A Bipartisan Push in U.S. Congress to Fight Human Rights Abuses Abroad, Including In Azerbaijan

In the wake of some authoritarian governments around the world using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to up a crackdown on opposition activists and critics, a bipartisan Congressional bill that would mandate and enable the U.S. government to respond to human rights abuses abroad related to the COVID-19, has been introduced to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The bill "H.R.6986 -Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act", - similar to its Senate versions - recently introduced by Congressman Jim McGovern, a co-chair of the Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and has already gained 8 co-sponsors, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Those include Representatives Ann Wagner, Tom Malinowski, Brian Fitzpatrick, Gus Bilirakis, Jamie Raskin, Matt Cartwright, David Trone, and Ilhan Omar.

According to the draft House bill, "in some countries, including Azerbaijan, El Salvador, Hungary, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines, governments with a history of repressing human rights are exploiting the current crisis to consolidate power, sideline representative legislative bodies, and silence criticism."

"In several countries, including Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Honduras, Hungary, Iran, Jordan, Russia, South Africa, Tajikistan, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe, governments have restricted the ability of journalists and other individuals to distribute or publish information related to the novel coronavirus, including by imposing criminal penalties, which violates the universal human rights of free speech and freedom of the press, and limits people's access to information," reads the document.

If accepted, the legislation would compel and enable the U.S. government to do more to support human rights defenders, journalists, and marginalized groups serving on the front lines of the pandemic.

In its initial, monthly, and final reports to the Congress, (which should last till 90 days after the date on which the World Health Organization declares that the novel coronavirus pandemic has ended) the Administration will be expected to provide lists the countries engaging in human rights abuses during the pandemic, as well as steps that the U.S, has been taking against them, including whether any foreign person or persons within a country have been determined to have committed gross violations of internationally recognized human rights during the novel coronavirus pandemic response, including a description of any resulting sanctions imposed on such persons under United States law.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.