(2018-11-22). Romanticism's Revenge: From Vegetarianism to Nazi Animal Rights. counterpunch.org 
With the surge in meat-eating associated with industrial capitalism came-particularly from city-dwellers-a swelling of the vegetarian cause, hitherto confined to a relatively few Pythagoreans, radicals and eccentrics. Compassion for animals also surged, particularly in Britain where Queen Victoria lent her name to the issue and where anti-vivisection movements drew increasing adherents, as they did in Germany and France. More
(2018-11-22). Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Released After 7 Years In Prison. iranian.com Iranian media say authorities have released a prominent human rights lawyer after eight years in prison. The semi-official ISNA news agency reported Wednesday that Abdolfattah Soltani was reunited with his family after a Revolutionary Court ruled to release him the day before. Soltani co-founded a human rights group with Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin […]
(2018-11-22). After Visiting Brazil's Lula in Prison, Noam Chomsky Warns Against "Disaster" Under Jair Bolsonaro. democracynow.org 
As Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro prepares to take office in January, we return to our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky shortly after the election. Bolsonaro's impending presidency marks the most radical political shift Brazil since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro is a former Army officer who has praised Brazil's former military dictatorship, spoken in favor of torture and threatened to destroy, imprison or banish his political opponents. Bolsonaro has also encouraged the police to kill suspected drug dealers, and once told a fem…
(2018-11-22). Ukraine: Authorities fail to protect participants of Transgender Day of Remembrance rally from far-right attacks. amnesty.org The Ukrainian authorities failed to ensure the right to freedom of peaceful assembly when far-right groups disrupted and attacked participants of the Transgender Day of Remembrance rally planned in the capital Kyiv ahead of the International Transgender Day of Remembrance. The authorities must ensure that all those responsible for the violence are identified and brought to justice in fair trial proceedings, and also put an end to the persistent issue of impunity for members of political groups who advocate hatred and discrimination and perpetrate violence against vulnerable minorities in Ukraine.
(2018-11-22). Iran: Mounting Crackdown on Teachers, Labor Activists. hrw.org 
| | Iranian workers chant slogans during a May Day demonstration in front of the former US embassy in Tehran, May 1, 2006, protesting against the labor resolutions and their delayed payments. | @ 2006 Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images | (Beirut) — Iranian authorities have increased targeting of teachers and labor activists in recent weeks for organizing and conducting peaceful protests, Human Rights Watch said today. | On November 13, 2018, the Council for Coor…
(2018-11-22). France: Unjust counter-terror measures used to "persecute not prosecute" amnesty.org Despite the lifting of France's state of emergency a year ago, exceptional counter-terrorism powers continue to be used to unjustly punish people without charge or trial, leaving scores languishing in a legal limbo, a new report from Amnesty International has found. | Punished without trial: The use of administrative control measures in the context of counter-terrorism in France reveals how control orders, by bypassing the ordinary criminal justice system and its principles, are imposing severe restrictions on people's rights. |
(2018-11-22). Maldives: Lahiru Madhushanka released. amnesty.org Responding to the news that Lahiru Madhushanka, a Sri Lankan driver who has endured more than three years behind bars amid concerns about an unfair trial and harrowing prison conditions Amnesty International's South Asia Research Director, Dinushika Dissanayake, said: | "It's a relief to hear that Lahiru Madhushanka has been acquitted of all charges and released by the Maldivian authorities. For three years Lahiru experienced agonizing treatment where he was denied basic fair trial rights and was subject to a catalogue of serious human rights violations. | "Lahiru was beaten, denied medical care and held in solit…
(2018-11-22). Nigeria: demand justice with the Knifar women's movement. amnesty.org Abused by those that should have protected them; the Knifar women's movement are survivors who are campaigning for justice.: | In North-East Nigeria, many civilians spent years under the brutal rule of the armed group Boko Haram only to face violence and abuse by the Nigerian military. | After a military operation to re-capture territory from the armed group, many of the survivors of Boko Haram fled or were sent to displaced persons camps. In these camps women have been subjected to sexual violence and rape — often through demands for sex in exchange for food. Thousands have died for lack of food, w…
