(2018-11-27). The War in Yemen is Not a War, It is a Massacre. counterpunch.org 
The numbers are mind-blowing: Since the beginning of the conflict in Yemen, an estimated 85,000 children under five may have died from extreme hunger and disease, according to the last analysis by Save the Children, the international health and human rights organization. Although children are the most affected by the conflict, 14 million people are at risk of famine, according to data compiled by the United Nations. More
(2018-11-27). "Red Flag Laws": Rights Can't be "Suspended," Only Violated. counterpunch.org Hanna Scott of Seattle's KIRO radio reports that prosecutors in Washington are wrestling with the question of whether or not the state's "Red Flag law" applies to minors, and trying to stretch it to do so. Under the "law," Scott writes, a judge can issue an "Extreme Risk Protection Order" to "temporarily suspend a person's More
(2018-11-27). China Has Detained a Million Muslims in Reeducation Camps. thenation.com China Has Detained a Million Muslims in Reeducation Camps…
(2018-11-27). Let's talk about yes! amnesty.org …
(2018-11-27). Google must not capitulate to China's censorship demands. amnesty.org Amnesty launches global day of action against secretive "Project Dragonfly" | Google's plans to launch a censored search app in China could irreparably damage internet users' trust in the tech company, Amnesty International said today, warning that going ahead with the app would set a dangerous precedent for tech companies enabling rights abuses by governments. |
(2018-11-27). Burundi: Human rights defender jailed for 32 years must be released. amnesty.org The Burundian authorities should overturn the 32-year sentence handed to human rights defender Germain Rukuki and set him free, Amnesty International said following his appeal hearing on 26 November. | "Germain was tried and imprisoned simply because he worked for a human rights organization. The appeal court should quash his sentence and release him immediately and unconditionally," said Joan Nyanyuki, Amnesty International's Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes. |
(2018-11-27). FIFA Urged To Give Iran Deadline For Allowing Women Into Stadiums. iranian.com Global soccer body FIFA has been urged by its own human rights advisory panel to give Iran a deadline for allowing women to watch soccer matches. In a report published Monday, the panel said that Iran's ban on women fans violated FIFA's own ethics code which "specifically prohibits discrimination including on the basis of gender". […]
(2018-11-27). "Tear Gassing Children Is Outrageous": US Condemned for Violence Against Asylum Seekers. theantimedia.com 
(CD) — As legal experts and human rights advocates overnight and Monday morning continued to denounce the tear gassing of children and other asylum seekers by U.S. forces at the Mexico border on Sunday, Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among Democratic lawmakers who slammed the Trump administration for its treatment of refugees as she issued a reminder that vulnerable …
(2018-11-27). Two Years Later, No Answers on Uganda Killings. hrw.org 
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(2018-11-27). Argentina Opens War Crimes Inquiry on Saudi Crown Prince for Role in Yemen War. theantimedia.com 
(MEE) — Argentina has opened up an inquiry on whether to press criminal charges against Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, for his role in leading the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Monday. The inquiry was opened after HRW and an Argentine federal prosecutor lodged a complaint against …
(2018-11-27). Amid Sri Lanka's political crisis, the USP sets "left" trap for the working class. wsws.org The pseudo-left United Socialist Party's call for a left alliance is aimed at promoting the illusion that one or other ruling faction can be pressured to defend the rights of working people.
(2018-11-26). Ecuador in Cahoots with US and UK Against Assange. Ecuador Ambassador to UK Carlos Abad Is Removed. globalresearch.ca Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno earlier said Julian Assange must eventually leave the country's London embassy — at the time indicating it would be through dialogue. | According to an Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling, asylum granted to anyone is irrevocable …
(2018-11-26). Azerbaijan: Right to freedom of peaceful assembly must be protected and detained peaceful demonstrators released. amnesty.org The 17 November 2018 detention of Azerbaijani opposition leaders and activists as they were attempting to organize a peaceful rally in the capital Baku is a violation of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
(2018-11-26). Headlines for November 26, 2018. democracynow.org U.S. Border Patrol Fires Tear Gas at Families Seeking Asylum, Border Patrol Officer Who Shot Teen Acquitted of Manslaughter Charge, North Carolina: ICE Arrests Immigrant Who Left Church Sanctuary, White House Tries to Bury Climate Report With Devastating Conclusions, California: Camp Fire 100% Contained as Death Toll Climbs to 85, Russia Seizes Three Ukrainian Ships Near Crimean Peninsula, President Trump Contradicts CIA Findings on Jamal Khashoggi Murder, Yemen: U.N. Urges Warring Parties to Enter Peace Talks, UAE Pardons UK Academic of Spying After Months of Imprisonment, EU Approves Brexit Deal, France: Police…
(2018-11-26). Americas: Stuck at the door: The Urgent Need for Protection of Central American Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants in the Caravans. amnesty.org The arrival in Mexico since 19 October 2018 of between 8,000 and 10,000 migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum from Honduras, as well as from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala as part of a series of so-called caravans is an urgent situation that requires States to respond in line with international human rights law and standards.
