US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces

October 23, 2025

The US State Department has eliminated the Human Rights Reporting Gateway (HRG), which was the only public channel for reporting potential human rights abuses by foreign military units receiving American weapons. Established in 2022 to comply with the Leahy Law, which requires the government to collect information on alleged violations, the portal's removal has drawn criticism from human rights advocates and a former congressional aide who drafted the law. Despite the portal's deletion during a broader State Department reorganization under Secretary Marco Rubio, officials maintain they are still abiding by legal requirements to receive human rights violation reports.

Who is affected

Organizations and individuals seeking to report human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces
Foreign populations potentially experiencing human rights violations from military units receiving US weapons
US taxpayers whose funding might support forces committing abuses
Human rights monitoring organizations like Amnesty International that previously used the portal
Foreign security forces receiving US military aid in over 150 nations

What action is being taken

The State Department is eliminating the Human Rights Reporting Gateway during its reorganization
Secretary Marco Rubio is overseeing a sweeping reorganization involving layoffs and elimination of human rights monitoring offices
The State Department is publishing a slimmed-down annual human rights report that critics say omits alleged crimes by US allies
The State Department claims it continues to receive reports about gross violations of human rights and engages with "credible organisations"

Why it matters

The HRG was the only publicly accessible channel for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces
The portal helped fulfill requirements under the Leahy Law to "facilitate receipt" of information on alleged violations
Without an established reporting channel, there may be less incentive for foreign governments to hold rights violators accountable
The change affects US oversight of military aid provided to more than 150 nations worldwide
The portal had been used to report cases including alleged excessive force by Colombian security forces and was intended for reporting on IDF units in the West Bank

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC