WASHINGTON—The increased willingness by authoritarian national leaders to ignore and, in some cases, flout fundamental human rights is the dominant theme of Human Rights Watch’s annual review of human rights around the globe, “World Report 2017.” It describes the rising influence of extremist political parties, placing in jeopardy the human rights system that has evolved since the end of WWII.
The 687-page report reviews the human rights developments from late 2015 through 2016 in over 90 countries. The reviews are quite brief, generally between 4 to 9 pages in length. One of the “countries” is the European Union; this section provides very short accounts, typically one page, of 12 European countries.
On Jan. 12 at a press conference held at the National Press Club, the report was released to the public. HRW Executive Director Kenneth Roth, who has an introductory essay in the book, spoke about his concerns regarding the refugee crisis, conflict in the Middle East, and the rise of demagogues.
“The global rise of populists poses an extraordinary dangerous threat to human rights,” began Roth.
Roth said that public discontent in the United States and in Europe has arisen from recent developments: feeling left behind by technological change, fear from terrorist attacks, and unease with society becoming more ethnically, religiously, and racially diverse.