(2018-11-26). A Peaceful Demonstration Turns Ugly at US Border. hrw.org 
| | Central American migrants run away from tear gas fired by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers near the US and Mexico border in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. | © 2018 Tomas Ayuso/Bloomberg via Getty Images | The day started peacefully. Hundreds of Central American men, women, and children walked with banners and baby strollers from the Benito Juarez stadium to the El Chaparral port of entry, on the US-Mexico border. They marched to ask for asylum and thank the …
(2018-11-26). Américas: Varadas en la Puerta: La Urgente Necesidad de Protección de las Caravanas de Personas Refugiadas, Solicitantes de Asilo y Migrantes de Centroamérica. amnesty.org La llegada a México, desde el 19 de octubre de 2018, de entre 8.000 y 10.000 personas migrantes, refugiadas y solicitantes de asilo de Honduras, así como de El Salvador, Nicaragua y Guatemala, en una serie de "caravanas", como se ha dado en llamarlas, es una situación urgente, que requiere que los Estados respondan de conformidad con el derecho y las normas internacionales de derechos humanos.
(2018-11-26). Americas: US government endangers asylum seekers with unlawful policies. amnesty.org Unlawful US border policies are leaving thousands of asylum seekers stranded in Mexico, where they are facing threats of deportation to their countries of origin, where they potentially face serious harm, Amnesty International said today following a research mission last week. Conditions could only worsen under a reported deal between both countries that, if agreed, would force asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico while their claims are processed, rather than allow them to enter the United States. | As a result of Amnesty International's research focusing on the treatment of refugees and migrants in the caravans in…
(2018-11-26). Russia: Bail refusal for Chechen prisoner of conscience is latest affront to justice. amnesty.org Responding to the news that a court in Chechnya has refused to release human rights defender Oyub Titiev on bail, Natalia Prilutskaya, Amnesty International's Russia Researcher, said: | "The decision not to grant bail to Oyub Titiev once again demonstrates the political motivation of the case against him. He has committed no crime, having been jailed on completely fabricated drug charges, and must be released immediately and unconditionally. |
(2018-11-26). Snubbing The US: Qatar Airways Announces More Flights To Iran Weeks After Sanctions Reimposed. iranian.com Qatar Airways will add more flights to Iran from January, the state-owned Gulf airline announced on Monday just weeks after the United States re-imposed sanctions aimed at crippling Tehran's economy. President Donald Trump has threatened to bar companies that continue to do business with Iran from the U.S. market. Qatar Airways will add two weekly […]
(2018-11-26). Chinese Courts Give Domestic Abusers a Pass. hrw.org 
"In principle, in divorce cases, the first time one sues for divorce, it won't be granted. [Marriage is] a traditional value," said Judge Zhang Yanbin in the Chinese city of Chengdu, ruling against a woman's petition for divorce. "We made the ruling to give the man a chance." | | | A woman wearing a protective mask makes her way on a heavily polluted day in Beijing, December 26, 20…
(2018-11-26). New Law Could Give U.K. Unconstitutional Access to Americans' Personal Data, Human Rights Groups Warn. theintercept.com This form of international data-sharing could put Americans' privacy at risk and expose citizens to potential Fourth Amendment abuses, critics say.
