Politico reports:

The Trump administration is slashing the State Department’s annual human rights report — cutting sections about the rights of women, the disabled, the LGBTQ+ community and more.

The goal appears to be a far thinner report that meets the minimum standards required by the law, according to documents obtained by POLITICO, as well as a current and a former State Department official who were familiar with the plan.

The move underscores President Donald Trump’s resistance to emphasizing human rights both domestically and in foreign policy. He and many of his aides view the issue as one that impedes America’s ability to engage with other governments on other topics, such as trade. Some Trump backers also have ideological concerns about what is included in the human rights report, such as references to abortion access . During Trump’s first term, the report was scaled back in part to devote less space to women’s reproductive rights.

The annual report is widely anticipated and read in capitals around the world, and it is relied upon heavily by advocacy organizations, lawyers and others who consider it a reliable, fact-based document. Asylum officers, for instance, use it to assess whether someone seeking protection has a credible fear of persecution should they be forced to return to their country.

With the Trump administration’s changes, human rights activists worry about the quality of the report, and whether it can possibly convey a comprehensive snapshot of a country’s rights record.

“There’s a real question about the value of this report coming out under the Trump administration. Is it accurate? Is it politically motivated? Will it only describe human rights abuses by enemies instead of allies?” asked Andrea Prasow, executive director of Freedom Now, a DC-based group that represents political prisoners. [Continue reading…]