(Washington, DC) – The United States government’s abrupt cuts to nearly all US foreign aid in 2025 harmed the global human rights movement and countless people at risk, Human Rights Watch said in a 42-page paper issued today.

“ Every Autocrat’s Dream: A Global Snapshot of the Human Rights Harms of US Foreign Aid Cuts ” examines the immediate consequences of the aid cuts to the work of human rights defenders around the world. Investigations into abuses were halted, support for victims cut off, and organizations that helped deter violations were forced to scale back or close.

“The US government’s withdrawal of support from the global human rights movement was music to the ears of autocrats,” said Sarah Yager , Washington director at Human Rights Watch.…