The U.S. Shuts Down Human Rights Reporting Portal for Foreign Military Abuses — Critics Call It a Step Backward
The United States has quietly shut down its only public online portal for reporting alleged human rights violations by foreign military units armed with American weapons — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups, legal experts, and congressional aides.
The Human Rights Reporting Gateway (HRG), established in 2022, functioned as a formal channel for individuals and organizations to directly submit reports of potential abuses committed by U.S.-supplied foreign forces. The portal’s removal, revealed in recent weeks, has sparked concerns that Washington is weakening its oversight of how American military aid is used abroad.
A Unique Channel for Accountability
The HRG was introduced to help the U.S. government comply with the Leahy Law, legislation requiring Washington to prevent U.S. taxpayer money and weapons from supporting foreign military units involved in gross human rights abuses. The law mandates the government to “facilitate receipt” of credible information regarding such violations.
The now-deleted portal was an important part of that obligation. It enabled witnesses, NGOs, and journalists to file reports about incidents like extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence involving U.S.-backed military units worldwide.
According to human rights organizations, the HRG provided a rare, transparent avenue for victims and advocacy groups to bring their concerns directly to the U.S. State Department.
Why Its Removal Matters
The portal’s removal came to light after human rights campaigners noticed that the HRG website had quietly disappeared earlier this year. Officials have since confirmed that it was decommissioned during a broad internal reorganization of the State Department under Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Critics say the closure violates the Leahy Law and undermines U.S. commitments to human rights accountability.
Tim Rieser, a former senior aide to Senator Patrick Leahy — who authored the law — told the BBC that eliminating the HRG was “clearly ignoring the law.” He warned that dismantling this system would lead to less accountability for serious crimes abroad.
“The U.S. will end up supporting foreign security forces that commit heinous crimes, and nothing will be done about it,” Rieser said. “It reduces incentives for foreign governments to hold abusers accountable.”
State Department Defends Its Decision
In response to the backlash, the State Department insisted it still complies with the Leahy Law and continues to receive reports about human rights abuses from “credible organizations.”
“The Department abides by its legal requirements,” a spokesperson said, claiming the restructuring aims to make the agency “leaner and more efficient.”
Officials argue that the HRG’s removal does not mean an end to oversight but rather a shift toward internal channels for handling such information. However, rights experts say this explanation lacks transparency and effectively cuts the public out of the process.
Fallout Among Human Rights Advocates
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), condemned the decision.
Charles Blaha, former director of the State Department’s Office of Security and Human Rights, said the move “severely weakens” the U.S. government’s ability to deter abuses.
“People in the field now have no established channel for reporting gross violations by U.S.-trained or armed foreign security forces,” Blaha said.
Blaha, who now serves as an adviser for DAWN, confirmed that the organization had raised concerns about the HRG’s deletion months before it was acknowledged by the State Department.
Key Cases Reported Through the HRG
Before its removal, the HRG had received submissions related to Colombian security forces accused of using excessive force during anti-government protests in 2021.
According to Amnesty International, at least 47 people were killed and dozens more injured during those protests, many allegedly shot with U.S.-supplied high-capacity grenade launchers designed for crowd control.
Amnesty was also preparing to submit a report on alleged Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) abuses in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. These reports detailed the deaths of 20 Palestinians during Israeli raids in late 2023 — incidents that, Amnesty says, may have involved U.S.-supplied weapons.
Amanda Klasing, Amnesty International USA’s director for government relations, said the portal was an essential link between human rights groups and the U.S. government.
“If I’m a member of Congress, I want to make sure taxpayer funding isn’t going to torturers or forces killing their own citizens for protesting,” she said.
A Legacy of Oversight Under Threat
The HRG was created after years of pressure from lawmakers and rights groups demanding better enforcement of the Leahy Law, first enacted in 1997.
Senator Leahy’s amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act established a strict principle: U.S. military aid should not go to units that commit gross human rights abuses.
Over time, the law has evolved to address modern conflicts, from Latin America’s drug wars to counterterrorism campaigns in the Middle East. The HRG was seen as the most direct mechanism for ensuring compliance and transparency.
Critics Say Restructuring Weakens U.S. Credibility
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s reorganization of the State Department — which reportedly included layoffs and merging or dissolving offices that focused on human rights monitoring — has raised alarms among diplomats and advocacy groups.
Critics argue that this downsizing aligns with President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy approach, which has often sidelined human rights in favor of strategic and economic interests.
This year’s State Department Human Rights Report was also significantly shorter than previous editions, omitting some cases of alleged abuses by U.S. allies while highlighting those by governments opposed to Washington’s policies.
Human rights experts say the combination of these actions sends a troubling message.
“When the U.S. dismantles its own human rights oversight mechanisms, it emboldens abusive regimes around the world,” said Klasing.
What Happens Next?
The U.S. remains the world’s largest provider of military aid, supplying arms and training to more than 150 countries. Critics say without transparent oversight tools like the HRG, it will become increasingly difficult to ensure American weapons are not being used to commit war crimes or suppress dissent.
The State Department has not announced any plan to replace the HRG or create an alternative reporting mechanism. Rights groups are now urging Congress to intervene and reinstate a public reporting channel.
“This isn’t just about compliance — it’s about credibility,” said Rieser. “When the U.S. fails to enforce its own laws, it loses moral authority to demand accountability from others.”
As international attention grows, lawmakers are expected to press the administration for answers about how it plans to uphold human rights standards without the HRG.
For now, the portal’s disappearance marks what many see as a significant step backward for U.S. transparency and global human rights advocacy.