annual global health‑rights report on Tuesday, spotlighting declines in democratic freedoms across key European allies. The document, the first under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, omitted extensive sections and targeted nations that had come under scrutiny during Donald Trump‘s presidency, including Brazil and South Africa.

European Nations Face Rising Restrictions on Online Speech

In Britain, following the tragic stabbing deaths of three young girls, authorities pursued online users who spread false claims attributing the attacks to a migrant and urged vengeance. The State Department described these actions as a repeated attempt to silence speech, citing credible evidence of serious limitations on freedom of expression. The report also criticized France and Germany for tightening regulations on hate‑speech platforms, arguing that these measures stifled public debate.

Brazil and South Africa Under Scrutiny for Democratic Backsliding

• Brazil’s rights environment deteriorated in 2024, with the report accusing the country of undermining democratic debate by restricting access to online content labeled as a threat to democracy. The State Department also noted the U.S. administration’s pressure on former President Jair Bolsonaro, an ally who faced allegations of a coup attempt echoing the U.S. Capitol riot of January 6, 2021.
• South Africa faced substantial accusations of land expropriation targeting Afrikaners and other minorities. The report emphasized the post‑apartheid government’s troubling steps toward disenfranchising white minorities.

El Salvador Maintains a Low Crime Profile, but Rights Concerns Persist

While the State Department found no credible evidence of widespread human rights abuses in El Salvador, it noted a historic low in crime. President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on crime has drawn criticism from rights groups, who claim that innocent individuals have documented detention. The report mentioned the U.S. administration’s acknowledgment that a former Trump‑administered deportee, Armando Abrego Garcia, faced severe beatings, sleep deprivation, and inadequate nutrition during imprisonment in El Salvador’s CECOT prison.

Israel’s Human Rights Record Receives a Mixed Assessment

In a trimmed section, the State Department acknowledged cases of arbitrary arrests and killings in Israel, West Bank, and Gaza. The report stated that Israeli authorities took credible steps to identify officials responsible for these abuses.

Democratic Senators Question the Report’s Credibility

Earlier this year, Democratic senators, led by Jeanne Shaheen, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s top Democrat, expressed alarm over the report’s modifications. They argued that the United States wields human rights principles against adversaries while ignoring similar standards for allies. The senators cautioned that such hypocrisy could diminish U.S. influence on the world stage.

In summary, the State Department’s 2025 report underscores a tightening of online speech controls in Britain, France, and Germany, while documenting declining democratic freedoms in Brazil and South Africa. The document also maintained a low crime profile for El Salvador but raised concerns about rights abuses, and it offered a mixed assessment of Israel’s human rights record.