SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Supporters of President Donald Trump rampage through the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. (Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
UN Experts Urge US to Respond to Capitol Attack With 'Renewed Commitment to Peaceful Pluralism,' Strengthened Democracy
"We maintain our hope that the U.S. democracy will emerge strengthened from this crisis without damage to its institutions."
Jan 17, 2021
United Nations human rights experts on Monday denounced the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, wherein a right-wing mob--inspired by the lies about electoral fraud told by outgoing President Donald Trump and repeated by many Republican Party lawmakers--stormed the halls of Congress during the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.
Characterizing the January 6 attack as a "violent attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election," nearly two dozen U.N. experts described the day's events as "shocking and incendiary."
In their statement, the experts "strongly affirm and express our solidarity with the American people who stand for democracy, equality, and the rule of law at this critical moment."
They also criticized the "incitement to violence and hatred online and offline," and said there must be accountability.
The group reiterated its support for "democratic outcomes of the recent elections and urge political leaders to do everything in their power to de-escalate tensions and unify the country in full respect for democracy and the rule of law."
"Notwithstanding the urgent need to tackle political violence of any kind," the experts wrote, "we urge the U.S. government, the private sector, civil society, and other groups to ensure that their responses are consistent with international human rights standards, including the freedom of expression and due process of the law."
"We maintain our hope that the U.S. democracy will emerge strengthened from this crisis without damage to its institutions and with renewed commitment to peaceful pluralism, rule of law, and democratic governance," they added.
The experts include U.N. special rapporteurs on a variety of issues, including: human rights; housing; food; environment; extrajudicial violence; torture and cruelty; forced disappearances; judicial independence; civil rights and anti-discrimination; and civil liberties, including freedoms to speech, press, and peaceful assembly.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
authoritarianismdemocracyelection 2020human rightsjan 6 insurrectionpoliticsrepublican partyrights & justicetrumpismunited nations
United Nations human rights experts on Monday denounced the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, wherein a right-wing mob--inspired by the lies about electoral fraud told by outgoing President Donald Trump and repeated by many Republican Party lawmakers--stormed the halls of Congress during the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.
Characterizing the January 6 attack as a "violent attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election," nearly two dozen U.N. experts described the day's events as "shocking and incendiary."
In their statement, the experts "strongly affirm and express our solidarity with the American people who stand for democracy, equality, and the rule of law at this critical moment."
They also criticized the "incitement to violence and hatred online and offline," and said there must be accountability.
The group reiterated its support for "democratic outcomes of the recent elections and urge political leaders to do everything in their power to de-escalate tensions and unify the country in full respect for democracy and the rule of law."
"Notwithstanding the urgent need to tackle political violence of any kind," the experts wrote, "we urge the U.S. government, the private sector, civil society, and other groups to ensure that their responses are consistent with international human rights standards, including the freedom of expression and due process of the law."
"We maintain our hope that the U.S. democracy will emerge strengthened from this crisis without damage to its institutions and with renewed commitment to peaceful pluralism, rule of law, and democratic governance," they added.
The experts include U.N. special rapporteurs on a variety of issues, including: human rights; housing; food; environment; extrajudicial violence; torture and cruelty; forced disappearances; judicial independence; civil rights and anti-discrimination; and civil liberties, including freedoms to speech, press, and peaceful assembly.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
United Nations human rights experts on Monday denounced the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, wherein a right-wing mob--inspired by the lies about electoral fraud told by outgoing President Donald Trump and repeated by many Republican Party lawmakers--stormed the halls of Congress during the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.
Characterizing the January 6 attack as a "violent attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election," nearly two dozen U.N. experts described the day's events as "shocking and incendiary."
In their statement, the experts "strongly affirm and express our solidarity with the American people who stand for democracy, equality, and the rule of law at this critical moment."
They also criticized the "incitement to violence and hatred online and offline," and said there must be accountability.
The group reiterated its support for "democratic outcomes of the recent elections and urge political leaders to do everything in their power to de-escalate tensions and unify the country in full respect for democracy and the rule of law."
"Notwithstanding the urgent need to tackle political violence of any kind," the experts wrote, "we urge the U.S. government, the private sector, civil society, and other groups to ensure that their responses are consistent with international human rights standards, including the freedom of expression and due process of the law."
"We maintain our hope that the U.S. democracy will emerge strengthened from this crisis without damage to its institutions and with renewed commitment to peaceful pluralism, rule of law, and democratic governance," they added.
The experts include U.N. special rapporteurs on a variety of issues, including: human rights; housing; food; environment; extrajudicial violence; torture and cruelty; forced disappearances; judicial independence; civil rights and anti-discrimination; and civil liberties, including freedoms to speech, press, and peaceful assembly.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.