CNA Staff, May 30, 2020 / 12:00 pm
United Nations Human Rights Council has criticized some U.S. states for using the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to restrict abortion.
"UN experts are concerned some U.S. states – such as Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Iowa, Ohio, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee – appear to be manipulating #COVID19 crisis measures to restrict access to essential #abortion care," tweeted the United Nations Special Procedures account on Wednesday, May 27.
The tweet linked to an article published Wednesday on the United Nations Human Rights Council's Office of the High Commissioner's website that further cited the states for classifying elective abortions as a non-essential medical procedure.
"We regret that the above-mentioned states, with a long history of restrictive practices against abortion, appear to be manipulating the crisis to severely restrict women's reproductive rights," said Elizabeth Broderick, vice-chair of the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls, quoted in the article.