America: Greatest champion or violator of human rights?

Mohammad Mahdi Abbasi, researcher in the field of American Studies

Human rights is a concept that the United States has always claimed to champion worldwide, using it as a tool to expand its hegemony and criticize other governments over the past decades. Numerous nations have been accused of violating human rights by various US administrations over the past decades, and there are many lands that the United States has invaded in the name of establishing democracy and human rights. However, in reality, according to various reports and research findings, today the United States itself is the biggest violator of human rights in the world.

Human rights violations in the United States

• In 2023, more than 1,200 people were killed by the police in the United States. While Black Americans make up only 13% of the US population, 27% of those killed by the US police were Black. Moreover, nearly 20% of the Black individuals killed by the police were unarmed.

• Last year, the United States arrested over 1.7 million migrants at its southern border, including 45,000 children. The US government’s treatment of these migrants even resulted in casualties, with 557 migrants killed due to encounters with US border officials. This figure marks the highest number since 1998 and has been steadily increasing each year.
• The United States continues to hold the highest number of prisoners in the world. In 2023, nearly 2 million people were imprisoned in US prisons. Additionally, the US has the highest number of female prisoners globally, accounting for one third of the world’s female incarcerated population. In recent years, numerous reports have been published highlighting the dire sanitary conditions in American prisons.
• Despite the abolition of slavery in the 19th century and some legal reforms in the United States, numerous instances of oppression and discrimination against Black people still exist in American society. A recent credible poll found that 75% of Black Americans fear being physically harmed or harassed these days because of their skin color and race. Statistics also show that the number of hate crimes against Black people in the US has increased by nearly 40% in recent years.
• Black Americans also experience significant economic challenges compared to other racial groups. Statistics reveal that one-third of the homeless population in Los Angeles are Black, and one in six Black Americans have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. Furthermore, recent housing data indicates that nearly 20% of Black Americans are homeowners, compared to over 70% of white Americans. This gap is also evident in the income levels of Black people compared to other races.
• The state of public security in the United States is deteriorating year by year, and violent crimes continue to be prevalent in this country. In 2021 alone, there were 693 mass shootings in the US, a 10% increase compared to 2020. Additionally, over 40,000 American citizens lost their lives to gun violence last year.
• The issue of a large number of homeless individuals in the United States remains a significant problem. In 2023, on average, more than 653,000 American citizens spent the night on the streets and were homeless.
• The US judicial system has been losing credibility for years, and there are many doubts about its soundness. According to official statistics, over 11,500 people are currently wrongly imprisoned in the United States. Many of these individuals spend a significant portion of their lives in prison and only receive compensation in limited cases. Surprisingly, 14 states in the United States lack any legal guidelines regarding compensation for wrongful convictions.
• The United States is one of the countries where the human trafficking and forced labor industry is thriving. The US State Department estimates that between 14,000 and 17,000 people are trafficked into the United States every year. Additionally, estimates suggest that over 300,000 children in the US are at risk of sexual exploitation. In 2018, the United States, along with Mexico and the Philippines, was ranked as one of the worst countries for human trafficking!

Violation of human rights on a global scale

• A recent study by Brown University reveals that the United States’ post-9/11 wars have directly caused the deaths of over 940,000 individuals. Additionally, the study indicates that between 3.6 and 3.8 million people have also lost their lives indirectly as a result of these wars over the past 23 years

• In Afghanistan alone, the 20-year US military operation and occupation resulted in the killing  of 174,000 people, including more than 30,000 civilians. A New York Times report from December 2021 revealed that over 50,000 US airstrikes in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.
• Despite widespread media and political pressure on the US government, the United States continues to operate clandestine prisons like Guantanamo Bay. The latest official reports indicate that nearly 40 individuals remain imprisoned at Guantanamo, many of whom have not faced trial.
• US intelligence agencies, such as the CIA, are among the world’s most egregious human rights violators. From establishing secret torture sites in various countries and conducting numerous kidnappings worldwide — victims including Khalil al-Masri and Osama Nasr — to unethical projects like MKUltra, which subjected hundreds of American and Canadian citizens to unlawful experimentation over a decade, the evidence is undeniable.
• The centuries-long history of the United States, much like today, is replete with human rights abuses. Native Americans are a prime example of this. In the years when America was discovered, specifically in the year 1492, the population of Native Americans was approximately 5 million. Due to brutal massacres by settlers, this number plummeted to 250,000 within a few centuries. Today, Native Americans in the United States live as second-class citizens, while many of their human rights are easily violated.

In conclusion, while the United States positions itself as a leading global advocate for human rights, its track record reveals a troubling and concerning reality, as underscored by the extensive documentation presented. A country that undoubtedly lacks the moral authority to criticize the human rights records of other countries, the US has for years occupied the position of the primary accused. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to this subject several years ago when he stated, “It is we who claim the government of the United States of America and many Western governments are violating human rights. It is we who claim this and who question them.”

(The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)