Japan court extends ex-Nissan chief Ghosn's detention by 10 days
aljazeera | aljazeera.com | 2018-12-23
Former Nissan chief will spend Christmas and beginning of 2019 behind bars as Tokyo court extends his detention.
aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/japan-court-extends-nissan-chief-ghosn-detention-10-days-181223060258442.html

They Rescued Pigs and Turkeys From Factory Farms — and Now Face Decades in Prison
Leighton Akio Woodhouse | theintercept.com | 2018-12-23
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…
theintercept.com/2018/12/23/dxe-animal-rights-factory-farms/

Iraq/Kurdistan Region: Double Jeopardy for ISIS Ties
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-23
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…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/23/iraq/kurdistan-region-double-jeopardy-isis-ties

Russia Offers to Host Palestine-Israel Peace Talks
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2018-12-22
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…
telesurenglish.net/news/Russia-Offers-to-Host-Palestine-Israel-Peace-Talks-20181222-0003.html

Acteal Massacre: Indigenous Tzotzil Keeps Their Memory Alive
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2018-12-22
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…
telesurenglish.net/news/Acteal-Massacre-Indigenous-Tzotzil-Keeps-Their-Memory-Alive-20181222-0018.html

Saudi prince Talal bin Abdulaziz dies aged 87
aljazeera | aljazeera.com | 2018-12-22
Prince Talal was a vocal supporter of reforms in the kingdom and backed moves to give Saudi women more rights.
aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/saudi-prince-talal-bin-abdulaziz-dies-aged-87-181222192423681.html

The March For Return Is Not Over: Death Toll in Gaza Increases
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2018-12-22
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…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-March-For-Return-Is-Not-Over-Death-Toll-in-Gaza-Increases-20181222-0007.html

Illegal Land Grab and Human Rights Abuses in the Congo
Survival International | globalresearch.ca | 2018-12-22
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 … | The post Illegal Land Grab and Human Rights Abuses in the Congo appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/illegal-land-grab-and-human-rights-abuses-in-the-congo/5663601

Germany To Ban Iran's US-Sanctioned Mahan Air
Middle East Monitor | iranian.com | 2018-12-22
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 […] | The post Germany To Ban Iran's US-Sanctioned Mahan Air appeared first on The Iranian.
iranian.com/2018/12/21/germany-ban-irans-mahan-air/

US Extends Waiver To Allow Iraq To Keep Importing Iranian Gas
Middle East Eye | iranian.com | 2018-12-22
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 […] | The post US Extends Waiver To Allow Iraq To Keep Importing Iranian Gas appeared first on The Iranian.
iranian.com/2018/12/22/us-extends-waiver-to-allow-iraq-to-keep-importing-iranian-gas/

Bangladesh: Violent Campaign Targets Opposition
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-22
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…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/22/bangladesh-violent-campaign-targets-opposition-0

Burma Debates Women's Rights Amid Pervasive Sexual and Domestic Violence
Shared by Anton Woronczuk | truthout.org | 2018-12-22
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…
truthout.org/articles/myanmar-debates-womens-rights-amid-pervasive-sexual-and-domestic-violence/

UK Poverty Is the Consequence of Ideological Policy Choices of the Government (2/2)
Shared by Jocelyn Dombroski | therealnews.com | 2018-12-22
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. | The post UK Poverty Is the Consequence of Ideological Policy Choices of the Government (2/2) appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/uk-poverty-is-the-consequence-of-ideological-policy-choices-of-the-government-2-2

Significant Poverty in the UK Triggers Investigation by Human Rights Expert (1/2)
Shared by Jocelyn Dombroski | therealnews.com | 2018-12-22
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. | The post Significant Poverty in the UK Triggers Investigation by Human Rights Expert (1/2) appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/significant-poverty-in-the-uk-triggers-investigation-by-human-rights-expert-1-2

Spanish regional elections: Socialist Party falters, far-right advances
Conn Hallinan | peoplesworld.org | 2018-12-21
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 …
peoplesworld.org/article/spanish-regional-elections-socialist-party-falters-far-right-advances/

Turkey's Erdogan Vows "All Measures" To Circumvent Sanctions On Iran
ZeroHedge | mintpressnews.com | 2018-12-21
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. | The post Turkey's Erdogan Vows "All Measures" To Circumvent Sanctions On Iran appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/turkey-erdogan-vows-all-measures-to-circumvent-sanctions-on-iran/253240/