(2018-11-22). France: Punitions sans procès : L'utilisation de mesures de contrà¥le administratif dans le contexte de la lutte contre le terrorisme en France. amnesty.org Dans le cadre de leurs opérations de lutte contre le terrorisme, les autorités franàßaises ont imposé des mesures qui obligent les personnes visées à vivre dans un lieu déterminé, à se présenter quotidiennement dans un poste de police et à ne pas contacter certaines personnes. Ces mesures de contrà¥le administratif sont appliquées sur la base de critères vagues et imprécis, reposent généralement sur des informations secrètes et sont prises sans que les personnes concernées ne soient inculpées d'une infraction ni jugées. Ces personnes n'ont pas non plus de réelle possibilité de contester les mesures de c…
(2018-11-22). France: Punished without trial – the use of administrative control measures in the context of counter-terrorism in France. amnesty.org As part of their counter-terrorism efforts, French authorities have imposed orders on individuals that restrict them to living in a specific location, require them to report to the police daily, and refrain from contacting certain people. These administrative control measures are applied based on broad and vague criteria, typically rely on secret information and are imposed without the person being charged or tried for committing a crime. Individuals subjected to these control measures are denied a meaningful opportunity to challenge them. This report reveals the consequences of these measures on the people subje…
(2018-11-22). South Africa: Ruling against mining company a victory for marginalized communities across the country. amnesty.org In response to the North Gauteng High Court's ruling that the government cannot issue a license for proposed titanium mining in Xolobeni without the consent of indigenous communities, Executive Director of Amnesty International South Africa, Shenilla Mohamed, said: | | "This progressive court ruling is a victory for the people of Xolobeni, w…
(2018-11-22). ‚ÄãLiberté, Egalité, Absurdity. amnesty.org "We are only an hour from the sea, but I can't take my children to the beach," Kamel Daoudi tells me. It is school holidays and Kamel's wife and three young children have made the long journey across the country to visit him in an isolated town in western France: a town he cannot leave without facing arrest. | A decade ago, Kamel — a 44-year-old man originally from Algeria – was subjected to an assigned residence order, which effectively put him under indefinite house arrest. Under the measure he is confined to a town chosen for him by the government — after being moved six times, he is now in Sain…
(2018-11-22). Making Ethiopia's Electoral Board Independent. hrw.org 
| | Birtukan Mideksa, a former judge and leading opposition figure, named head of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). | @PMEthiopia/Twitter | There was good news from Ethiopia as former opposition leader, lawyer and judge Birtukan Midekssa was named head of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). Following years of almost completely closed political space, Ethiopia's government continues to institute an important series of reforms. The appointment of a…
(2018-11-22). UK Jeweller Takes Step Towards Transparency. hrw.org 
| | A Boodles store in Dublin, Ireland, 2013. | © 2013/Alamy | Some exciting changes have taken place since I first visited the flagship store of Boodles, the prestigious UK jeweller, on Bond Street in central London in March 2017. Then, I was invited into a beautiful, century-old room to talk with the company directors about their efforts to ensure human rights were respected in each step of the supply chain from the mineral mines to the storefronts of this company with annual sales of US$86 million. | While the conve…
(2018-11-22). Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia's Dismemberment of Yemen. truthdig.com "Saudi Arabia must face the damage from the past three-plus years of war in Yemen." These words opened the last column by Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi published while he was still alive. Three weeks later, on Oct. 2, Khashoggi walked into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, and was never seen again. Khashoggi was instructed to go there by the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., the brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to pick up documents allowing him to remarry. It was a ruse. Immediately after entering, Khashoggi was grabbed by a 15-member Saudi "kill team," tortured, killed a…
(2018-11-22). Judge Overturns Trump's 'Catastrophic' Asylum Ban. therealnews.com 
