Release of US State Department Human Rights Report; Kerry: We Oppose All Forms of Torture

On Wednesday, April 13, John Kerry stated that the United States opposes all forms of torture, coinciding with the release of the annual human rights report by the US State Department. According to the Associated Press, the State Department criticized human rights violations in several countries, including Iran, China, Cuba, North Korea, and Sudan in 2015. Meanwhile, Kerry noted that there is an increasing trend worldwide where governmental and non-governmental entities are attempting to close civil society space, restrict media and internet freedoms, marginalize opponents, and in extreme cases, kill people or forcibly displace them from their homes. Kerry further aimed to clarify doubts and confusion arising from recent comments without naming Republican candidates. He emphasized that the United States opposes any form of torture at any time and by any government or non-governmental entity. However, Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate for the US presidency, stated that if elected, he would use methods such as waterboarding and 'beyond' to combat the Islamic State. Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's conservative rival in the Republican Party, also claimed that he does not consider waterboarding to be torture. John Brennan, the head of the CIA, stated two days prior that even if the next president orders the use of certain torture techniques to extract confessions from terrorism suspects, his agency would not employ such methods. Nonetheless, Kerry stated that what strengthens a country is adherence to its values. He reiterated that the annual human rights report expresses concerns across every continent, but the most extensive and regrettable human rights violations in 2015 occurred in the Middle East, where the consequences of the Syrian civil war and terrorism have caused immense suffering for many. The US State Department's report on the human rights situation in Iran in 2015 indicated that the government continues to harass activists and human rights defenders in the country. The report adds that the restriction of civil liberties, including the freedoms of assembly, expression, and religion, continued in Iran in 2015. The State Department stated, 'The most significant human rights violations in Iran include severe restrictions on civil liberties, including the freedoms of assembly, participation, expression (including on the internet), religion, and media.' The State Department also identified the limitation of citizens' rights to elect officials through free and fair elections as another significant human rights violation in Iran. The report also mentions the Iranian judiciary's approach of disregarding the right to a fair trial for defendants as a major human rights violation in Iran. Furthermore, the State Department criticized the execution of individuals who were under 18 years of age at the time of committing crimes.