"Cultural Marxism": The Quixotic Catch-All Term to Cover Feminism, Multiculturalism, Identity Politics, Civil Rights,
Caoimhghin àì Croidheáin | globalresearch.ca | 2018-12-21
"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 … | The post "Cultural Marxism": The Quixotic Catch-All Term to Cover Feminism, Multiculturalism, Identity Politics, Civil Rights, … appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/cultural-marxism-the-quixotic-catch-all-term-to-cover-feminism-multiculturalism-identity-politics-civil-rights/5663302

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 | commondreams.org | 2018-12-21
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2018/12/21/iranian-american-group-thanks-rep-jared-huffman-house-democrats-pressing-trump?cd-origin=rss

Trump's War on Children
Christopher Brauchli | counterpunch.org | 2018-12-21
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…
counterpunch.org/2018/12/21/trumps-war-on-children/

States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights–but Cities Are Pushing Back
Alex Kane | thenation.com | 2018-12-21
States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights–but Cities Are Pushing Back…
thenation.com/article/jvp-cities-israel-bds-palestinian-human-rights/

Sudan: Shooting of protestors must be immediately investigated
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-21
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…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/12/sudan-shooting-of-protestors-must-be-immediately-investigated/

Ethiopia: Commentary on Ethiopia's draft CSO law
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-21
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…
amnesty.org/en/documents/afr25/9622/2018/en/

United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Possible Verdict For Human Rights Defender: Ahmed Mansoor
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-21
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".
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/9624/2018/en/

Nicaragua: Report by independent experts affirms that government of President Ortega has committed crimes against humanity
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-21
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…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/12/nicaragua-report-by-independent-experts-affirms-that-the-government-of-president-ortega-has-committed-crimes-against-humanity/

Erdogan: US Sanctions Can Not Hurt Turkey-Iran Ties
Middle East Monitor | iranian.com | 2018-12-21
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. […] | The post Erdogan: US Sanctions Can Not Hurt Turkey-Iran Ties appeared first on The Iranian.
iranian.com/2018/12/21/us-sanctions-can-not-hurt-turkey-iran-ties/

In Defeat for Trump's Xenophobic Agenda, Supreme Court Rejects 'Immoral' Anti-Asylum Policy
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2018-12-21
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……
commondreams.org/news/2018/12/21/defeat-trumps-xenophobic-agenda-supreme-court-rejects-immoral-anti-asylum-policy?cd-origin=rss

US: Don't Return Asylum Seekers to Mexico
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-21
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…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/21/us-dont-return-asylum-seekers-mexico

#SaveHakeem — Stop deportation of Bahraini refugee
kathy_f | greenleft.org.au | 2018-12-21
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/savehakeem-%E2%80%93-stop-deportation-bahraini-refugee

The Lives We Changed in 2018
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-20
Because of the generosity of ACLU members, these people are free to live their lives again. | This year hasn't been easy: Thousands of families are still suffering the effects of family separation; the Muslim ban continues to keep loved ones apart; and whole generations of family trees are being decimated by an unfair, out-of-control mass incarceration machine. But beneath the headlines, the news alerts, and the legal battles are a few glimmers of hope that ACLU supporters made possible., , Here are some of our favorite moments from 2018. | Ansly Breathes Free Again : | Ethics teacher Ansly Damus fled…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/lives-we-changed-2018

Congress Just Took a Big Step Toward Ending the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-20
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…
aclu.org/blog/prisoners-rights/women-prison/congress-just-took-big-step-toward-ending-shackling-pregnant

'Domestic Workers Don't Have Protections Against Discrimination and Harassment' – CounterSpin interview with Mariana Viturro on Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2018-12-20
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…
fair.org/home/domestic-workers-dont-have-protections-against-discrimination-and-harassment/

Tell Google to drop Dragonfly
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
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…
amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/tell-google-drop-dragonfly/

United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Hunger-Striking Academic In Critical Condition: Dr Nasser bin Ghaith
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
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.
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/9621/2018/en/

Emiratos àÅrabes Unidos: Profesor universitario en huelga de hambre se encuentra en estado crítico
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
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.
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/9621/2018/es/

Kyrgyzstan: Parliament makes welcome first step towards ratifying Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
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…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/12/kyrgyzstan-parliament-makes-welcome-first-step-towards-ratifying-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/

