US added to global watchlist amid grave concerns over Trump's assault on civic freedoms
Johannesburg, South Africa - The US under Donald Trump has been added to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist, a global watchdog's list of countries with civic freedoms on the decline.
CIVICUS – an international non-profit organization based out of South Africa – announced on Monday it had placed the US on its watchlist along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan, and Serbia.
"This is an unparalleled attack on the rule of law in the United States, not seen since the days of McCarthyism in the twentieth century. Restrictive executive orders, unjustifiable institutional cutbacks, and intimidation tactics through threatening pronouncements by senior officials in the administration are creating an atmosphere to chill democratic dissent, a cherished American ideal," Mandeep Tiwana, interim co-secretary general of CIVICUS, said in a press release.
"The Trump administration seems hellbent on dismantling the system of checks and balances which are the pillars of a democratic society," Tiwana added.
CIVICUS has raised alarm over the slew of repressive executive orders out of the White House as well as mass firings of federal employees and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion measures.
Also of grave concern are administration decisions to pull back from international aid, the World Health Organisation, and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as crackdowns on protests – particularly Palestine solidarity demonstrations.
US civic space classified as "narrowed"
The US civic space currently holds a "narrowed" rating by CIVICUS, the same classification it had during the Biden administration.
"This rating is typically given to countries where democratic freedoms, such as the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, are increasingly being violated," the organization explains.
The rating could drop down to "obstructed" – or worse – if conditions continue to deteriorate.
"We urge the United States to uphold the rule of law and respect constitutional and international human rights norms," Tiwana said. "Americans across the political spectrum are appalled by the undemocratic actions of the current administration."
Cover photo: REUTERS