US, India regularly consult at highest levels on democracy, human rights issues: State Department official

“What I would say is that the United States and India regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues,” Robert S. Gilchrist, a senior official at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, told reporters after the annual country report. Are.” Human rights practices were released by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“We strongly encourage and urge India to uphold its human rights obligations and commitments. We meet regularly with civil society representatives, both in the US and India, to hear their perspectives, and those types of perspectives inform the human rights report,” he said.

“And we encourage the Indian government to consult and meet regularly with civil society organizations representing a diverse range of people. So there are several stages. This remains a key component of ours – not only in terms of our interactions but also in terms of our engagement with India,” he stressed.

Gilchrist's comments came in response to a question asked by a reporter from a Bangladeshi news portal.

US Secretary of State Blinken addressed human rights concerns in his remarks at the State Department's annual report mandated by the US Congress, saying, “The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is raising deep concerns for human rights. ,

He said the US condemned the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, while urging Israel to minimize civilian harm in its response.

The section on Israel, which runs 103 pages, documents “credible reports” of more than a dozen types of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detention, conflict-related sexual violence or torture, and executions of family members. Is included. Offense alleged by a relative.

The report said the resulting conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has had a “significant negative impact” on the human rights situation in Israel. It cited credible reports of “unlawful killings” by both Hamas and the Israeli government.

Blinken said the United States would continue to make assessments about foreign countries' records on human rights, and potentially authorize consequences for countries that act regardless of their status as an enemy or partner of the United States. Are inferior.