(2018-11-26). G20: Saudi Crown Prince Faces Legal Scrutiny. hrw.org 
| | Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, attends a bilateral meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the Executive Suite at UN Headquarters in New York. | © 2018 Albin Lohr-Jones/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images | (Buenos Aires) — Argentine judicial authorities have begun examining a submission concerning the role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in connection with alleged war crimes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and to…
(2018-11-26). Court sides with L.A. cop who murdered Jesse Romero. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – In an outrageous decision, the jury sided with two-time killer and Los Angeles Police Department officer Eden Medina. The civil rights violations trial on 14-year-old Jesse Romero's killing started November 13 and lasted only six days. Early in the preceding, a judge ruled to exclude key evidence from the proceedings. | Killed on August 9, 2016 Jesse Romero was visiting his friends at the apartment complex in Boyle Heights. Someone inside of the apartment complex called 911 saying Romero and another teen were potentially smoking marijuana and graffitiing. LAPD officers Eden Medina and backu…
(2018-11-25). Minnesotans to rally in support of migrant caravan. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – As national attention has focused on the caravan of Central American refugees winding its way through Mexico towards the U.S.-Mexico border, immigrants and their allies in Minnesota will rally in support of the caravan on Friday, November 30. | Organizers are planning for a robust turnout in solidarity with the caravan. The rally will start at 5: 15 p.m. in front of the Minneapolis Federal Building at 4th Street and 4th Avenue. Afterwards, organizers will lead a march towards Wells Fargo to highlight the complicity of the banking industry in supporting for-profit detention centers across the U.S.
(2018-11-25). Argentina: Authorities must guarantee the right to public protest during the G20 Summit. amnesty.org The Argentine authorities must respect and guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly during the G20 meetings in Buenos Aires at the end of November and the security forces must strictly abide by international standards on the use of force, Amnesty International said today. | "The whole world will be watching Argentina during the G20 Summit. The authorities must rise to the occasion and send a very clear message to security forces to ensure that respect for the right to protest prevails over a repressive approach that could lead to excessive use of force," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americ…
(2018-11-25). A Chance for Afghanistan's Donors to Do More Than Check Boxes. hrw.org 
This week, delegations from donor countries to Afghanistan will meet in Geneva to hear Afghan officials report on progress in critical areas of reform. These conferences usually amount to little more than opportunities for donors, fatigued from a 17-year commitment to war-torn Afghanistan, to simply check boxes. But as prospects for peace talks increase, a critical evaluation of the government's human rights report card is more important than ever. |
(2018-11-25). Switzerland: Swiss people vote to defend human rights in referendum. amnesty.org Responding to the emphatic referendum defeat of the so-called 'initiative for self-determination', a proposal to put Swiss law above international law, Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said: | "This weekend the Swiss people showed that they had not fallen for deceptive promises but instead used the ballot box to send out a clear signal that they want to live in a society where human rights apply to everyone. |
(2018-11-25). Did you know this about rape? amnesty.org Sex without consent is rape. It's as simple as that.: | But myths and gender stereotypes related to rape and consent are widespread in our societies, including in court rooms. | In fact, in Europe alone, only 8 countries have laws that define rape as sex without consent. But courageous women across the region are fighting to change this. | Knowledge is power, also when it comes to fighting rape. So, here are five true statements about rape.
