US imposes visa restrictions on foreign officials over free speech

ANI: The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting foreign officials accused of censoring American citizens, marking an escalation in the Trump administration's confrontation with allies over free speech policies.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled the measures, stating that Americans had been “fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights.”

In a post shared on social media platform X, Rubio said the restrictions would apply to “foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans,” adding that free speech was “a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority.”

In a statement, Rubio stated, “Free speech is among the most cherished rights we enjoy as Americans. This right, legally enshrined in our constitution, has set us apart as a beacon of freedom around the world. Even as we take action to reject censorship at home, we see troubling instances of foreign governments and foreign officials picking up the slack. In some instances, foreign officials have taken flagrant censorship actions against U.S. tech companies and U.S. citizens and residents when they have no authority to do so.”