(2018-12-28). Is There a Way Out of the Afghan Deadlock? globalresearch.ca Afghanistan has always been of particular interest to world powers and they would most certainly try to conquer it. But not for the sake of earning bragging rights, but to secure control over a bridgehead connecting the countries of Central …
(2018-12-28). We're Learning the Truth About Voter Fraud. counterpunch.org For years, Republicans in North Carolina have tried to roll back voter rights in the interest of "preventing fraud." But now, one of their own — Republican Mark Harris in the state's 9th congressional district — stands credibly accused of paying a consultant who may have stolen or altered absentee ballots cast for his opponent. More
(2018-12-28). The Courts Consistently Brushed Back Trump's Assaults on Immigrants in 2018. aclu.org From family separation to the asylum ban, our independent judiciary stepped in to ensure that the president is not above the law. | This article was originally published in The Los Angeles Times. | For immigrants, there's no way to sugarcoat 2018. The Trump administration enacted a series of draconian policies targeting noncitizens, and the one that will most define the year — and this administration — is the separation of thousands of children, some less than a year old, from their mother…
(2018-12-28). Left in the cold: Migrants forced to stay in car park. aljazeera.com Immigration and Customs Enforcement released migrants from detention facilities, dropped them in downtown El Paso.
(2018-12-28). Mumia Abu-Jamal Can Reargue Appeal After Judicial Bias Revealed. telesurenglish.net In a split ruling over judicial bias Thursday, a Philadelphia judge has reinstated appeal rights to former Black liberation activist, Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing a city police officer more than 30 years ago. Abu-Jamal has maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration. | RELATED: | Mumia Abu-Jamal's Words for Mexican Nahuatl Political Prisoners | Judge Leon Tucker ruled Thursday that Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Ronald Castille should not have presided o…
(2018-12-28). How Israel's Conscription Law Assaults its Own Ultra-Orthodox Community. mintpressnews.com 
Not unlike the Palestinian people whose stance against Zionism is anchored in historical and moral rights, the Haredi community's heroic stance on military conscription is anchored in faith and principle that no power has been able to defeat.
(2018-12-28). Tear gas, stun grenades fired as Sudan protests enter 10th day. aljazeera.com Anti-government protests staged after Friday prayers in capital Khartoum and other cities following opposition's call.
(2018-12-28). Congo Demands Departure of EU Ambassador Ahead of Elections. telesurenglish.net Thursday Congo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Leonard She Okitundu, requested the departure of the European Union (EU) Ambassador Bart Ouvry within 48 hours. This request was made alleging reciprocity for the European Council's sanctions against Congolese high officers, including presidential candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. | RELATED: | DR Congo: Three Opposition Strongholds Excluded from Elections | "We have patiently waited and to this day, have had no response and the sanc…
(2018-12-28). U.S. Immigration Policy Contributes to Another Child Death. globalresearch.ca Following the second death of a child in U.S. Border Patrol custody in recent weeks, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) urgently calls for the immediate release of all detained children to community-based settings, access to independent medical providers for all …
(2018-12-28). Turkey Expects US To Extend Iran Sanctions Waiver. iranian.com Turkey expects the US to extend its sanctions waiver on importing Iranian oil, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said Thu., according to Bloomberg. "We expect an extension of Turkey's exemption" from sanctions, Pekcan was quoted as saying by Bloomberg, citing her interview with NTV in Ankara. She was referring to the temporary waiver that allowed Turkey to […]
(2018-12-28). What Can Humanity Learn From The Great Law Of Peace (2/2). therealnews.com 
Stuart Myiow, Wolf Clan Representative of the Mohawk Traditional Council, says Western 'democracies' wrongly prioritize individual rights over the rights of the collective
(2018-12-28). The Roots of Venezuela's Economic Crisis. therealnews.com 
As US sanctions against Venezuela take an ever-greater toll on the country and its people, it is important to understand how the sanctions work and the extent of the damage they have caused, say Steve Ellner and Greg Wilpert, in a joint analysis of the situation
(2018-12-28). Federal agents release more than 1,000 immigrants in El Paso, Texas. wsws.org The mass releases, with detained immigrants dropped at bus stations, shelters and city parks, seem to be a politically-motivated campaign by ICE agents.
(2018-12-28). The RCL/SEP's struggle against the anti-Tamil civil war. wsws.org Part five outlines the RCL/SEP's intransigent political struggle to defend the democratic rights of the island's Tamil minority and to unite the working class, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim, on the basis of socialist internationalism.
