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Concerned: US Attorney General Merrick Garland
Photo: REUTERS
Amid the heated abortion debate in the US, the government is tightening protections for judges on the country's Supreme Court.
This was announced by the Ministry of Justice.
Accordingly, US Attorney General Merrick Garland met with officials on Wednesday to discuss the security requirements for the Supreme Court and its judges after the latest data leak.
Garland had already instructed last week to ensure the around-the-clock surveillance of the homes of all nine judges more quickly.
At the beginning of May, the US media »Politico« published a confidential draft of the court, according to which the Supreme Court is about to overturn its landmark 1973 ruling on abortion.
The court had confirmed the authenticity of the document, but emphasized that it was not the final decision.
The report sparked pro-abortion protests in several US cities.
A final decision from the court is expected in the coming weeks.
According to the report, Garland lamented an "increase in violence and unlawful threats of violence against those who serve the public".
His ministry will "not tolerate violence or threats of violence against judges or other government officials at work, at home or anywhere else."
It will "take all necessary steps to further improve the security of the court and its judges".
UN human rights commissioner worried
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has expressed concern about the possible lifting of abortion rights.
This is "very worrying," Bachelet said at an economic forum hosted by the Bloomberg news agency in Panama.
An overturning of the verdict would therefore affect millions of women.
Data have shown "that strict abortion laws do not lead to fewer abortions, but to more illegal abortions that are more likely to be dangerous".
If the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling, states would have free rein to ban abortion or drastically restrict access to abortion.
Dam/dpa/AFP