(2018-12-01). PLO Calls on Eurovision Organizers to Not Broadcast Contest in Israel's Illegal Settlements. imemc.org PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi: "We call on the EBU to respect the Palestinian people's rights and to not broadcast any Eurovision Song Contest events in Israel's illegal settlements…" Giving Israel the privilege of hosting the 2019 Eurovision amounts to rewarding it for and helping it to conceal …
(2018-12-01). 18 Highlights of BDS Impact in 2018. bdsmovement.net 
18 Highlights of BDS Impact in 2018: UpdateHere are 18 highlights of direct and indirect BDS impact from 2018. We celebrate the extraordinary strides that the BDS movement for Palestinian rights has made with your support. Economic Boycott Cultural Boycott Academic Boycott Military Embargo Local governments …
(2018-12-01). CNN fires contributor accused of "anti-Semitism" for defending Palestinian rights. wsws.org While CNN has not provided a full explanation, the firing of Marc Lamont Hill came one day after he made public statements critical of Israeli policy against Palestinians.
(2018-12-01). A3 Newsletter: Going to Amsterdam, Widows, Non-Unanimous Juries and more. indybay.org We have just released the new edition of our newsletter, featuring a range of subjects, including Albert Woodfox and Robert King's upcoming trip to the Netherlands in support of Amnesty International's Write for Rights Campaign. The full newsletter is featured below.
(2018-12-01). Australia's First Nations prepare legal way forward for sovereign rights. indybay.org 28th November 2018 | To counter the disastrous effects Native Title is having on Australian First Nations communities, a gathering of First Nations from across Australia is to prepare a legal way forward in pursuit of their sovereign rights and control of their own affairs.
(2018-12-01). I Quit Google Over Its Censored Chinese Search Engine. The Company Needs to Clarify Its Position on Human Rights. theintercept.com 
I worked as a research scientist at Google when Dragonfly was revealed and resigned in protest after a month of internally fighting for clarification.
(2018-11-30). California elected officials and coalition groups show solidarity with asylum-seekers. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—At a press conference at City Hall on Nov. 15, Councilman Gil Cedillo, chairperson of the city's Immigration and Human Rights Committee, indicated that a grave immigrant crisis was developing on our southern border inside Mexico. In contrast to White House claims that a military response was required, Cedillo said the crisis needed to …
(2018-11-30). Trumpland: Get Ready for the Storm Ahead. counterpunch.org 
The pre-Trump and post-Trump GOPs are fruit of the same poison tree — the Southern Strategy, the plan Pat Buchanan and Richard Nixon hatched in the aftermath of the civil rights victories of the 1960s to reconstitute the Solid South of the Jim Crow era within the bowels of the Republican Party. It is no surprise, therefore, that they would both be contemptible. But GOP racism and nativism used to be muted; that was the Reagan and post-Reagan style. The Trumpian version rings loud enough to revive the vilest specters of the twentieth century's inter-war years.
(2018-11-30). The DNA Industry and the Disappearing Indian. zcomm.org DNA, Race, and Native Rights…
(2018-11-30). Terror at the Border: Experts Condemn the Tear-Gassing of Children. counterpunch.org 
On Sunday, US border officers fired tear gas at groups of asylum seekers attempting to reach the US border. Images of mothers and small children fleeing the gas drew widespread outrage from politicians and human rights groups. Wind carried the gas a kilometer away, impacting many individuals not attempting to reach the US border. As a result of the More
(2018-11-30). Israeli Soldiers Attack The Weekly Procession In Bil'in. imemc.org Israeli soldiers attacked, Friday, the weekly nonviolent procession against the illegal annexation wall and colonies in Bil'in village, west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. The protesters marched from the center of the village, carrying Palestinian flags, and chanting for liberation, independence, the release of all detainees and …
(2018-11-30). In Major Threat to Due Process, Marsy's Law Gains Ground Nationwide. aclu.org A growing movement wants to amend the US Constitution and weaken its due process protections in its ill-advised pursuit of victims' rights. | Alongside the major criminal justice reform headlines that came out of the midterm elections, a quieter trend also gained momentum through the ballot box: a budding, national threat to due process and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. | On Nov. 6, six states adopted, through ballot initiatives, what is known as "Marsy's Law," which e…
(2018-11-30). US Sanctions Have Become Little More Than Medieval-Style Siege Warfare. mintpressnews.com The new unilateral sanctions by the United States against Iran, Russia and Syria add to the previous actions concerning the same three targets. They now form the most unforgiving embargo in History. The way in which they have been organized is illegal according to the definition of the Charter of the United Nations — these are weapons of war, designed for killing. | For his visit to Moscow on 8 November, ambassador James Jeffrey was tasked with explaining the current US obsession with the expansion of Persian influence in the Arab world (Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen). Washington now wi…
