The human rights record of the United States in civil and political rights in 2009

The restrictions and violations of civil and political rights by the American government are quite serious. According to the report of the US Department of Justice on February 8, 2009, by the end of 2008, there were 7.3 million people in prisons, detention centers or on probation or parole in the United States, an increase of 0.5% over 2007. (Note 27) Among them, 2.3 million people are serving their sentences in prison, that is, 1 out of every 98 Americans. From 2000 to 2008, the prison population in the United States increased by 1.8% annually. (Note 28) Due to the pressure of overcrowding in California prisons and the deteriorating financial situation, the California government plans to send tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to prisons in Mexico. (Note 29)

The basic rights of prisoners are not guaranteed. It is common for prison guards to rape criminals. According to the statistics of the US Department of Justice, in 93 federal prisons, the incidents of sexual assault by prison staff have doubled in the past eight years. Of the 90 prison staff accused of sexually assaulting prisoners, 40% were also convicted of other crimes. (Note 30) The New York Times reported on June 24, 2009 that a survey of more than 63,000 state and federal prison inmates showed that 4.5% of prisoners had been abused at least once in the past 12 months, and it was estimated that there were at least 60,000 rape cases against prisoners in the United States. (Note 3 1) According to the report of the U.S. Department of Justice, at the end of 2008, the number of male prisoners in federal prisons and state prisons in the United States was 2023 1 person, and the number of female prisoners was 19 13, accounting for 1.5% and/kloc respectively. (Note 32) From 2007 to 2008, the number of prisoners infected with HIV increased by 246 in California, 65,438+069 in Missouri and 65,438+066 in Florida. In 2007, more than 130 prisoners died of AIDS in federal and state prisons. (Note 33) A report by Human Rights Watch in March 2009 pointed out that the number of HIV carriers in prisons in New York State is much higher than that in most other states. These people cannot get corresponding treatment, and even are held in solitary confinement, refusing to provide any treatment. (Note 34)

On the one hand, the United States vigorously peddles "freedom of speech", "freedom of the press" and "freedom of the internet" in the world, on the other hand, it monitors and restricts citizens' freedom rights through various means according to its own interests and needs. It is reported that as early as 200 1 year, the National Security Agency of the United States installed special eavesdropping equipment in China to monitor telephone calls, faxes and emails and collect domestic communication information. At first, the program was only aimed at Arab Americans, and then it was gradually expanded to other ordinary citizens. More than 25 monitoring devices have been installed in San Jose, San Diego, Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago, Missouri, USA. Recently, the US National Security Agency is spending $65.438+0.5 billion to build a million-square-foot database in Camp Williams, Utah, and another large-scale database in San Antonio as an important part of its newly established cyber command. A man named Nokio was charged with 65,438+09 counts of insider trading and sentenced to six years' imprisonment for refusing to join the scheme. (Note 35)

After the "9. 1 1" incident, the U.S. government, under the banner of anti-terrorism, authorized the intelligence system to invade citizens' e-mail communication, comprehensively monitored and forcibly deleted the information threatening the national interests of the United States through technical means. According to the Patriot Act of the United States, the police have the right to search telephone, email, medical, financial and other records; The powers of police and immigration control units to detain and expel foreigners suspected of being related to terrorism have been strengthened. The bill expands the definition of terrorism and the jurisdiction of the police. On July 9, 2008, the new version of the eavesdropping bill passed by the US Senate granted legal immunity to telecom companies involved in eavesdropping projects, and at the same time allowed the US government to eavesdrop on the international communication of a communication party outside the United States on the grounds of counter-terrorism without the approval of the court. According to statistics, from 2002 to 2006, the FBI stole thousands of communication records of American citizens by mail, notes and telephone. In September 2009, the United States set up a regulatory department responsible for Internet security, which aggravated American citizens' concerns about the government's intervention and supervision of private systems on the grounds of maintaining Internet security. In an interview with The New York Times in April 2009, a US government official admitted that the interception and monitoring of emails and phone calls of American citizens by the National Security Agency in recent months had exceeded the limit set by the US Congress in 2008. In addition, they also secretly monitor the telephone calls of politicians of other countries, officials of international organizations and well-known journalists. (Note 37) The US military is also involved in monitoring. According to CNN, the US military cyber risk assessment agency headquartered in Virginia is responsible for monitoring official and unofficial personal blogs, official documents, personal contact information, weapons photos, military camp entrances and other websites that may threaten national security.

The so-called "freedom of the press" in the United States is actually completely subordinate to the interests of the United States and is "freedom" under the control of the US government. It is reported that the U.S. government and the Pentagon intend to place a group of retired military officers as commentators in the major radio and television media in the United States, and give a "positive evaluation" and analysis of the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war as "military experts" in an attempt to guide public opinion, beautify the war, and make the public agree with its "anti-terrorism" concept, thus gaining support. (Note 38) At the end of 2009, the US Congress passed a bill to impose sanctions on several Arab satellite TV channels in the Middle East on the grounds of spreading anti-American content and inciting violence. (Note 39) In September 2009, when the G20 leaders' meeting was held in Pittsburgh, USA, anti-capitalist protesters used "Twitter" and SMS to organize a mass rally, and there were many clashes with the police. Eliot Madison, 4 1 year-old, was later accused of helping protesters escape arrest through the internet, and the police also searched his residence. Vic Walzak, head of the American Civil Liberties Union in Pennsylvania, said that if the same thing happened in other countries, it would be called a violation of human rights, but in the United States, it was called a necessary crime prevention measure.

(Note 20) The Oregonian, 2009, 65438+1October 23,

(Note 22) Washington Post, July 2009 19.

Chicago Tribune, September 2009,

(Note 24) Chicago Tribune, September 2009 19.

(Note 25) Washington post, June 2009, 5438+065438+ 10/8.

(Note 30) Washington post, September 2009 1 1.

(Note 3 1) The New York Times, June 24, 2009.

(Note 36) new york Times, July 2008 10.

(Note 37) The New York Times, April 2009 15.

New york Times, April 20, 2009.