Rights report calls out Syria, Russia; Ukraine protesters praised
By Laura Koran
Syria carried out "egregious human rights violations" last year, according to a State Department assessment released on Thursday that also singled out abuses in Russia and the Ukraine.
The 2013 Human Rights Report, based on assessments from America's embassies abroad, reserved its strongest language for the Syrian government, which allegedly gassed its own people last August in an atrocity linked to the ongoing civil war.
"Hundreds were murdered in the dead of night when a disaster occurred at the hands of a dictator, who decided to infect the air of Damascus with poisonous gas," Secretary of State John Kerry said in presenting the report.
"And many more have been, unfortunately, confined to die under a barrage of barrel bombs, scud missiles, artillery and other conventional weapons," he said.
Russia also was featured prominently in the report for cracking down on activists and enactment of a law banning gay "propaganda."
Russia was also called out for alleged abuses related to the Olympics in Sochi where, according to the report, "human rights activists documented evidence of forced labor of migrant workers."
The study said such reports "were widespread and included nonpayment or severely delayed payment of wages, excessively long hours, and withholding of passports and identity documents."
The report also praised protesters in Ukraine for their demonstrations, while calling out that government's former leaders.
"Today we re-affirm our commitment to stand with the many who seek dignity and against the few who deny it," said Kerry, "That's how we live up to our ideals."
Many are struggling to come to grips with the rapid political upheaval that has unfolded there in recent days, after months of protests and last week's bloody clashes between protesters and security forces.
There is broad divide between those who support events in Kiev, where a new government is leaning toward the West, and those who back Russia's continued influence in eastern and southern Ukraine.
LGBT discrimination was a recurring topic in the report.
"From Nigeria to Russia to Iran," said Kerry, "indeed in some 80 countries the world over, LGBT communities face discriminatory laws and practices that attack their basic human dignity and undermine their safety."
In the report and in his statements to the media, Kerry also called out the Ugandan government and President Yoweri Museveni, for a law signed this week to criminalize homosexuality.
"These laws contribute to a global trend of rising violence and discrimination against LGBT persons and their supporters," said Kerry.
@natlsecuritycnn on Twitter
Like it matters these people won't care . All they know is violence or when I was war. Their media stations will cover for them .
Lets see, Egypt, Libya, Syria, and now Ukraine, I`m starting to see a pattern with this protester praising, and every one else is accused of human rights violations.
i see your name fits your comment. you forget that super powers are involved with nukes that could destroy countries and even life as we know it.nothing is worth that
the nsa does not stand for your raciest remark. don't you have a kkk meeting you need to attend/
You can either be a bit,walk on actor in somebody else's play or you can star in your own. Hillary Clinton's mom's advice kicks in on what decisions are being made and time for Obama to let the American people know what the sanctions are. Did the US jets fly into Poland and is that confirmed for truth ? Show us where they landed !
Als ieder zich nou bezig houd met een stukje van de werel problematiek. bijv. usa met korea en de eu met bij. kief. en laten we dan iran zich laten bezig huoden met china en pakistan.
en rusland met z'n eigen interne conflicten.A
Because there is still a word JIHAD in the Great Holy Koran, Iranians will always be busy fighting all the peoples of other countries, not excluding the EVER GREAT U.S.A, and by ways of making the non Iranians fight and destroy the people and interests of U.S.A ,which is but the very primitive ways and means of showing up their colors,which they can never hide.
Putin Putin is his name killing killing is his game.
We've already proven to the world that we're all talk and no action.
You seem to have forgotten CALIFORNIA, just who invaded both Iraq and Afghanistan and who's butchering people day after day with those monster drones of ours!
while that might be true. we people have to foot some of it on our self. it seems like when things that are going on all we the people say stay out of it. then when oboma does you say he's weak just like with syria. this president can't win for losing/ he heard what the people wanted and even went to congress so, if we look weak we are doing it also/..
America is the root of all terror. America has invaded sixty countries since world war 2.
In 1953 America overthrow Iran's democratic government Mohammad Mosaddegh and installed a brutal dictator Shah. America helped Shah of Iran to establish secret police and killed thousands of Iranian people.
During Iran-Iraq war evil America supported Suddam Hossain and killed millions of Iranian people. In 1989, America, is the only country ever, shot down Iran's civilian air plane, killing 290 people.
In 2003,America invaded Iraq and killed 1,000,000+ innocent Iraqi people and 4,000,000+ Iraqi people were displaced.
Now America is a failed state with huge debt. Its debt will be 22 trillion by 2015.
Beautifully said, John Smith. Nothing could be closer to the truth!!!!!!!!!
Amazing how many of my country men and women have no clue about the evil our CIA has done to stop the spread of Democracy. Both Republicans and Democrats have participated over the years.
PUTIN SAID HE "OWNS THE ARTIC". ASK YOURSELF WHAT MAN OWNS NATURE...ANSWER ONE THAT INVADES UKRAINE USING ARMY THAT DOES NOT EVEN HAVE REAL UNIFORMS.
