(2018-12-23). Japan court extends ex-Nissan chief Ghosn's detention by 10 days. aljazeera.com Former Nissan chief will spend Christmas and beginning of 2019 behind bars as Tokyo court extends his detention.
(2018-12-23). DRC: Authorities must facilitate the right to protest peacefully to prevent further violence. amnesty.org Ahead of tomorrow's planned protests on the postponement of the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to 30 December 2018, Amnesty International is calling on the Congolese authorities to prevent further violence by upholding and facilitating people's right to peacefully exercise their freedom of expression. |
(2018-12-23). They Rescued Pigs and Turkeys From Factory Farms — and Now Face Decades in Prison. theintercept.com In the fall of 2017, Glenn Greenwald reported on a nationwide FBI manhunt for two pigs named Lily and Lizzie. The pigs had been removed from a factory farm in Utah by animal rights activists from a group called Direct Action Everywhere. From the perspective of the activists, the pigs were rescued. From the perspective of Smithfield Farms, the Chinese-owned multinational corporation that owns the factory farm, they were stolen. | Direct Action Everywhere, also known as DxE, engages in a practice calle…
(2018-12-23). Iraq/Kurdistan Region: Double Jeopardy for ISIS Ties. hrw.org 
| | Cigarette burns cover the hands and arms of 18-year-old "Karim." Kurdish authorities held him for 13 months. He then returned home and was rearrested by authorities under Baghdad's control, who tortured and held him for months. | © 2018 San Saravan | (Beirut) — Sunni Arab boys who serve prison time in Iraq's Kurdistan region for Islamic State (also known as ISIS) connections risk rearrest after their release if they try to reunite with their families…
(2018-12-22). Acteal Massacre: Indigenous Tzotzil Keeps Their Memory Alive. telesurenglish.net On Dec. 22, 1997, 45 Indigenous Tzotzil and four unborn babies were murdered by paramilitary forces in Acteal, Chiapas, south Mexico, while they were praying. Twenty one years later, survivors and human rights groups remain alert for possible aggressions and demand actions from the federal government. | RELATED: | Mexico: Over 20,000 Displaced Due to Conflict, Violence in 2017 | The victims were members of a Christian, pacifist group known as "Las Abejas," formed in the context vio…
(2018-12-22). Saudi prince Talal bin Abdulaziz dies aged 87. aljazeera.com Prince Talal was a vocal supporter of reforms in the kingdom and backed moves to give Saudi women more rights.
(2018-12-22). Russia Offers to Host Palestine-Israel Peace Talks. telesurenglish.net Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is offering to host meetings between chief Palestinian and Israeli officials in a bid to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two countries. | RELATED: | Israeli Forces Detain Palestine Reporters Filming Land Razing | "Given our special relations not only with Palestine but Israel as well, we want…
(2018-12-22). Illegal Land Grab and Human Rights Abuses in the Congo. globalresearch.ca The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world's biggest conservation organizations, is breaking the law in its backing of a conservation zone in the Congo Basin, according to letters released today. | The letters demonstrate that the new …
(2018-12-22). The March For Return Is Not Over: Death Toll in Gaza Increases. telesurenglish.net The death toll of the 39th Great March of Return protest reached four after the Ministry of Health confirmed that 18-year-old Ayman Munir Shbeir succumbed Saturday morning to wounds he sustained during Friday protests. | RELATED: | Israeli Forces Detain Palestine Reporters Filming Land Razing | At least 47 Palestinians were injured with live bullets and rubber-coated steel bullets, including two journalists and four paramedics. | On Friday, Gaza's Health Ministry confirmed Muhamm…
(2018-12-22). US Extends Waiver To Allow Iraq To Keep Importing Iranian Gas. iranian.com The United States extended an exemption allowing Iraq to continue importing Iranian oil and gas despite US sanctions on Tehran, a US State Department spokesman confirmed. The spokesman said on Friday that the 90-day extension would allow Baghdad to keep importing Iranian gas that is crucial for Iraqi power production. "A 90-day waiver was granted […]
