PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner issued a public call to action ahead of World Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, urging prosecutors and elected officials across the country to hold the federal government accountable for what he described as ongoing human rights violations.
According to a press release from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Krasner addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva during an information meeting on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process for the United States. Krasner appeared alongside Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
The Universal Periodic Review meeting focused on widespread concerns over U.S. noncompliance with Article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the long-term use of national emergency powers without the required communication to the UN Secretary General. The DAO said this lack of transparency fails to maintain the United States’ obligations under international human rights law.
The press release states Krasner is calling on “all other reformed prosecutors to increase their advocacy, engagement and protection of marginalized communities as we fight for the human rights of all Americans, undocumented people, and our neighbors.” According to the DAO, Krasner argued that a representative human rights prosecutor’s office protects “Black, brown, and poor people as well as victims of crime, immigrants, wrongfully convicted people, and those who feel voiceless.”
“People deserve human rights. Philly deserves human rights,” Krasner said in the release. “And as your elected district attorney, I will protect your human rights.”
The DAO raised concerns in Geneva about the impact of federal policies on marginalized communities nationwide, citing aggressive immigration enforcement, militarization of law enforcement, and growing barriers to transparency. Officials at the UPR session emphasized that human rights violations in the United States remain “the lived reality” for communities disproportionately affected by federal crackdowns, racial discrimination and continued expansion of emergency powers.
The press release also highlighted efforts by local governments in Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles to implement reforms through executive orders, policy changes and community organizing. These reforms, the DAO said, represent meaningful resistance to federal overreach and reflect the role of local jurisdictions in protecting vulnerable communities.
In conclusion, the demands from officials remain clear: “No country should be above international law. Human rights are universal or they are meaningless.”
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Maybe Krasner should pay more attention to protecting the people of his jurisdiction:
“District Attorney Larry Krasner is facing mounting backlash after a repeat offender — previously released on low bail and freed when Krasner’s office dropped kidnapping and assault charges — was charged in the disappearance of Miss USA hopeful Kada Scott, 23, whose remains were found over the weekend.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/soros-backed-blue-city-da-under-fire-after-freeing-suspect-tied-miss-usa-hopefuls-death
Right. Article from October 20. Two weeks later he was overwhelmingly reelected. Some backlash.