(2018-12-27). Exploitation, Marxism, and Labour Law (Part One). mronline.org 
On trial with other members of the Rhenish District Committee of Democrats in 1849, Karl Marx argued in a Cologne court that their prosecution was based upon "laws which the Crown itself has trampled into the dirt". | Source
(2018-12-27). BDS Victory: Banking Giant Pulls Support From Israeli Arms Firm. telesurenglish.net London-based banking giant HSBC is ending investments with Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms firm, Al Jazeera reported Thursday. | RELATED: | This is What Solidarity Looks Like: Major BDS Victories in 2018 | No official statement has been released, but an unofficial source told Al Jazeera that despite the company's nonpartisan position on world politics, they wish to observe "international human rights principles." | HSBC had nearly US$4 million invested in the arms manufacturer, wh…
(2018-12-27). The First Step Act Is a Small Step for Incarcerated Women. aclu.org While the law ends two gender-specific indignities of federal incarceration, it only begins to scratch the surface for incarcerated women. | The enactment of the First Step Act earlier this month will bring some much-needed change to our criminal justice system. But the First Step Act remains just that, a first step — particularly with respect to the impact that mass incarceration has had on cisgender women and trans people. | The legislation ends two gender-specific indignities…
(2018-12-27). Private Immigration Prisons Are Raking In Taxpayer Dollars Under Trump. truthdig.com For-profit prisons are a lucrative industry in the United States. After falling out of favor in the Obama years, they've found a new purpose—and extensive profits—in the Trump administration by incarcerating undocumented immigrants. | These prisons have come under scrutiny from advocates alleging extensive human rights abuses, but as The New York Times explained in October, the biggest companies in the industry defend themselves by touting their efficiency, claiming they "build and operate prisons more cheaply than…
(2018-12-27). Amber Heard: I Spoke Up Against Sexual Violence and Faced Our Culture's Wrath. aclu.org It's time to reform institutions that protect men accused of abuse. | This piece was originally published in the Washington Post. | I was exposed to abuse at a very young age. I knew certain things early on, without ever having to be told. I knew that men have the power — physically, socially and financially — and that a lot of institutions support that arrangement. I knew this long befor…
(2018-12-27). Saudi King Appoints Former Ritz-Carlton Detainee as Foreign Minister. theantimedia.com 
(MEE) — King Salman of Saudi Arabia has appointed a new foreign minister as part of a major cabinet reshuffle, a royal decree has said. Ibrahim al-Assaf will replace Adel al-Jubeir, the foreign ministry said on Thursday citing the decree. Jubeir will be demoted to minister of state for foreign affairs, it added. Assaf, a former long-serving …
(2018-12-27). Despite U.S. Sanctions Iran's Budget Projects Higher Oil Revenues. iranian.com As Iran's oil exports have halved due to U.S. sanctions, the government has set 1,425 trillion rials income from oil, petroleum products and natural gas exports in the next year budget bill, which indicates a 32% growth year-on-year. Iran's fiscal year starts on March 21. The projected increase of oil revenues is odd since Iran's […]
(2018-12-27). Counterbalancing Disproportionate Power: The Message from Harris Gleckman. therealnews.com 
No major democratic country deals with domestic civil or criminal matters related to human rights based on a voluntary system, explains Harris Gleckman, in an op-ed on the disproportionate power wielded by transnational businesses in the current world system
(2018-12-27). Ahead of Bolsonaro's Inauguration in Brazil, Groups Vow to Fight 'Hateful Rhetoric and Acts of Violence, Intimidation, or Persecution'. commondreams.org Ahead of incoming Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's inauguration, scheduled for Jan. 1, 46 global civil society groups issued an open statement warning that he poses "a serious threat to democracy, human rights, and the environment," and vowing to challenge "hateful rhetoric and acts of violence, intimidation, or persecution" against communities and organizations he has attacked. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2018-12-27). Residents defend immigrant workers after ICE raids Indiana restaurants, arrests five. wsws.org Over 100 people rallied last week in Portage, Indiana to support the workers who had been detained earlier this month.
(2018-12-26). 8-Year-Old Guatemalan Boy Dies in Border Patrol Custody Days After High Court Rejects Asylum Ban. democracynow.org 
For the second time this month, a Guatemalan child has died in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Eight-year-old Felipe Gómez Alonzo died in New Mexico on Christmas Eve, after being detained since December 18. This follows the death of a 7-year-old indigenous Guatemalan girl, Jakelin Caal Maquín, who died on December 8, two days after she and her father presented themselves at the border in a bid for asylum. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has rejected President Trump's asylum ban, which attempted to deny asylum to anyone entering the country from outside of a legal port of entry. Supreme Court Chief…
(2018-12-26). Muslim Ban: Meet the Yemeni Americans Suing Trump in an Attempt to Reunite with Loved Ones. democracynow.org 
A group of Yemeni Americans have filed a new federal lawsuit over President Trump's Muslim ban. The suit alleges the State Department has revoked previously approved visas, preventing many Yemenis from reuniting with their families living in the United States. We speak to two of the plaintiffs and the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the lawsuit.