(2018-12-22). Germany To Ban Iran's US-Sanctioned Mahan Air. iranian.com Germany is to ban flights in and out of the country by Iran's Mahan Air, which is under US sanctions over allegations it ferries troops and supplies into Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, a newspaper reported on Friday, Reuters reports. Bild said the German government had taken the decision to stop Mahan Air from operating […]
(2018-12-22). Bangladesh: Violent Campaign Targets Opposition. hrw.org 
| | Police rush Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters at a protest on February 9, 2018, Dhaka, Bangladesh. | © 2018 Allison Joyce/Getty Images | (New York) — A repressive political environment in Bangladesh ahead of the December 30, 2018 national elections is undermining the credibility of the process, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Bangladeshi authorities should impartially investigate allegations of election violence and ensure that…
(2018-12-22). Burma Debates Women's Rights Amid Pervasive Sexual and Domestic Violence. truthout.org For years, feminists in Burma have been fighting to gain even the most basic legal rights for women. | Spousal abuse is still legal in the isolated country. Even criminal sexual assault is rarely punished. | Activists' patient efforts to change that are starting to pay off. | In late November, officials announced that the Prevention and Protection of Violence Against Women Act, long stalled in Parliament, may finall…
(2018-12-22). Significant Poverty in the UK Triggers Investigation by Human Rights Expert (1/2). therealnews.com 
Poverty and destitution in the UK, even among those employed, and harsh government policy 'solutions' like punitive 'job centers' hit the most vulnerable hardest, including women and people with disabilities, explains UN Special Rapporteur, Philip Alston discussing his investigation into UK poverty.
(2018-12-22). UK Poverty Is the Consequence of Ideological Policy Choices of the Government (2/2). therealnews.com 
The British model since 2010, based on 'austerity' can be seen as a transfer of resources from the poor to the relatively wealthy, explains UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty & Human Rights, Philip Alston discussing his investigation into UK poverty.
(2018-12-22). How the Second Amendment's Militia Became Part of Today's Standing Army. truthout.org Most people already have an opinion of what the Second Amendment means, or ought to mean, in contemporary US society. But what did it mean to the people who wrote it? Why did the writers of the US Constitution feel it was necessary to compose the Second Amendment, and what did they hope it would accomplish? | It turns out there's a short answer and a long answer to this question. The short answer becomes apparent as soon as we look at the actual text of the Second Amendment: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security…
(2018-12-21). Spanish regional elections: Socialist Party falters, far-right advances. peoplesworld.org 
In what seems a replay of recent German and Italian elections, an openly authoritarian and racist party made major electoral gains in Spain's most populous province, Andalusia, helping to dethrone the Socialist Party that had dominated the southern region for 36 years. Vox (Voice)—a party that stands for "Spain First," restrictions on women's rights, ending …
(2018-12-21). States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights—but Cities Are Pushing Back. thenation.com States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights—but Cities Are Pushing Back…
(2018-12-21). Turkey's Erdogan Vows "All Measures" To Circumvent Sanctions On Iran. mintpressnews.com Hawks in Congress and in the president's own administration will use Erdogan's Thursday announcement to "stand by Iran" as fodder for arguing against bringing the troops home, and continuing Syria ground operations in order to counter Iranian expansion.