A federal judge ruled that Trump's ban on asylum applications from those who do not enter the US at a legal port of entry is in complete contravention to US and international law. Angelo Guisado of the Center for Constitutional Rights outlines the practical and legal background of the decision
(2018-11-22). BNC Statement: Airbnb's Decision to Exit Israel's Illegal Settlements a Partial Victory for Human Rights & Accountability. imemc.org Via BDS official. We welcome Airbnb's decision to end its business in Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, following a global campaign led by Human Rights Watch and a number of organizations affiliated with the BDS movement for Palestinian rights. It is a first step in the right direction to …
(2018-11-22). Administrative Detention Extended for 23 Palestinians. imemc.org Israel's Ofer military court, near Ramallah, on Wednesday, extended the administrative detention of 23 Palestinian prisoners, according to Ma'an News Agency. The extensions ranged from two to six months, with nine of the prisoners having their sentence prolonged for 6 more months. A prisoner held under administrative detention has not …
(2018-11-21). DRC: Human rights concerns persist as electoral campaigns kick-off. amnesty.org Election campaigning will take place in a hostile political environment that leaves little room for people to freely and safely exercise their human rights, Amnesty International said ahead of the 22 November start of political campaigns for the long-awaited elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). | The government maintains a blanket ban on protests other than those organized by politicians close to outgoing President Joseph Kabila. Opposition supporters, as well as people calling for improvements to security and services, have faced threats, intimidation, harassment, arrests and violent dispersal of…
(2018-11-21). China: NGO worker prison visit denied for months: Lee Ming-che. amnesty.org Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che, the first foreign NGO worker detained after China's new Foreign NGO Management Law came into effect, has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for "subverting state power". His family is not allowed to see him since the last prison visit on 10 September 2018. His whereabouts remain uncertain.
(2018-11-21). China's Social Media Crackdown Targets Twitter. hrw.org 
| | © Pixabay/CreativeCommons | Since early November, the Chinese government has been targeting Twitter users in China as part of a nationwide crackdown on social media — even though Twitter is blocked in the country. Autho…
(2018-11-21). Headlines for November 21, 2018. democracynow.org Trump Sides with "Great Ally" Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi Killing, Lawmakers Condemn Trump's Defense of Saudi Arabia, WaPo Publisher Blasts Trump over Murder of Columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Rights Groups: Saudi Arabia Is Torturing Feminist Activists, Yemen: Saudi-Led War Caused 85,000 Young Children to Die from Hunger, Afghanistan: Suicide Bomber Kills 50 at Kabul Religious Gathering, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Warns Migrant Caravan over Asylum, Texas ICE Jail to Release 29 Families After Federal Ruling on Asylum, Mississippi GOP Senate Candidate Posed for Photos in Confederate Garb, Federal Judge Strikes Down…
(2018-11-21). United Arab Emirates: Open Letter to Drivers, Teams and Performers at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix 2018. amnesty.org In this joint open letter, human rights organizations urge drivers, teams and performers at the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix 2018 to use their celebrity status to call on the UAE authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience who have been detained solely for peacefully criticizing the authorities, or for calling or advocating for the respect and protection of human rights.
(2018-11-21). A Ukraine Initiated UN Resolution on Crimea, Supposedly "Annexed" and "Occupied" by Russia. globalresearch.ca A Ukraine-initiated resolution, condemning alleged human rights violations in Crimea, has been approved by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Issues) of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The text is openly hostile toward Russia. The peninsula is supposedly …
(2018-11-21). China: Denegadas desde hace meses las visitas a trabajador de ONG en prisión. amnesty.org El activista taiwanés Lee Ming-che, primer empleado de una ONG extranjera detenido tras la entrada en vigor en China de la nueva Ley de Gestión de ONG Extranjeras, ha sido condenado a cinco años de cárcel por "subvertir el poder del Estado". A sus familiares no les han permitido verlo desde su última visita en la cárcel, el 10 de septiembre de 2018. Se sigue ignorando su paradero.