(2018-11-30). Eritrea: Visiting US envoy must demand action on deplorable record of arbitrary detentions. amnesty.org US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, should demand the release of all prisoners arbitrarily detained solely for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression and freedom of belief, including Ciham Ali who also holds US citizenship, when he visits Eritrea in the coming days, said Amnesty International. | Ciham Ali was arrested in 2012, when she was 15-years-old, for trying to leave the country in violation of Eritrea's national service policy. She has been held incommunicado and her family has not seen or heard from her since. |
(2018-11-30). Beaten and prosecuted for standing up to hate. amnesty.org Just over a year ago Elzbieta gathered with small group of women in central Warsaw with a large "Stop Fascism" banner. It was 11 November, Independence Day, and tens of thousands of people were marching through the city, many wielding flares and proudly displaying racist and fascist banners. The march – described by some journalists as "the biggest gathering of far-right activists in Europe in recent years"- might sound like an event best avoided, but not for Elzbieta. | She and 12 other women joined the march, and once in its midst, they unfurled their seven-metre long banner. Another woman from their group film…
(2018-11-30). Urgent: human rights under threat in India. amnesty.org Activists are being harassed, independent media houses have been raided, and organisations like Amnesty India and Greenpeace India are being targeted by Indian authorities because of their work. We need to speak out now.: | This October, the Indian authorities raided both Amnesty India and Greenpeace India's offices – and froze their bank accounts. | This has effectively stopped our vital human rights work there: work to end to violence against women, human rights education in schools and colleges, and ensuring human rights for everyone in India. | Sign the petition and tell the Indian Prime Minister to s…
(2018-11-30). Nepal: Release Amnesty International activists now. amnesty.org The Nepal authorities must immediately and unconditionally release members and supporters of Amnesty International Nepal who were detained after protesting outside the Indian embassy this morning, Amnesty International said today. | At least 30 people — including members of the board of Amnesty International Nepal, staff, and supporters — were detained while protesting against the Indian government's crackdown on civil society, including raids on the offices of Amnesty International India and attempts to shut down its campaigning in the country. | "We demand that our colleagues are released immediatel…
(2018-11-30). Argentina: State must clarify facts around the death of Santiago Maldonado and punish those responsible. amnesty.org The decision of an Argentine court to close the case of the enforced disappearance of Santiago Maldonado, without having clarified the causes which led to his death and without investigating the alleged responsibility of the authorities, violates the rights to truth, justice and reparation, Amnesty International said today. | "According to the Argentine justice system, no one is responsible for the death of Santiago Maldonado. That is unacceptable. The judicial authorities must ensure a comprehensive, impartial and independent investigation in order to determine the causes and context of his death," said Erika Gu…
(2018-11-30). Climate justice clashes with an increasingly intolerant Poland. amnesty.org This weekend world leaders arrive in the Polish city of Katowice for the COP24 climate summit, where they will set out plans for implementing the Paris Climate Agreement. Over the course of two weeks governments are expected to make decisions which could move us closer to limiting global warming to 1.5 ∞C above pre-industrial levels. Failure to achieve this would have serious consequences and crossing this threshold by even half a degree will trigger catastrophic and unprecedented climate-related events. |
(2018-11-30). Another winter of discontent on the Greek islands. amnesty.org 
"Winter is coming," Ali, a 21-year-old refugee from Afghanistan said to me when I met him Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesvos last month. "There are pregnant women and children here. How are they going to survive the cold?" It was a question to which I had no answer, and as temperatures across Europe tumble, it is a question that returns to haunt me. | What I witnessed in Moria shocked me to the core. Hugely overcrowded with a lack of sanitation and drinking water, the camp suffers from infestations of mice and rats. When I was there almost 7,500 people were jammed into a camp with an official capaci…
(2018-11-30). Electric car companies still powering human rights abuses. amnesty.org Thousands of car enthusiasts will descend on southern California this weekend for the start of the LA Auto Show. However, behind the glitz of the cars on show lies a darker side to the industry. | | Electric vehicles are a big focus of this year's show, with dozens of models on display. While manufacturers show off their latest technologies, they are not putting nearly the same effort into keeping their supply chains free from abuse. The industry…
(2018-11-30). Surveying the damage: Enrique Peña Nieto. amnesty.org Today is President Enrique Peña Nieto's official last day of work, and he leaves one of the worst human rights crises in the entire hemisphere as his legacy. A shared legacy, the result of a series of failures and poor decisions made by his government and the ones that came before.
