UN Human Rights Chief: Donald Trump ‘Dangerous’

Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, a Jordanian prince who is also the head of the UN Human Rights Council, said Wednesday that U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would be “dangerous from an international point of view.”

The UN Human Rights Council is best known for shielding tyrants, dictators and murderous regimes from scrutiny while targeting Israel. Its current members include such noted human rights exemplars as China, Cuba, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

Since its establishment in 2003, the UN Human Rights Council has taken 80 actions against Israel — more than three times as many as it has taken against Syria, a regime that has deliberately murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians and displaced millions more. It has only taken six actions against Iran and one against Cuba. Actions against Israel make up nearly 30% of the UN Human Rights Council’s activity.

Zeid’s own country, Jordan, severely restricts basic liberties. According to the most recent State Department report on human rights, Jordan practices “restrictions on the freedom of expression, including detention of journalists, which limited the ability of citizens and media to criticize government policies and officials; citizens’ inability to change their government peacefully; and mistreatment and allegations of torture by security and government officials.”

Reid’s remarks have stirred controversy within the UN — not because of the substance of his criticism, but because he is perceived to have a habit on commenting on the internal political affairs of other countries. The Associated Press notes:

In recent months, Zeid has made speeches that denounced “demagogues” and specifically targeted Trump and several populist leaders in Europe, even likening their tactics to Islamic State propaganda. In Cleveland, Ohio, in April, Zeid alluded to Trump comments at a November rally where he promised to restore waterboarding and introduce even harsher interrogation methods for suspected terrorists.

The AP adds: “The comments from Zeid, a Jordanian prince, are likely to fan a debate in U.N. circles about whether he has been overstepping his mandate.”

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. His new book, See No Evil: 19 Hard Truths the Left Can’t Handle, is available from Regnery through Amazon. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.