(2018-12-21). Headlines for December 21, 2018. democracynow.org Secretary of Defense Mattis Resigns in Rebuke of Trump Foreign Policy, Trump & Senate at Impasse over Border Wall Funding as Shutdown Looms, Acting AG Whitaker Rejected Advice of DOJ to Recuse Himself from Mueller Probe, U.S. Plans to Send Asylum Seekers Back to Mexico While Awaiting Claims Processing, Treasury Dept. Lifts Sanctions on Russian Oligarch's Business Empire, DOJ Charges 2 Chinese Nationals over Massive Hacking Campaign, Yemeni Mother Reunites with Dying Son After Travel Ban Waiver, Egypt: Court Acquits 40 NGO Workers over 2013 Illegal Funding Charges, Pope Francis: Catholic Church Will "Never Again"
(2018-12-21). "Cultural Marxism": The Quixotic Catch-All Term to Cover Feminism, Multiculturalism, Identity Politics, Civil Rights, … globalresearch.ca "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." — H. L. Mencken | Cultural Marxism is …
(2018-12-21). Trump's War on Children. counterpunch.org Children are in the news yet again. Not the 12,800 immigrant children that were in shelters for migrant children in the United States in September 2017, a significant increase from May 2016. In that month there were 2700 immigrant children in detention facilities that Trumpsters describe as similar to summer camps. And not the 85,000 children who Save More
(2018-12-21). Iranian-American Group Thanks Rep. Jared Huffman, House Democrats for Pressing the Trump Administration on Ensuring Sanctions Do Not Block Humanitarian Goods from the Iranian People. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2018-12-21). 'We Should Expect Them to Keep Developing New Ways to Subvert Public Will' – CounterSpin interview with Paul Rosenberg on GOP power grabs. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Paul Rosenberg about Republican post-election power grabs for the December 14, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-12-21). Sudan: Shooting of protestors must be immediately investigated. amnesty.org In response to security officers opening fire on protestors in Sudan leaving at least nine people dead, five of whom were students, and dozens more injured over the past two days, Seif Magango, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, said: | | "These killings must stop. Opening fire on unarmed protesters cannot be justified and…
(2018-12-21). Ethiopia: Commentary on Ethiopia's draft CSO law. amnesty.org Amnesty International is pleased to provide this commentary on the draft Charities and Societies Proclamation submitted by Ethiopia's Legal Advisory Council to the Federal Attorney General. The draft proclamation marks a major improvement on existing legislation and will offer greater respect for the rights to freedom of association and expression. Some provisions would, however, continue to significantly impede the enjoyment of these rights. This commentary proposes recommendations to encourage and urge the Ethiopian government to further strengthen the draft legislation in line with its expressed commitment to…
(2018-12-21). United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Possible Verdict For Human Rights Defender: Ahmed Mansoor. amnesty.org On 24 December 2018 the Federal Supreme Court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to hear the appeal of prominent human rights defender and prisoner of conscience, Ahmed Mansoor. The court may issue a final verdict. On 29 May 2018, Ahmed Mansoor was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges including "insulting the UAE and its symbols".
(2018-12-21). Nicaragua: Report by independent experts affirms that government of President Ortega has committed crimes against humanity. amnesty.org In response to the publication of the "Report on the Acts of Violence Occurred Between April 18 and May 30, 2018 in Nicaragua," by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI-Nicaragua) today, Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said: | "The damning report by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts reveals that the government of President Daniel Ortega has committed crimes against humanity in the context of the crisis that began last April. This report constitutes a detailed investigation of the crimes under international law and human rights violations carried…
(2018-12-21). Erdogan: US Sanctions Can Not Hurt Turkey-Iran Ties. iranian.com Ankara and Tehran need to prevent the US sanctions from impeding the neighbouring countries to reach their bilateral targets, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, reports Anadolu Agency. "We must stop the US sanction decision on Iran from impeding us to reach our targets," Erdogan said at the Turkey-Iran Business Forum in the Turkish capital Ankara. […]
(2018-12-21). In Defeat for Trump's Xenophobic Agenda, Supreme Court Rejects 'Immoral' Anti-Asylum Policy. commondreams.org In what immigrant rights groups celebrated as a major victory over President Donald Trump's xenophobic agenda, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the White House cannot automatically deny asylum to those who don't enter the country through an "official" border crossing. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2018-12-21). US: Don't Return Asylum Seekers to Mexico. hrw.org 
