People should be free to promote human rights without fear: US Embassy

The US embassy in Bangladesh has said the rule of law, free and fair elections, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press are cornerstones of a healthy democracy and the right of all.

The embassy made this statement in a press release regarding the political scenario, level of democracy and human rights situation in Bangladesh on Saturday.

It said, “Whether heading to the polls to vote, exposing corruption, documenting human rights abuses, or peacefully rallying around a common cause, people and non-government organisations everywhere bring to life and defend the basic tenets of democracy every day. It is this conviction about the critical role of citizens and a pluralistic civil society that is the impetus behind the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.”

Adopted by consensus of the General Assembly in 1998, the Declaration states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels.”

People should be free in every country to promote human rights without fear of retaliation.

“As president Biden has stated, no democracy is perfect, and no democracy is ever final. Every gain made, every barrier broken, is the result of determined, unceasing work,” the statement added.