'Why Don't You Release Assange?': Mexican President Strikes Back at US Over Human Rights Report
Mexico’s president said the US government’s destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines and the ongoing political persecution of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange shows the US State Department’s accusations of human rights violations in Mexico “should not be taken seriously.” | Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador dismissed a report by the US government on Tuesday accusing his administration of human rights violations as “lies.” ● The State Department issued its annual report Monday on “Human Rights Practices.” The publication criticized the Lopez Obrador administration’s treatment of journalists and claimed that in Mexico, “impunity and extremely low rates of prosecution remained a problem for all crimes, including human rights abuses and corruption.” In a stinging rebuke broadcast during his daily news conference, Lopez Obrador described the allegations as politically motivated, and said America’s obvious double standards mean the report “should not be taken seriously.” “Let's see, human rights? Why don't you release Assange?” he asked, referring to the jailed WikiLeaks publisher who faces potential extradition to the US on espionage charges after revealing war crimes committed by American forces abroad. “If you are talking about journalism and freedom, why are you holding Assange?”