| | The port of entry to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. © 2017 Human Rights Watch | (Washington, DC) — The US Department of Homeland Security has announced a policy, effective immediately, that will return asylum seekers to Mexico while their claims are processed in the United States. This raises serious concerns about whether asylum-seeking adults and families will be obstructed in their ability to pursue their asylum claims…
(2018-12-21). #SaveHakeem — Stop deportation of Bahraini refugee. greenleft.org.au 
Bahraini refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi has been held in detention in Thailand since November 27, facing the terrifying prospect of deportation to the country where he was tortured. | Al-Araibi fled to Australia in 2014 and was accepted as a refugee. In November, he travelled on UN travel documents to Thailand for a short holiday with his wife. When he arrived at Bangkok airport, Al-Araibi was arrested under an Interpoll "Red Notice" (an international arrest warrant) issued by the Bahrain government. | Interpol is not meant to issue red notices for refugees, so this red notice should never have been issued for Al-Araib…
(2018-12-20). Congress Just Took a Big Step Toward Ending the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners. aclu.org Passing the First Step Act will be a step toward upholding the rights and protecting the health of pregnant prisoners. | Congress on Thursday passed the Senate version of the First Step Act, which is now headed for signature to President Trump. He is expected to sign it on Friday. | The First Step Act would, in addition to enacting other important criminal justice reforms, prohibit the shackling of p…
(2018-12-20). 'Domestic Workers Don't Have Protections Against Discrimination and Harassment' – CounterSpin interview with Mariana Viturro on Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Mariana Viturro about the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights for the December 14, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-12-20). United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Hunger-Striking Academic In Critical Condition: Dr Nasser bin Ghaith. amnesty.org Dr Nasser bin Ghaith's health has severely deteriorated. The prominent Emirati economist and academic has been on hunger strike for over 70 days in al-Razeen prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to protest the detention conditions and the denial of access to medical care. He is a prisoner of conscience.
(2018-12-20). Emiratos àÅrabes Unidos: Profesor universitario en huelga de hambre se encuentra en estado crítico. amnesty.org La salud de Nasser bin Ghaith, destacado economista y profesor universitario emiratí, se ha deteriorado gravemente tras pasar más de 70 días en huelga de hambre en la cárcel de Al Razeen, en Emiratos àÅrabes Unidos, para protestar por las condiciones de reclusión y la negación del acceso a atención médica. Es preso de conciencia.
(2018-12-20). Tell Google to drop Dragonfly. amnesty.org Google may have paused their plans to support censorship in China – but it's time they commit not to trade human rights for profit. | In August 2018, it was revealed that despite promising not to support censorship in China, Google was preparing to break their promise and launch a search engine that would comply with the Chinese government's repressive internet regulations. | The project was code-named "Dragonfly" and people around the world including journalists, human rights organizations and Google's own employees protested the business move. In December 2018, it was leaked that Google would be hitting pause…
(2018-12-20). Egypt: NGO 'foreign funding' case acquittals must lead to end of crackdown on human rights community. amnesty.org Responding to the news that the South Cairo Criminal Court this morning acquitted all 43 defendants in the retrial of Egypt's notorious "foreign funding" case — also known as Case 173 – Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director said: | "Today's acquittal of all 43 NGO workers in the first 'foreign funding' case is a step in the right direction for Egyptian justice. This was a bogus case that targeted human rights defenders simply for doing their legitimate work and should never have happened in the first place. | "However, today's ruling only relates to the first phase of the ca…
(2018-12-20). Kyrgyzstan: Parliament makes welcome first step towards ratifying Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. amnesty.org Amnesty International welcomes the first move by the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). | "This is an important step towards combating the violations of the rights of persons with disabilities. The unanimity of the vote brings hope that the final ratification is fast approaching. When the Convention is ratified, persons with disabilities must be at the front and centre of any action that the government takes to implement the Convention, including on working groups or committees," said Anna Kirey, Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia…
(2018-12-20). UAE: Fears grow for health of unjustly imprisoned academic. amnesty.org The authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must immediately and unconditionally release Dr Nasser bin Ghaith, a prisoner of conscience whose health has deteriorated sharply in recent days, said Amnesty International today. | Dr Nasser bin Ghaith is serving a 10-year sentence for criticizing the UAE in comments posted on Twitter after a grossly unfair politically motivated trial. | "News that Dr Nasser bin Ghaith's health has deteriorated sharply…