(2018-12-26). The Battle to Stop Family Separation. aclu.org How a Congolese mother and child set in motion an extraordinary battle that exposed government conduct unprecedented in its cruelty and carelessness. | In March 2017, John Kelly, then Secretary of Homeland Security, said in an interview with CNN that the Trump administration was considering a national policy to separate parents from their children to deter immigrants from crossing the border into the United States. The proposal triggered a backlash because it was so unpalatable, and the…
(2018-12-26). 8-Year-Old Dies on Christmas Morning in US Border Patrol Custody. theantimedia.com 
(CD) — An eight-year-old Guatemalan boy died in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shortly after midnight on Christmas Day, the second death of a migrant child detained by the agency this month alone. According to the Associated Press: The boy showed "signs of potential illness" Monday and was taken with his father to a hospital in Alamogordo, …
(2018-12-26). Oil Minister: Private Buyers Of Iran Crude Have No Problems Exporting It. iranian.com Iran said on Wednesday private exporters have had "no problems" selling Iranian oil, and 3 million barrels of crude could be sold soon to non-government traders, state media reported, despite U.S. sanctions targeting Tehran's oil sales. Iran began selling crude oil to private companies for export in late October, just ahead of U.S. sanctions on […]
(2018-12-26). China: Trial of lawyer Wang Quanzhang a "cruel charade" amnesty.org The trial of Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang is a cruel charade and he should be immediately and unconditionally released, Amnesty International said. | Wang is one of the few lawyers still held in detention after the Chinese government's mass crackdown in 2015, which targeted nearly 250 lawyers and activists. He is on trial at the Tianjin Municipal No.2 Intermediate People's Court accused of "subverting state power," which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. | "This is a sham trial in which Wang Quanzhang is being persecuted only for peacefully defending human rights," said Doriane Lau, C…
(2018-12-24). UN Members Thwart China's Bid to Gut Funds for Myanmar Probe. hrw.org 
| | Smoke is seen rising from Burma's Taung Pyo Let War village from across the border in Bangladesh. | | © 2017 Private | United Nations member countries thwarted an attempt by China to slash proposed funding for investigations into Myanmar's ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims. This ensures that a newly established UN body will have the necessary financing to gather and preserve criminal evidence for future trials. | After marathon negotiations — during which China called for cutting the propos…
(2018-12-24). Russian Federation: The Network case, shrouded in secrecy and marred by numerous torture allegations. amnesty.org Amnesty International is concerned about the ongoing prosecution of at least 10 young men from Penza and St Petersburg, mostly left-wing political activists describing themselves as antifascists and anarchists, in connection with the so called "Network" (Set') case. It is particularly concerning that the complaints, made by several of the co-accused, about torture and other ill-treatment allegedly being used to extract "confessions", are not being investigated effectively.
(2018-12-24). Sudan: 37 protesters dead in government crackdown on demonstrations. amnesty.org Amnesty International has credible reports that 37 protesters have been shot dead by the security forces in five days of anti-government demonstrations that have rocked the country. | "With further protest planned tomorrow, the fact that the security forces are using lethal force so indiscriminately against unarmed protesters is extremely troubling," said Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International's deputy director for East Africa, the Great Lakes and the Horn. |
(2018-12-24). Kenya: Global Compact on Refugees must be quickly anchored in national policy. amnesty.org The endorsement of the Global Compact on Refugees at the United Nations General Assembly on 17 December will not improve the lives of refugees in Kenya, based on the government's record on the rights of people fleeing conflict and persecution, unless it turns rhetoric into action. |
(2018-12-23). Major Liberal Groups Sat on Sidelines as Senate Passed Historic Resolution on Yemen War. theintercept.com The Senate vote this month to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen marked a historic break from a bipartisan embrace of a pro-war foreign policy, yet it was accomplished without strong backing from Washington's liberal foreign policy infrastructure. | The resolution, co-sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., invokes the rights laid out in the War Powers Act of 1973 that assert Congress's authority over war, and it was the result of many months of work by a coalition of progressive activists and anti-war lawmakers. The war is Saudi-led, but the U.S. has provided cri…
(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: Risk of Double Trials 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…
(2018-12-23). 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. |
(2018-12-22). 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). 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). 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…
(2018-12-21). 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). 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). '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). #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…
(2018-12-21). 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). 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). Emiratos àÅrabes Unidos: Posible sentencia en la causa de defensor de los derechos humanos. amnesty.org El 24 de diciembre de 2018, el Tribunal Supremo Federal de Emiratos àÅrabes Unidos (EAU) verá el recurso de apelación del destacado defensor de los derechos humanos y preso de conciencia Ahmed Mansoor. Es posible que el tribunal dicte sentencia definitiva ese mismo día. El 29 de mayo de 2018, Ahmed Mansoor fue declarado culpable y condenado a 10 años de prisión por "insultar a los EAU y sus símbolos", entre otros cargos.
(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…