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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 10 November 2020
China, Iran join queue to scrutinize U.S. at U.N. rights body

GENEVA (AP) — The United Counselor Khawla Youssef
States faced its first review of Syria said her country
in five years at the U.N.'s recommended that the
main human rights body on U.S. end executive orders
Monday, with the deten- imposing sanctions, halt
tions of migrant children any "occupation" of Syrian
and the killings of unarmed territory by U.S. forces, hold
Black people during the its military personnel to ac-
Trump administration's ten- count for any war crimes
ure among issues high on and end support for "sepa-
minds. ratist militias" in Syria.
Regular U.S. critics like Chinese representative Ji-
Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Rus- ang Duan rushed to rattle
sia and China questioned off nine points of concern
and scrutinized the United in the brief time slot, cit-
States' record on rights as ing among them systemic
the Human Rights Coun- racism, politicization of
cil gave the U.S. its turn for the COVID-19 pandemic,
a regular examination of the proliferation of guns,
every U.N. member state's and military interventions
record on human rights abroad that left civilians
known as the Universal Peri- dead.
odic Review. Allies, too, of- "Stop interfering for political
fered criticism and pointers reasons in other countries'
— if more diplomatically. internal affairs under the
Nearly 120 countries lined pretext of human rights,"
up for slots to raise ques- he said. China has often
tions in the 3 1/2-hour ses- alleged that other coun-
sion that follows up on an In this June 12, 2018, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and U.S. President Donald tries unfairly poke into its
August report about the Trump shake hands prior to their meeting on Sentosa Island in Singapore. domestic affairs with their
U.S. rights record over the Associated Press concerns about the rights
past several years — and situation in Hong Kong, Ti-
what steps U.S. authorities detention facility at Guan- rights-respecting gover- Israel bias and of being too bet and western Xinjiang.
are taking to improve it. tanamo Bay, and pointed nance," U.S. Secretary of accepting of autocratic re- Friendlier countries called
U.S. Ambassador Andrew to an investigation into the State Mike Pompeo said in gimes that regularly abuse for the U.S. to ratify various
Bremberg said the strength killing of George Floyd, a a statement on Monday's human rights as members. treaties aimed at guaran-
of the U.S. democratic sys- Black man who died after review. "We don't simply Envoys — most of them teeing human rights, and
tem is that "it allows for a Minneapolis police offi- discuss human rights in the beaming into the Geneva expressed concerns at ra-
continued scrutiny, advo- cer pressed a knee into his United States; we cherish session via videoconfer- cial inequalities and dis-
cacy and debate, which neck for nearly eight min- and defend them." ence because of the CO- crimination, gun violence,
fuels progress and reform," utes earlier this year. They The United States last came VID-19 pandemic — were and the use of the death
and said "we are willing to also pointed to the impor- up for its turn for such a re- granted less than a minute penalty in the U.S. Australia,
openly acknowledge our tance of the rule of law in view in 2015. The Trump ad- to air their questions and the Netherlands and oth-
shortcomings." the United States. ministration pulled the Unit- comments, while an ar- ers urged a moratorium on
U.S. officials variously spoke "The United States has ed States out of the Human ray of U.S. officials were on America's use of the death
of a drawdown of the been, and always will be, Rights Council two years hand in person and virtually penalty with an eye to
number of inmates at the a leader in transparent, ago, accusing it of an anti- to take part. abolishing it for good. q

Trudeau looks to Biden for help in dispute with China

By ROB GILLIES Chinese Huawei executive and other nations around
Associated Press and the daughter of the the world as we look to im-
TORONTO (AP) — Cana- company's founder. press upon China that the
dian Prime Minister Justin The U.S. is seeking Meng's approach they are taking is
Trudeau said Monday Chi- extradition on fraud charg- simply not working."
na's attempt at coercive es and her extradition case Trudeau said Kovrig and
diplomacy by imprisoning is before the Canadian Spavor have been arbi-
two Canadians in retalia- courts. Her arrest severely trarily detained for over 700
tion for the arrest of a top damaged relations be- days.
Huawei executive isn't tween China and Canada. Meng, the chief financial
working and he expects China has also sentenced officer of Huawei Tech-
President-elect Joe Biden two other Canadians to nologies, is living in a luxury
administration's to be a death and suspended Vancouver home while her
good partner in convincing canola imports. extradition case continues
Beijing to release them. "Their approach of coer- in British Columbia court.
Beijing arrested former cive diplomacy is ineffec- Washington wants her ex- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on screen, participates
in a video linked media conference after an EU-Canada summit
diplomat Michael Kovrig tive," Trudeau said. tradited to the U.S. to face via video conference at the European Council building in Brus-
and businessman Michael "I am extremely confident bank fraud charges. The sels, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020.
Spavor in December 2018 that the incoming admin- U.S. accuses Huawei of us- Associated Press
just days after Canada ar- istration will continue to be ing a Hong Kong shell com-
rested Meng Wanzhou, a a good partner to Canada pany to deceive banks and do business with Iran in vio- lation of U.S. sanctions.q