(2018-12-20). Algeria: Forced to leave: Stories of injustice against migrants in Algeria. amnesty.org Over the past two decades Algeria has become a country of transit or final destination of many nationals from West and Central Africa looking for employment opportunities in a variety of sectors, mainly construction and agriculture. Yet despite the large number of Sub-Saharan migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the country, Algeria still lacks a clear legal framework for migrant workers and has a law criminalizing irregular migration making it an offence punishable by up to five years in prison. | Arbitrary arrests and mass expulsions of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa have reached an all-time high, in star…
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(2018-12-20). Algérie: Forcés à partir: Histoires de migrants victimes d'injustices en Algérie. amnesty.org L'Algérie est devenue depuis une vingtaine d'années un pays de passage ou de destination finale pour de nombreux ressortissants d'États d'Afrique centrale et occidentale à la recherche d'emplois dans toute une série de secteurs, essentiellement dans le bâtiment et l'agriculture. Malgré le nombre considérable de migrants, de demandeurs d'asile et de réfugiés originaires d'Afrique sub-saharienne présents en Algérie, ce pays ne dispose toujours pas d'un cadre juridique clair définissant le statut des travailleurs migrants et a une loi criminalisant l'immigration irrégulière et en fait une infraction pénale passible…
(2018-12-20). Trump Publicly Admits His Middle East Policy Puts Israel First — Not America. theantimedia.com 
(MPN) — In a recent interview with the Washington Post, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated that his administration's Middle East policy — including the illegal U.S. military occupation of nearly a third of Syria, the administration's adoption of aggressive Iranian sanctions, and Trump's response to murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi — is not driven by his country's interest in oil but instead …
(2018-12-20). Iran: Imprisoned Dissident Dies. hrw.org 
| | Rajai Shahr Prison, Karaj, Iran. | © 2004 Private | (Beirut) — Iranian authorities should immediately carry out an independent and impartial investigation into the death of an imprisoned activist on a hunger strike, Human Rights Watch said today. Anyone found responsible for wrongdoing in the death of Vahid Sayadi Nasiri should be held accountable. Iranian authorities have systematically failed to conduct transparent investigations into at least prio…
(2018-12-20). US Deporting Iraqis Without Valid Documents. hrw.org 
| | Protesters rally outside the federal court just before a hearing to consider a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Iraqi nationals facing deportation, in Detroit, Michigan, US, June 21, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters/Rebecca Cook | (Beirut) — The United States government has deported at least 30 of a planned 1,400 people originally from Iraq back to their country, in some cases threatening long imprisonmen…
(2018-12-20). Nicaragua: Zero Tolerance for Scrutiny. hrw.org (Washington, D.C.) — The government of President Daniel Ortega is doubling down in its effort to silence dissent, Human Rights Watch said today. | On December 19, 2018, Foreign Affairs Minister Denis Moncada expelled from Nicaragua the Special Monitoring Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) and the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), two bodies linked to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. On the same day, a police official leveled dangerous allegations against Vilma Nuñez, the most prominent human rights defender in the country…
(2018-12-20). Déjà vu on the Greek-Turkey Border. hrw.org 
| | Migrants that crossed the land border between Greece and Turkey are seen at the Pre-Removal Detention Center in the village of Fylakio, Northern Greece, February 24, 2017. | © 2017 Alexandros Avramidis /Reuters | Ten years ago, I documented a systematic pattern of brutal Greek border police pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers at the Evros River border that divides Greece and Turkey. Last week, as I edited a new Human Rights Watch report, I felt as though I was re-reading my old report. | Here's a paragraph fro…
(2018-12-20). Ten Good News Stories for Kids in 2018. hrw.org 
| | Girls in India during a hygiene training as part of the Great WASH Yatra. Himanshu Khagta, WASH United, 2012 | A couple of years ago, a friend following me on Twitter said he found my feed really depressing. "Doesn't anything good ever happen for children?" he asked. | Spreading doom and gloom sometimes seems an occupational hazard of human rights work. But I've taken my friend's words to heart and now, as we approach the end of the year, here are 10 good news stories for kids: | A number of armed forces and armed grou…
(2018-12-20). After COP24, Trudeau Government Promises More Goodies For Big Oil. therealnews.com 
Tina Oh of the Canadian Youth Delegation says COP24 failed to respect the rights of her own and subsequent generations