Egypt: NGO 'foreign funding' case acquittals must lead to end of crackdown on human rights community
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
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…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/12/egypt-ngo-foreign-funding-case-acquittals-must-lead-to-end-of-crackdown-on-human-rights-community/

UAE: Fears grow for health of unjustly imprisoned academic
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
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…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/12/uae-fears-grow-for-health-of-unjustly-imprisoned-academic/

Algérie: Forcés à partir: Histoires de migrants victimes d'injustices en Algérie
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
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…
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde28/9512/2018/fr/

الجزائر: مُجبرون على الرحيل: قصص الظلم ضد المهاجرين في الجزائر
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
ÿπŸÑŸâ ŸÖÿØŸâ ÿߟÑÿπŸÇÿØŸäŸÜ ÿߟџÖÿßÿ∂ŸäŸäŸÜÿå ÿ®ÿßÿ™ÿ™ ÿߟÑÿ¨ÿ≤ÿßÿ¶ÿ± ÿ®ŸÑÿØ ÿπÿ®Ÿàÿ± ÿ£Ÿà Ÿàÿ¨Ÿáÿ© ŸÜŸá&yu…
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde28/9512/2018/ar/

Algeria: Forced to leave: Stories of injustice against migrants in Algeria
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2018-12-20
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…
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde28/9512/2018/en/

Trump Publicly Admits His Middle East Policy Puts Israel First — Not America
Whitney Webb | theantimedia.com | 2018-12-20
(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 …

Trump Publicly Admits His Middle East Policy Puts Israel First — Not America

US Deporting Iraqis Without Valid Documents
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-20
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…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/20/us-deporting-iraqis-without-valid-documents

Iran: Imprisoned Dissident Dies
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-20
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…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/20/iran-imprisoned-dissident-dies

Ten Good News Stories for Kids in 2018
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-20
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…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/20/ten-good-news-stories-kids-2018

Déjà vu on the Greek-Turkey Border
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-20
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…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/20/deja-vu-greek-turkey-border

Nicaragua: Zero Tolerance for Scrutiny
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-12-20
(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…
hrw.org/news/2018/12/20/nicaragua-zero-tolerance-scrutiny

After COP24, Trudeau Government Promises More Goodies For Big Oil
Shared by Hezvo Mpunga | therealnews.com | 2018-12-20
Tina Oh of the Canadian Youth Delegation says COP24 failed to respect the rights of her own and subsequent generations | The post After COP24, Trudeau Government Promises More Goodies For Big Oil appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/after-cop24-trudeau-government-promises-more-goodies-for-big-oil

Cambodians Who Fled War, U.S. Bombs and Genocide Now Face ICE Raids and Deportations Under Trump
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-12-19
Cambodians are being deported from the U.S. at record numbers, including many who have been living in the U.S. for decades after fleeing war, U.S. bombings and genocide under the Khmer Rouge. On Monday, an Omni Air flight departed from El Paso, Texas, with 36 Cambodians on board. They were deported to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Attorneys believe it to be one of the largest deportation flights to Cambodia yet under the Trump administration. We speak with Kevin Lo, staff attorney in the Immigrant Rights Program at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus. He has been working with Cambodians livin…
www.democracynow.org/2018/12/19/cambodia…

Brutality Against Prisoners Is Often Unseen. In this Virgin Islands Jail, It Was Caught on Video
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-19
The latest assault follows years of abuse and neglect at the St. Thomas jail. | When Benjamin Hodge, who is serving a nine-month sentence at the Criminal Justice Complex on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, told a corrections officer he had found a cockroach in his food, he did not expect that officer would choke him to near unconsciousness. | Though the jail's own chief investigator found that the officer, Jamal Crooke, had used excessive force and lied in his account of the incident, Crooke continues to work at the jail to this day. No criminal investigation was opened into potential assault charges. No kn…
aclu.org/blog/prisoners-rights/brutality-against-prisoners-often-unseen-virgin-islands-jail-it-was-caught

Trump Administration Recommends Slashing Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-19
A federal commission's post-Parkland recommendations include reversing an Obama-era guidance on racial disparities in school discipline. | On Tuesday, the Federal Commission on School Safety issued recommendations that it claims will help makes schools safer following the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. But at the center of the report is a proposal that will endanger millions of public school students, especially students of color and students with disabilities, by reversing federal guidance intended to address racial disparities in school discipline. Doing away with the guidance will weaken federal civil rig…
aclu.org/blog/juvenile-justice/school-prison-pipeline/trump-administration-recommends-slashing-civil-rights