As the world observes Human Rights Day on 10 December 2025, the United States continues to present itself as a global champion of liberty and justice. Yet, behind this polished image lies a long and troubling record of actions that have repeatedly violated the very human rights principles it claims to uphold.
We take a look at 12 major incidents of heinous human rights violations by the United States from 1946 to 2025.
#1 Sa’ada Migrant Centre Strike – 28 April 2025 – Sa’ada, Yemen
A US airstrike destroyed a migrant detention centre in northwestern Yemen, killing 61 African migrants and injuring 56 others. Amnesty International’s investigation, based on survivor interviews and satellite evidence, found no military presence at the facility, concluding it was an indiscriminate attack on a known civilian target. Survivors suffered amputated limbs, eye loss, and severe trauma.
#2 Kabul Drone Strike – 29 August 2021 – Kabul, Afghanistan
During the US evacuation from Afghanistan, a drone strike killed ten civilians, including seven children and aid worker Zemari Ahmadi. Initial US claims of targeting an ISIS-K threat were later proven false when investigations revealed the vehicle contained water containers, not explosives. The US military admitted the operation was a “tragic mistake” but no personnel faced punishment. Human Rights Watch described this lack of accountability as a systemic failure in US military justice.
#3 Mosul Airstrike Casualties – 17 March 2017 – Mosul, Iraq
The Pentagon admitted that airstrikes in western Mosul killed at least 105 civilians in one of the deadliest single incidents since the 2003 Iraq invasion. A US jet dropped a 500lb bomb on a house in the Jadidah neighborhood while targeting two ISIS fighters on the roof.
#4 Kunduz Hospital Bombing – 3 October 2015 – Kunduz, Afghanistan
A US AC-130 gunship attacked a Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) hospital for nearly an hour, killing 42 patients, doctors, and staff. Despite MSF having shared the hospital’s coordinates with US forces, the strike continued relentlessly. MSF condemned the attack as a war crime. The US military blamed “human error” but filed no criminal charges, highlighting what critics call a pattern of impunity for violations of international humanitarian law.
#5 Al-Majalah Village Strike – 17 December 2009 – Al-Majalah, Yemen
A US missile strike using cluster munitions devastated the Yemeni village of al-Majalah, killing 41 civilians including 21 children and 14 women. Missile fragments found at the site were confirmed as US-made. The attack wiped out entire families, yet no public investigation or accountability measures followed.
#6 Farah Province Bombings – 4-5 May 2009 – Farah, Afghanistan
US-led airstrikes on the villages of Geraani and Ganj Abad killed an estimated 100-120 civilians who had taken shelter in homes. The attacks destroyed 17 houses and killed numerous women, children, and elderly residents. Though requested by Afghan forces, coalition aircraft executed the strikes. Multiple investigations confirmed heavy civilian casualties and evidence of indiscriminate harm, marking one of the deadliest civilian casualty incidents in the Afghanistan conflict.
#7 Azizabad Airstrike Investigation – 21-22 August 2008 – Herat, Afghanistan
US-led airstrikes on Azizabad village killed 78-92 civilians, predominantly women and children. Investigations by the UN and Afghan human rights commissions contradicted US claims about the death toll and circumstances. A subsequent Pentagon inquiry reduced the acknowledged death toll to 33, dismissed villager testimony, and exonerated US forces.
#8 Iran Air Flight 655 – 3 July 1988 – Strait of Hormuz
The USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, an Airbus A300 carrying 290 civilians including 66 children. The US Navy misidentified the commercial airliner as a hostile fighter jet despite its civilian transponder and scheduled route. No US personnel faced criminal punishment; instead, the ship’s captain later received a medal.
#9 My Lai Massacre – 16 March 1968 – Quang Ngai, Vietnam
US Army troops killed 504 unarmed Vietnamese civilians in My Lai village, including women, children, and elderly people. Many victims were tortured or sexually assaulted before execution. The military initially covered up the atrocity. Only Lieutenant William Calley was convicted, serving just 3.5 years of house arrest.
#10 Somalia Air Strikes – April 2017 – December 2018 – Lower Shabelle, Somalia
As the US significantly escalated airstrikes in Somalia, Amnesty International documented five incidents in Lower Shabelle that killed at least 14 civilians and injured eight. Investigations found farmers and children were killed where precautions were insufficient or victims were misidentified as combatants. The pattern of civilian casualties raised serious concerns about US targeting procedures and compliance with international humanitarian law in counterterrorism operations.
#11 Haditha Massacre – 19 November 2005 – Haditha, Iraq
Following an IED attack on a US convoy, Marines killed 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including women and children. Investigations confirmed the victims were non-combatants executed in their homes during a retaliatory operation. Despite clear evidence, only one Marine received a minor conviction, demonstrating systemic accountability failures. The photographs and evidence suppressed by the military revealed the brutal nature of the killings and the institutional resistance to proper investigation.
#12 Atomic Bombings of Japan – 6 & 9 August 1945 – Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan
The United States detonated two atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing between 150,000-246,000 people, mostly civilians. The Nagasaki bomb struck the densely populated Urakami Valley, causing instant mass casualties and leaving survivors with severe burns, radiation sickness, and long-term health consequences. The indiscriminate nature of nuclear weapons and their lasting environmental and health impacts make these attacks among the most severe human rights violations of the 20th century, fundamentally breaching principles of civilian protection in warfare.
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