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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 14 January 2021

Advocacy group: Biden should revamp U.S. human rights policy

By JAMEY KEATEN George W. Bush’s “War on more broadly.
Associated Press Terror” as well as intensi- “The real test of Guterres’
GENEVA (AP) — U.S. Pres- fied drone strikes and sur- effectiveness is, you know,
ident-elect Joe Biden veillance under Barack does somebody feel the
should bring “fundamen- Obama, saying Biden heat from his commentary
tal change” to U.S. policy should look to cement hu- on human rights?” Roth
on human rights and allow man rights into U.S. policy said. “And the answer gen-
criminal investigations of for the long term. erally is no, because he
President Donald Trump, He said Biden should also doesn’t name anybody.”
the head of Human Rights “allow justice to pursue He said he hoped govern-
Watch said on Wednesday. its course with respect to ments — especially the five
Executive Director Ken- Trump to show that the permanent members of
neth Roth laid out a long president is not above the the U.N. Security Council —
wish-list for the incoming law, resisting the ‘look for- would “press him on a more
administration, saying he ward, not back’ rationale outspoken, targeted com-
hopes it will join efforts to that Obama used to ignore mitment to human rights.”
improve human rights that torture under Bush.” China and Russia are two
other countries have been Roth said social media of those members — and
largely shouldering during platforms “did the right they often face scrutiny
Trump’s term. thing, and perhaps even and criticism of advocacy
“After four years of Trump’s belatedly” by suspending groups like Roth’s.
indifference and often hos- Trump’s accounts, argu- In a second news confer-
tility to human rights, includ- ing that the president had ence, Roth had sharp criti-
ing his provoking a mob In this Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 file photo, President-elect Joe Biden used them to “encourage cism for Brazilian President
speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington,
assault on democratic pro- Del., to announce key administration posts. white supremacists, to fo- Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally.
cesses in the Capitol, the Associated Press ment hatred, obviously to Roth said Bolsonaro under-
Biden presidency provides spread lies about –- the big mined public health during
an opportunity for funda- Beijing for its crackdowns in of human rights in places lie about — his supposed the pandemic, attacked
mental change,” Roth said. Tibet, Hong Kong and the like Venezuela, Cuba or electoral win.” the Brazilian media and
The comments come as western Xinjiang region. Iran rang hollow when par- “But most important: To civil society and worked
Human Rights Watch issued But Trump pulled the Unit- allel praise was bestowed foment the mob that at- to undermine checks and
its annual “World Report ed States out of the U.N.- on the likes of Russia, Egypt, tacked the Capitol,” he balances on his authority.
2021” that chronicles con- backed Human Rights Saudi Arabia...or Israel,” added. Roth suggested the begin-
cerns about human rights Council more than two Roth said. Roth said U.N. Secretary- ning of Biden’s presidency
in more than 100 countries years ago, alleging it has “To sum it up, Donald Trump General Antonio Guterres’ will subject Bolsonaro to
around the world. an anti-Israel bias and has was a disaster for human term “hasn’t been great” more pressure, with the Bra-
The Trump administration been too accepting of rights,” he said, while insist- when it comes to human zilian facing “tremendous
has been outspoken on hu- governments that regularly ing it “would be naive” to rights, faulting him for not hostility in Washington sim-
man rights abuses in places violate human rights. treat a Biden presidency as naming perpetrators and ply because he represents
like Venezuela and in par- Under Trump, the “occa- a cure-all. speaking more often to so much of what Donald
ticular China, going after sional U.S. condemnation Roth cited past policies like condemn rights abuses Trump represented.” q

Desecration trial opens over LGBT rainbow put on Polish icon

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA day in Poland for alleged Roman Catholic icon and church, but do not admit Gives No Offense” gath-
and CZAREK SOKOLOWSKI desecration and offend- publicly displaying the al- putting stickers with the im- ered outside the court. A
Associated Press ing religious sentiment by tered image, including on age on garbage bins and verdict was not expected
PLOCK, Poland (AP) — adding the LGBT rights garbage bins and mobile toilets. They deny wrong- Wednesday.
Three human rights activ- movement’s rainbow sym- toilets. doing. Podlesna was arrested in
ists went on trial Wednes- bol to posters of a revered The activists have said Polish media identified the an early morning police
they created posters that other defendants as Anna raid on her apartment in
used rainbows to replace Prus and Joanna Gzyra- 2019. She was detained
the halos in the icon of the Iskandar. for several hours and ques-
Black Madonna and baby The activists could face tioned over the posters of
Jesus to protest what they up to two years in prison the icon that were placed
saw as the hostility of Po- if convicted on charges around Plock. A court lat-
land’s influential Catholic of offending religious sen- er said the detention was
Church toward LGBT peo- timent and desecration unnecessary and ordered
ple. of Poland’s most-revered damages equaling some
One of the defendants, icon, the Mother of God of $2,000 be awarded to her.
Elzbieta Podlesna, said Czestochowa, popularly The case has highlighted
in court Wednesday that known as the Black Ma- the clash over social issues
their 2019 action in Plock donna of Czestochowa. in predominantly Catholic
was spurred by an installa- The original icon has been Poland. The country’s right-
tion at the city’s St. Domi- housed at the Jasna Gora wing government supports
nic’s Church that associat- monastery in the city of laws against insulting reli-
ed LGBT people with crime Czestochowa since the gious beliefs and symbols.
Human rights activists show an altered image with colors and negative behavior. 14th century. LGBT rights advocates say
symbolizing LGBT rights as they gathered outside the The three don’t deny put- A group of supporters with the laws are used to stifle
provincial court in Plock, Poland, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. ting the posters on walls rainbow flags and banners human rights and freedom
Associated Press and elsewhere around the reading “The Rainbow of speech.q