(2018-11-21). Lebanon: Deportation Threat for Sudan Refugees. hrw.org 
| | People wave a Lebanese national flag during a protest in Central Beirut December 11, 2006. | © 2006 Reuters | (Beirut) — The Lebanese government should revoke the deportation orders of three United Nations-recognized Sudanese refugees and release them from detention, Legal Agenda, the Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), Human Rights Watch, Insan, and the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) said today. Dur…
(2018-11-21). Hundreds of teachers walk off for refugees. greenleft.org.au 
Teachers, education support staff and even some principals walked off government and private schools across Victoria and assembled at the State Library on November 20, in support of refugees currently being detained on Manus Island and Nauru. A similar protest was held in Brisbane that same day. | More than 30 refugee support organisations, including Teachers for Refugees, which organised the protest, had set November 20, Universal Children's Day, as the deadline for the federal government to evacuate refugee children and their families from offshore detention centres to Australia. | The Walk Off for Refuge…
(2018-11-21). DR Congo: Pre-Election Crackdown on Activists. hrw.org 
| | Three members from the Vigilence Citoyenne (VICI) citizens' movement who were arrested in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 14 of their colleagues on November 1, 2018. The activists were charged with incitement to civil disobedience and were provisionally released on November 18. | © Private 2018 | (Kinshasa) — The Democratic Republic of Congo government has made new arrests of pro-democracy activists during November…
(2018-11-21). Trinidad and Tobago: Authorities have no justification for failure to respect international obligations over asylum. amnesty.org The Trinidad and Tobago authorities must stop criminalizing the peaceful protest of migrants and refugees and find human rights-based solutions for them consistent with its existing obligations under international law, Amnesty International said today. | In response to official statements from Trinidad and Tobago's Attorney General, Faris Al-Rawi, suggesting that the country was not yet legally required to establish systems for addressing the growing number of migrants and refugees reaching the Caribbean island, as it has not ratified the UN Refugee Convention, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty In…
(2018-11-21). Syria: Thousands of digital activists to track how US-led air strikes destroyed Raqqa. amnesty.org Thousands of digital activists around the world will take part in an innovative new crowdsourcing data project Amnesty International is launching today, which uses satellite imagery to help plot how the US-led military coalition's bombings destroyed almost 80% of the Syrian city of Raqqa. | "Strike Tracker" is the next phase of an in-depth Amnesty International investigation, in partnership with Airwars, into the shocking scale of civilian casualties resulting from four months of US, UK and French bombardment to…
(2018-11-21). Zambia: Anti-corruption activist facing trumped-up charges must not be jailed. amnesty.org A Zambian human rights activist is facing jail simply for accusing the country's judiciary of corruption, Amnesty International said today. | | Gregory Chifire's verdict and sentencing are due to be delivered on 23 November following a grossly unfair trial on four trumped-up contempt of court charges. | "This trial is an affront to t…
(2018-11-21). The Iranian Albatross That Donald Trump Has Hung Around Its Own Neck. iranian.com Trump's policy of not just exiting JCPOA, but of going that 'mile' further in seeking to overthrow Iran as well, through sanctions will eventually become seen as 'the Albatross' which Trump injudiciously — and without compelling need — hung about his own neck. Mr. Trump, nor anyone else in his administration, has announced any conclusions about […]
(2018-11-21). The bravery of those who speak out from Manus Island will go down in history. amnesty.org By Charmain Mohamed, Head of Refugee and Migrants Rights | Since 2013 Australia has been sending refugees who attempt to reach its shores by boat to be 'processed' on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. On this remote island thousands of people have endured years of detention and abuse while their refugee claims are assessed. | The Australian government has gone to great lengths to hide the magnitude of the suffering it has caused on Manus Island. | Between 2015 and 2017 there were strict secrecy laws in place, designed to stop staff from speaking out about conditions in detention centres. Details about contractors a…