–TO: PUTIN: thanks for causing the World markets to go down...you are a power-tool.–
–((()))–A-P-U-I-T-I-N–F-I-N-A-L–E-X-C-U-S-E
–((()))The Dark Side Of Vatican:((()))-((()))http://m.youtube.com/watch?list=EC8AC3BCE38E5F19&v=lYsSWU-cnEw&client=mv-google&hl=en&guid=&gl=US(((-
–P-U-T-I-N-S– P-E-R-S-O-N-A-L–T-R-O-O-P-S– I-N– U-K-R-A-I-N-E– L-O-O-K/A-C-T– E-X-A-C-T-L-Y– L-I-K-E– T-H-I-S–F-O-O-T-A-G-E:
-)))1941 Amateur Footage Filmed in Ukraine by Hitler's Pilot Hans Baur)))
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W_t647Woodg&fulldescription=1&guid=&client=mv-google&hl=en&gl=US(((-
You relize the -(N-S-A)- aka the -(n-i-g-g-e-r– s-e-c-u-r-i-t-y–a-g-e-n-c-y)–does not allow people to say anything "inteligent" period. they (military) does this by occupying U.S. citizens home among many other things.
the Pope spoke this moring about the matter...look at the time stamps & the time the Pope spoke...you just cannot make this stuff up.
i like cheesy tacos
the spirt world is starting to watch...
Every Country is just so happy they went to the Russian rat- crap- in- broadcaster-eye olyimpics aka Putin personal pocket book WWIII sized 70 billion olyimpic bondogel.
Using the Worlds richest man personal Military to boot.
Gold grabbing Putin grabbing gold for the War Criminal in the invaded Ukraine...what a tool.
This administration has stated (through Kerry) that they're working WITH the Russians.
More right-wing propaganda from the right-wing thugs in Washington which should surprise no one with half a brain! Does anyone hear notice how they conveniently forget to mention Bahrain, Yemen, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and lot of other countries that they like? This never ends!!!
I am surprised to see your day and night right-wing/left-wing rants; do you ever sleep Phunnie boy? I say bomb Syria and bomb Russia.
Such is to be expected from someone like you with your obvious limitations, Phunnie boy. You haven't said anything intelligent on this web page yet!!!
A report from the US you say? Im sure that's unbiased and honest.......
lol.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hillary Clinton: The Red or Blue pill that CNN continually wants to shove up every american's -ass!
It seems sometimes our government just takes the opposite side of anything that Russia feels strongly about, just for the sake of doing it. That's wrong and I don't like that, but what can we do? We write our comments of course to show our displeasure.
You're absolutely correct that appearances are that 'nothing is being done' except taunting. If I can give you a piece of advice it is: Prepare. I'm not stating we are an in imminent state of danger, but with things being as they are and all it would take is a couple of nuclear weapons detonated high above the continental US and the power grip would snap like a model plane made of balsa wood.
Prepare. Prepare your home. Your family. Yourself. Don't panic, but prepare.
also, russia has veto power and it uses it all the time, like trying to have a limited strike on syria. however, you did not see him go to the un to ask to invade ukraine did you
After Obammys red line back down, Lurch doesn't have a chance, lets say Russia attacks. Whats Obammy and lurch going to do ??? Make a speech?? cut military spending ??? Remember the world knows OBAMMY won BIGGEST LIAR OF THE YEAR.
ff u cc kk you kerry you want a fight we will give you one you Irish Norwegian J e w i s h Dublin potato farmer loser your messing with the wrong people you think you can be angry with us your children will be the ones that will boil away in a nuclear sea of flames i will rip out your amygdala and hypothalamus and your frontal lobes out of your brain then we will see how angry you can be without your anger centers in your brain your messing with the wrong people.
world please help syria
i mean syrian people , girls , woman and kids becose ISIS killing everyone
And the leaders of nations, movements and religions know that they need media compliance to help indoctrinate the malleable masses.
And the media eagerly complies and parrots sensational indoctrination by the leaders to the malleable masses.
And the media eagerly complies and parrots, knowing sensational indoctrination increases readership and profits.
And the media complies and parrots the leaders’ sensational indoctrination, but the reasons for increasing media collusions with the leaders are far more sinister than mere compliance.
And the sinister collusions between the media and leaders of nations, movements and religions have been orchestrated to further indoctrinate the malleable masses.
And the collusions have been orchestrated to provide fears so the malleable masses self-justify and endorse their leaders' expanding and modernizing military might.
The expanding and escalating cycle thus feeds itself and prospers, like a self-perpetuating social and moral virus allowed to further drain our global health and wealth.
Our more evolved descendents will realize that we humans of the 21st century do not yet completely understand and control our primal, hereditary influences of anger, hate, violence, territorialism, and predation.
Our more evolved descendents, looking back at us with sadness and scorn, will realize that our world citizens and leaders should have condemned, long before now, ALL hate and violence and barbaric wars against ANY fellow, equally perfect, feeling, living being.
Mac,
You are a shameless blowhard!
http://ireport.cnn.com/people/DGMacDonald?viewingAsOthers=true
Donald,
stop with the opening of your contrived drivel with the word "and"
it doesn't add the theatrical biblical weight you think it does. It makes you come off as an idiot.
AND here is more irrelevancy
on this important subject.