(2018-11-30). Wave of red as West Bengal farmers march for rights. greenleft.org.au 
Organised under the banners of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers' Union (AIAWU) of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), thousands of farmers began marching from Singur towards Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, on November 27. | The march culminated in front of Governor Raj Bhavan's house the next day to demand cultivable lands be returned to the farmers. | In 2006, the creation of a car plant in Singur made the lands uncultivable. The plant was later…
(2018-11-30). US condemned for tear-gassing refugees, children. greenleft.org.au 
Legal experts and human rights advocates have denounced the tear gassing of children and other asylum seekers by US forces at the Mexico border on November 25. | "The migrants at our southern border include mothers and small children exercising their legal, human right to seek asylum," declared the ACLU in a tweet on November 26. It told the US Customs and Border Protection agency: "Tear gassing children is out…
(2018-11-30). When The US Wants To Sanction States, They Call Them "Terrorists" iranian.com The new unilateral sanctions by the United States against Iran, Russia and Syria add to the previous actions concerning the same three targets. They now form the most unforgiving embargo in History. The way in which they have been organised is illegal according to the definition of the Charter of the United Nations — these […]
(2018-11-30). Morocco: Torture Suspicions Mar Mass Trial Verdicts. hrw.org 
| | Rabat, Morocco, July 15, 2018: demonstrators protest heavy jail sentences on imprisoned activists by wearing masks showing their faces. | © 2018 Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images | (New York) — The Casablanca Court of Appeals should weigh evidence that the police tortured the defendants when it reviews the convictions of protesters and activists from the Rif region, Human Rights Watch said today. The appeals case began on November 14, 2…
(2018-11-30). Thailand: Don't Send Back Bahraini Dissident. hrw.org 
(New York ) — Thailand's government should ensure that Hakeem Ali Mohamed Ali al-Araibi, a recognized refugee, is not returned to Bahrain, Human Rights Watch said today. If returned, he would face an imminent risk of wrongful detention and ill-treatment by Bahraini authorities. | | | Hakeem Ali Mohamed Ali al-Araibi in detention at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok. | © 2018 Private | "The Thai government needs to realize the grave dangers facing Ha…
(2018-11-30). Philippines: Drop Charges Against Rappler, Editor. hrw.org 
| | Journalists work at the Rappler office in Metro Manila, Philippines, January 15, 2018. | © 2018 Dondi Tawatao/Reuters | (New York) — Philippine authorities should drop politically motivated criminal charges against the news website Rappler and its editor, Maria Ressa, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities are using tax laws in the latest attempt to muzzle prominent critics of President Rodrigo Duterte and his " …
(2018-11-30). Indonesia Launches 'Snitch' App Targeting Religious Minorities. hrw.org 
| | An Indonesian woman shows a newly launched smartphone application called 'Smart Pakem' of Jakarta's prosecutor office in Jakarta on November 27, 2018. | © 2018 Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images | Following your own religious beliefs shouldn't be a crime, but in Indonesia, new technologies are helping authorities identify and potentially prosecute religious minorities who follow "deviant teachings." | On November 22, Bakor Pakem, a body charged with…
(2018-11-29). The New Federal Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Would Remedy Decades of Injustice. thenation.com The New Federal Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Would Remedy Decades of Injustice…
(2018-11-29). Chilean Congress Votes to Ban Products From Illegal Israeli Settlements. bdsmovement.net 
Chilean Congress Votes to Ban Products From Illegal Israeli Settlements: UpdateThe National Congress of Chile overwhelmingly voted to ban products from illegal Israeli settlements built on stolen Palestinian land. | Economic Boycott Military Embargo Sanctions and governmentsNovember 29, 2018 | By: | …
(2018-11-29). Should Saudi Crown Prince Be Charged With War Crimes? G20 Host Argentina Considers Probe. democracynow.org 
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could face prosecution in Argentina for alleged complicity in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the Saudi-led humanitarian crisis in Yemen. On Wednesday, an Argentine prosecutor reportedly accepted a request by Human Rights Watch to prosecute the crown prince, just hours after he landed in Argentina ahead of the G20 summit. Argentina recognizes universal jurisdiction for war crimes and torture, which means it is able to press charges against the crown prince while he is in the country. We speak with Reed Brody, counsel and spokesperson for Human Rights Watch, and…
(2018-11-29). Bangladesh: Further information: Activist released on bail after months in detention: Shahidul Alam. amnesty.org Shahidul Alam, photographer and outspoken social activist, has been freed on permanent bail after spending more than 100 days behind bars for comments he made in an interview with Al-Jazeera in August 2018. In detention, he was ill-treated and subjected to prolonged detention merely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.