(2018-11-25). Trump Putting Venezuela on 'State Sponsor of Terrorism' List? zcomm.org The Trump administration is actively exploring the option of placing Venezuela on the state sponsor of terrorism list, to further intensify sanctions that have already caused significant damage to Venezuela's economy…
(2018-11-25). India Doubles, Yes, DOUBLES Iran Oil Imports: Are Trump's Sanctions Cratering? iranian.com India's imports of petroleum from Iran in October doubled in value terms to $1.42 billion in October, year over year. Likewise, during the first 8 months of 2018, the value of India's oil imports from Iran was double that of the same period in 2017. Even in volume terms, imports are up 38%. These statistics raise […]
(2018-11-25). The Counterinsurgency Paradigm: How U.S. Politics Have Become Paramilitarized. theintercept.com Donald Trump ran a campaign promising to refill the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison, to "bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding," to "take out" the families of suspected terrorists, to ban Muslims from entering this country, and to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Yet these policies didn't start with Trump: Torture, indefinite detention, extraordinary renditions, record numbers of deportations, anti-Muslim sentiment, mass foreign and domestic surveillance, and even the killing of innocent family members of suspected terrorists all have a recent historical precedent. | Trump's predecessor, B…
(2018-11-24). A wave of women fighting rape across Europe. amnesty.org Right now, courageous women are sparking change all over Europe, fighting for their governments to introduce legislation that defines rape based on lack of consent, as opposed to force, and improve how justice systems treat rape survivors. | On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, it is timely to pay homage to the women who keep fighting for their unequivocal right to autonomy over their own bodies. | The numbers of women still experiencing rape in Europe are shocking. In the …
(2018-11-24). Europe: Right to be free from rape — overview of legislation and state of play in Europe and international human rights standards. amnesty.org Sexual violence is widespread and systemic worldwide. This regional overview provides an insight into legislation on rape throughout the European Economic Area (encompassing 28 European Union Member States, as well as Iceland and Norway) and Switzerland, available comparative information on attrition rates, broad preliminary findings regarding practical barriers in accessing justice for rape, as well as information on anticipated national developments, where available. It also presents relevant international and regional human rights standards on sexual and other gender-based violence.
(2018-11-24). Women across Europe failed by outdated rape legislation. amnesty.org Most European countries still do not recognize in law that sex without consent is rape, Amnesty International said on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, highlighting how flawed legislation and a dangerous culture of victim blaming is perpetuating impunity across Europe. | In a briefing released today, Amnesty International analyses rape legislation in 31 countries. It found that only 8 of these countries have consent-b…
(2018-11-24). Taiwan: Referendum results rejecting marriage equality a "bitter blow" amnesty.org | Responding to the results of referendums in Taiwan in which same-sex marriage rights and LGBTI-inclusive education in schools were rejected by voters, Annie Huang, Amnesty International Taiwan's Acting Director, said: | "This result is a bitter blow and a step backwards for human rights in Taiwan. However, despite t…
(2018-11-23). Business as Usual: Washington's Regime Change Strategy in Venezuela. counterpunch.org 
For those who have been following Venezuela closely in recent years there is a distinct sense of déjà vu regarding US foreign policy towards that South American nation. This is because Washington's strategy of regime change in Venezuela is almost identical to the approach it has taken in Latin America on numerous occasions since World War Two. This strategy involves applying economic sanctions, extensive support for the opposition, and destabilization measures that create a sufficient degree of human suffering and chaos to justify a military coup or direct US military intervention.
(2018-11-23). Bahrain: Widespread pre-election clampdown on political opposition and activists. amnesty.org Ahead of the Bahraini parliamentary election on 24 November, Amnesty International is gravely concerned over the widespread suppression of the political opposition, activists, and civic leaders. Shi'a public figures have been disproportionately targeted in the pre-election clampdown. | | "Over the past two years, the crackdown in Bahrain has seen the political opposition detain…
(2018-11-23). Karin Watson: "Education is the base of every social change" amnesty.org Inspired by activists from across the globe learning their rights and spreading a global culture of human rights, the Transformative Power of Human Rights Education series is a window into the stories of the human rights defenders that have taken part in Amnesty's human rights education initiatives. The series sheds light on the transformative power of HRE and the actions these activists go on to take. | Karin Watson is a Human Rights Education activist in Chile. | | How did you…
(2018-11-23). Demand protection for land defender Nonhle Mbuthuma. amnesty.org Nonhle Mbuthuma is facing danger for trying to stop mining company from taking her land. So why is the government not protecting her? | Nonhle is a farmer whose ancestral land means everything to her: "If you take my land you take my identity". But Nonhle and her community on the Eastern Cape of South Africa are at risk of losing everything because a mining company want to kick them off their land. | "This land was my grandmother's, who inherited it from her grandparents. What am I going to leave for my children? Mining is not an option." — Nonhle | Nonhle and other members of her community have led a campa…