(2018-11-21). Singapore: Government must end harassment of online news platform targeted over critical article. amnesty.org A news editor facing a criminal investigation over an article that criticized the Singapore government is the latest victim of an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression in the country, Amnesty International said today. | Singapore police yesterday raided the home of Terry Xu, editor-in-chief of The Online Citizen (TOC) news site, and seized all his electronic equipment. Police informed him he was being investigated for criminal defamation over an article published on his website on 4 September. Authorities have also threatened action against the alleged author of the article, Willy Sum. | "The targeting of…
(2018-11-21). Council of Europe: A Threat to Rights of People With Disabilities. hrw.org 
| | The headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. | © 2018 Human Rights Watch | (Brussels) — Council of Europe member states should oppose new proposed standards regulating the detention and forced treatment of people with disabilities, Human Rights Watch said today. The body in charge of developing the standards, the Council of Europe's Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO), consisting of expert…
(2018-11-21). Greece: Dire Conditions for Asylum Seekers on Lesbos. hrw.org 
| | A boy holds a bicycle at a camp next to the Moria refugee camp in the island of Lesbos on August 5, 2018. | © 2018 Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images | (Brussels) — The already dire conditions in the overcrowded Moria camp for asylum seekers on the Greek island of Lesbos may deteriorate into a full-blown humanitarian disaster as winter approaches unless urgent action is taken, Human Rights Watch said today. | "Thousands of people seeking protection in E…
(2018-11-21). Libya: Migrants Forced off Ship at Libya Port. hrw.org 
| (Milan) — Libyan security forces forcibly removed 79 migrants and asylum seekers on November 20, 2018 from the Panama-flagged cargo ship Nivin in the port of Misrata in Libya, after they refused to leave the ship for 10 days, Human Rights Watch said today. Security forces reportedly used force and tear gas. An unknown number of people were taken to hospital, and others were taken to the al-Karareem detention center in…
(2018-11-21). Harmful 'Gender Identity' Resolution Passed by Ontario Party. hrw.org 
| | Revellers hold a giant pride flag during the "WorldPride" gay pride Parade in Toronto, June 29, 2014. | © 2014 Reuters | Delegates to a gathering of the governing political party of Canada's largest province passed a resolution dismissing gender identity theory as an "unscientific 'liberal ideology,'" an ugly contrast to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's supportive stance on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. | At a party conference last weekend, d…
(2018-11-21). Survivors Confront Far Right's #HimToo Campaign in Portland. truthout.org As the speakers began sharing survivors' stories of sexual assault and trauma, the crowd of several hundred rally attendees stood in breathless silence in a downtown Portland, Oregon, park on Saturday, November 17. This event, called Survivors Are Everywhere: A Survivor Shout Out, had been organized by the anti-fascist coalition Pop Mob (short for Popular Mobilization) and was meant to bring together survivors' stories as a challenge to another event being held only feet away, one organized by affiliates of the…
(2018-11-21). Boston Police Has a Secret Point System That Turns Normal Teenage Behavior Into Gang Membership. aclu.org The department arbitrarily labels immigrant teenagers as gang members and helps the federal government deport them. | In the face of the Trump administration's stepped-up deportation efforts, officials in Boston and other progressive cities have declared their communities safe spaces for immigrants. But behind the scenes, progressive havens like Boston are facilitating the deportations of some of our most vulnerable young people. | As the federal government's rhetoric and action around immigration have sharpened and hardened, young immigrants are being systematically slandered and deprived of their rights here in…
(2018-11-21). Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Anti-Immigrant Military Enlistment Policy. aclu.org Last year, the Pentagon implemented a background investigation process that effectively banned green card holders from serving in the military. | Despite attacking family members of fallen war heroes, criticizing Sen. John McCain for being captured in war, and recently deploying troops…
(2018-11-21). Richard Ojeda Comes Out Swinging on Abortion Rights. theintercept.com "Throughout history, rich women have always had access to the care that they want or need and they always will. It's only poor and working class women who have died in back alleys."
