Human Rights Watch director calls for an end to the British government’s politicization of human rights, citing dangerous implications for democracy.
The UK director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Yasmine Ahmed, has issued a stark warning about the British government’s aggressive politicization of human rights. In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Ahmed highlighted the government’s indication that it could “disapply” the Human Rights Act in an emergency bill aimed at sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, despite a supreme court ruling deeming the policy illegal. According to Ahmed, this move is part of a broader assault on human rights that poses a significant threat to democracy.
A Departure from Compliance
Ahmed expressed concern over the government’s abandonment of previous attempts to at least appear to comply with domestic and international human rights law. She noted that the current government, led by Rishi Sunak, is actively undermining the integrity of the judiciary and disregarding human rights laws that do not align with its political agenda. Ahmed warned that such actions could lead the UK down a dangerous path towards authoritarianism.
Unprecedented Attack on Human Rights
As the UK director of Human Rights Watch for the past three years, Ahmed has witnessed an unprecedented assault on human rights enshrined in both British and international law. She pointed out that the government’s rhetoric includes discussions of scrapping domestic human rights laws and ignoring international obligations. Additionally, the government has targeted the right to peaceful protest, detained climate activists, criminalized refugees, and granted the police unprecedented powers over citizens. Ahmed argued that this approach not only undermines the UK’s ability to hold other human rights violators accountable but also sets a dangerous precedent by prioritizing political ideology over basic human rights.
Contempt for Human Rights
Ahmed highlighted recent incidents, including attempts by the former home secretary, Suella Braverman, to suppress pro-Palestinian protests and the government’s attacks on the supreme court’s ruling on the Rwanda asylum policy. These examples demonstrate the government’s growing contempt for human rights and its increasing boldness in disregarding them. Ahmed cautioned that the government’s efforts to make the public believe that the erosion of human rights laws would only impact vulnerable or controversial groups are misleading. In reality, all individuals may find themselves in a position where they need to exercise their rights or hold the state accountable, only to discover that they have lost the power to do so.
Conclusion:
The UK government’s aggressive politicization of human rights poses a significant threat to democracy and the rule of law, according to Yasmine Ahmed, the UK director of Human Rights Watch. Ahmed’s warning comes as the government considers disapplying the Human Rights Act and continues to undermine the judiciary and disregard human rights laws that do not align with its political agenda. This assault on human rights not only weakens the UK’s ability to hold other human rights violators accountable but also sets a dangerous precedent that prioritizes political ideology over basic human rights. The erosion of these laws and frameworks could have far-reaching consequences, making it imperative to halt this assault and protect the foundations of democracy.
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