(2018-11-23). Demand justice for the killing of Marielle Franco. amnesty.org Marielle Franco stood up for black women, LGBTI people and young people in Rio de Janeiro. On 14 March 2018, she was shot and killed. | Marielle Franco was born and raised in a favela in Rio, Brazil. An elected councillor, she worked tirelessly to promote the rights of black women, LGBTI and young people. | Marielle inspired many people. She refused to stay silent about police killings and continued to speak out against injustice right up until hours before her brutal killing in March. A car pulled up beside hers, and Marielle was shot four times in the head. | People who defend human rights in Brazil are often a…
(2018-11-23). Sweden: Homeless Roma and other EU migrants face widespread discrimination and dangerous conditions. amnesty.org Thousands of homeless and destitute EU migrants, mostly of Roma origin, are living in desperate and dangerous situations across Sweden while the country's authorities deliberately deny them access to the most basic services, a new report from Amnesty International has found. | Sweden: A cold welcome: Human rights of Roma and other "vulnerable EU citizens" at risk finds that marginalized EU migrants face insurmountable obstacles to access shelter, sanitation and health services, something that violates their human rights which Sweden has an ob…
(2018-11-23). Greece: Open letter following visit of Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of Amnesty International to Lesvos island and Moria refugee camp. amnesty.org In this letter, Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of Amnesty International, follows up from his recent visit to Lesvos island and Moria refugee camp in Greece. He expresses deep concern about the devastating conditions for the women, men and children at Moria camp trapped in inhumane conditions. Amnesty International urges the Greek authorities to take all the necessary measures required to restore human dignity for those trapped in Moria and the other camps on the Greek islands, and to step up their efforts to ensure refugees are transferred into adequate and dignified accommodation which ensures respect for their…
(2018-11-23). A scar on the conscience of Europe: Letter to Greek Prime Minister on conditions facing refugees in Greece. amnesty.org In early October, I visited Lesvos and the refugee camp in Moria, on behalf of Amnesty International. I would like to begin by stressing my admiration for the people of island who, in welcoming hundreds of thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers over the past years are a beacon of solidarity and inspiration. It was clear to me from my visit, that the spirit of this solidarity is very much alive today despite the tides of fear and xenophobia. | I would like to thank your government for having ensured access to the camp, for me and my colleagues, during this important visit in October and on previous occasions. Ex…
(2018-11-23). Pakistan: Orakzai bombing shows utter contempt for human life. amnesty.org Responding to the suicide bomb attack on a crowded marketplace in Orakzai, in Pakistan's northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, that has left at least 25 dead and more than 50 injured, Amnesty International's Deputy South Asia Director, Omar Waraich, said: | "This was a horrific attack that shows utter contempt for human life. The attackers deliberately targeted a marketplace full of ordinary people on a busy Friday afternoon. It is a grim reminder of the threat that continues to be posed by armed groups who are prepared to kill large numbers of people to pursue their agenda. Such attacks, which flout fundamen…
(2018-11-23). Protect Pavitri Manjhi . amnesty.org Pavitri is an indigenous rights defender who is standing up to big corporations who are trying to take away her community's land — but she faces threats and intimidation. Demand her protection now. | Right now, businesses in Chhattisgarh, central India, are trying to take over land that belongs to an Adivasi Indigenous community so that they can make way for two power plants. Members of the community report that they were tricked into selling their land, and those that refused to sell faced threats and intimidation by agents acting on behalf of two private companies. | Pavitri is on the front line protecti…
(2018-11-23). Trump Considering to Put Venezuela on 'State Sponsor of Terrorism' List and Intensify Sanctions. therealnews.com 
According reports in Washington Post and Reuters, the Trump administration is actively exploring the option of placing Venezuela on the state sponsor of terrorism list, to further intensify sanctions that have already caused significant damage to Venezuela's economy. We speak to Steve Ellner about the sanctions' effects
(2018-11-23). Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara—A Rare Look Inside Africa's Last Colony. democracynow.org 
In this special rebroadcast of a Democracy Now! exclusive documentary, we break the media blockade and go to occupied Western Sahara in the northwest of Africa to document the decades-long Sahrawi struggle for freedom and Morocco's violent crackdown. Morocco has occupied the territory since 1975 in defiance of the United Nations and the international community. Thousands have been tortured, imprisoned, killed and disappeared while resisting the Moroccan occupation. A 1,700-mile wall divides Sahrawis who remain under occupation from those who fled into exile. The international media has largely ignored the occupat…
(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). 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…