(2018-11-20). Saudi Arabia: Reports of torture and sexual harassment of detained activists. amnesty.org Several Saudi Arabian activists, including a number of women, who have been arbitrarily detained without charge since May 2018 in Saudi Arabia's Dhahban Prison, have reportedly faced sexual harassment, torture and other forms of ill-treatment during interrogation, Amnesty International said today. | According to three separate testimonies obtained by the organization, the activists were repeatedly tortured by electrocution and flogging, leaving some unable to walk or stand properly. In one reported instance, one of the activists was made to hang from the ceiling, and according to another testimony, one of the det…
(2018-11-20). Saudi Arabia: Detained Women Reported Tortured. hrw.org 
| (Beirut) — Informed sources say that Saudi interrogators tortured at least three of the Saudi women activists detained beginning in May 2018, Human Rights Watch said today. The reports allege that torture by Saudi authorities included administering electric shocks, whipping the women on their thighs, and forcible hugging and kissing, Human Rights Watch said today. The sources were concerned that they and the activists would suffer reprisals if the women were identified publicly. | Saudi Arabia…
(2018-11-20). Democratic Republic of Congo: Activists' whereabouts unknown after arrest. amnesty.org Activists Arsene Katolo, Alain Muwaka, Oto Shaminga, Heritier Losomba, Miko Booto, Enoch Muanda and Mwanza are being held incommunicado at an unknown location in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were arrested on 11 September in the capital Kinshasa while distributing leaflets against plans to use voting machines in the upcoming elections.
(2018-11-20). The Iranian Albatross that Donald Trump Has Hung Around Its Own Neck. mintpressnews.com Trump's policy of not just exiting JCPOA, but of going that 'mile' further in seeking to overthrow Iran as well, through sanctions will eventually become seen as 'the Albatross' which Trump injudiciously — and without compelling need — hung about his own neck.
(2018-11-20). Uzbekistan: Stop Harassing Human Rights Defenders. hrw.org 
| | Akzam Turgunov, a former political prisoner and rights activist, has been increasingly subjected to surveillance by security services in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. | © 2017 Steve Swerdlow for Human Rights Watch | (Tashkent) — The Uzbek authorities should stop harassing human rights activists, including those recently released from prison, and ensure their safety, Amnesty International, Civil Rights Defenders, Front Line Defenders, the International P…
(2018-11-20). Bahrain: No Free Elections in Current Environment. hrw.org 
| | Protesters hold photos of Sheikh Ali Salman, Bahrain's main opposition leader and Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq Islamic Society, as they march asking for his release in the village of Jidhafs, west of Manama, in Bahrain on June 16, 2015. | | © 2015 Reuters | (Beirut) — The upcoming parliamentary elections in Bahrain, scheduled for November 24, 2018, are occurring in a repressive political environment that is not conducive to free elections,…
(2018-11-20). More US Sanctions. This Time, An Alleged Russia-Iran Scheme To Send Oil To Syria. iranian.com The United States on Tuesday said it sanctioned six individuals and three entities to disrupt an Iranian-Russian network that it said was providing millions of barrels of oil to the Syrian government and funding militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. U.S. officials said Russia facilitated the delivery of oil from Iran to Syria, and that a variety of […]
(2018-11-20). Turkey: European Court decision on detained opposition leader exposes broken judicial system. amnesty.org Responding to today's ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Turkey's repeated extensions to the pre-trial detention of opposition leader Selahattin Demirta≈ü, were politically motivated and violated Articles 5(3) and 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights and were "stifling pluralism and freedom of political debate", Turkey Strategy and Research Manager, Andrew Gardner said: | "This ruling by Europe's top human rights court should have far-reaching implications within the country where civil society actors are routinely remanded in prolonged pre-trial detention under trumped up charg…