Amnesty annual report 2024/25: Human rights: Trump as a “fire accelerator” in the crisis

The world in a “global human rights crisis” with US President Donald Trump as a “fire accelerator”: Amnesty International draws a dark forecast for the coming months in the current annual report. With Trump’s re -election, “the end of the rules and institutions that were created after the Second World War are threatened to secure peace, freedom and dignity of all people in the world,” said Secretary General Julia Duchrow.

100 days after taking office of the new US government, “the negative trends of recent years have intensified”. The performance of “humanitarian help brings danger to millions,” said Duchrow. In the United States, the USAID, which is particularly important for Africa, is also to be smashed by July 1.

Trump’s “trace of devastation”

“We see fearsome developments, and it seems that this government is being heralded a new era of authoritarian practices, leaving a trace of devastation, confusion and fear at the same time,” said Nadia Daar of the organization’s US department. “President Trump hollowed out norms and institutions and thereby created an emergency in human rights.”

Among other things, Daar named the deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García and others to El Salvador as an example. The presidential decree of returning the measures is an “undisguised attack” on human rights. “Dei” stands in German for diversity, justice and inclusion. “We are experiencing a tyrannical and chaotic foreign policy that ensures economic chaos and confusion worldwide with undisguised threats of military measures and tariffs,” said Daar.

Situation examined in 150 countries

Internationally, it can be observed that human rights violations “no longer be denied or covered up, but would be expressly justified,” said Duchrow. There is an increase in conflicts worldwide.

In the annual report, which represents the situation in 150 countries, “brutal tactics to suppress dissenting, fatal consequences for the civilian population in armed conflicts” as well as inadequate efforts “to cope with the climate crisis” would be documented.

General Secretary Duchrow in particular named the Russian attack war against Ukraine and the Gaza War as an accelerator of the global human rights crisis. Israel’s military procedure in the Gaza Strip is “contrary to international law”, the international community largely standing, said Duchrow.

Amnesty is criticized for a one-sided assessment of the Gaza War. The “genocide” allegation also listed in the current report is not shared by the acting federal government. The Israeli government had described a separate Amnesty report as “completely wrong”. The Gaza War triggered the Hamas massacre and other extremists from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 with 1,200 deaths and about 250.

Criticism of the new federal government

Amnesty clearly confirmed the criticism of plans by the new federal government. This must understand itself “as a mouthpiece of human rights”. The coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD “is feared by the opposite,” said Duchrow. As one of several examples, she led to the fact that families are the focus. “At the same time, they proceed in asylum law against family reunification,” said Duchrow.

Further criticisms of the organization include the plans to reintroduce data retention and the abolition of the supply chain law, which is intended to ensure that certain work and environmental standards are observed for products that are produced abroad for the German market. “This government program is a human rights certificate of poverty and an attack on the rule of law,” said Duchrow.