(2018-11-29). Bangladesh: Activista en libertad bajo fianza tras pasar varios meses detenido. amnesty.org Shahidul Alam, fotógrafo y destacado activista social, ha quedado en libertad bajo fianza permanente tras pasar más de 100 días entre rejas por unos comentarios que hizo en una entrevista con Al Yazira en agosto de 2018. Fue maltratado bajo custodia y sometido a detención prolongada únicamente por ejercer pacíficamente su derecho a la libertad de expresión.
(2018-11-29). State of Palestine: Social Justice Activist on Hunger Strike: Suha Jbara. amnesty.org Suha Jbara has been on hunger strike since 22 November in protest against her detention and torture by Palestinian security forces. Her next court hearing is scheduled for 6 December 2018.
(2018-11-29). Viet Nam: Ludicrous charge against activist accused of 'insulting national flag' must be dropped. amnesty.org A charge of "insulting the national flag" against prominent Vietnamese human rights activist Huynh Thuc Vy amounts to an attack on freedom of expression by the authorities and must be dropped, Amnesty International said ahead of her trial on Friday. | It is rare for the authorities to prosecute a human rights activist for this charge, which carries a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment, in a disturbing sign of the intensifying crackdown against peaceful dissent in the country. | "This ludicrous charge must be dropped as it is aimed solely at silencing a dedicated, peaceful human rights activist. This is…
(2018-11-29). Malaysia: Report details shocking abuses against Indigenous peoples defending their land. amnesty.org Indigenous communities across Malaysia face relentless harassment, intimidation, arrest, violence and even death as they peacefully resist attempts to force them off land they consider ancestral, a report by Amnesty International reveals today. | | The report,
(2018-11-29). Malaysia: "The forest is our heartbeat": The struggle to save Indigenous land in Malaysia. amnesty.org Defenders of the lands of Indigenous peoples in Malaysia are targeted, singled out and face opposition from state authorities and private individuals when they speak up. These abuses have further disenfranchised Indigenous communities in Malaysia, marginalising them socially and harming them economically. This report examines the struggles human rights defenders of Indigenous peoples have endured as they have sought to claim their right to Indigenous lands, and the steps that should be taken by the government to ensure that they are given the protection they deserve.
(2018-11-29). Amnesty International launches worlds biggest human rights campaign. amnesty.org Women human rights defenders around the world are facing unprecedented levels of abuse, intimidation and violence, said Amnesty International as it launched its global Write for Rights campaign, in a bid to shine a spotlight on brave women who have been harassed, jailed, tortured or even killed for their human rights work. | Women continue to face multiple forms of discrimination, targeted because of their gender and other characteristics, as well as for their human rights work. However, women refuse to stay silent and have been at the forefront of the battle for human rights in 2018. | "Across the world, women a…
(2018-11-29). Philippines: First conviction of police officers in 'war on drugs' shows its deadly reality. amnesty.org Responding to the guilty verdict handed to three policemen for the murder of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in the Philippines, Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia, said: | "Kian's killing is emblematic of the horrors of the 'war on drugs', and this verdict further confirms that it is a brutal, murderous campaign that claims innocent lives. | "While welcome, this verdict does not go far enough. The first conviction of police officers in this deadly campaign has come far too late. While three officers have been found guilty, more should be held to account, includ…
(2018-11-29). Honduras: Half-truths for Berta Cáceres and her family. amnesty.org The irregularities in the investigation and court proceedings relating to the murder of prominent human rights defender Berta Cáceres, combined with the fact all those who masterminded the crime have still not been identified, lead to the conclusion that neither the right to justice, the right to the truth, nor the right to reparation have been guaranteed in this emblematic case, Amnesty International said today.
(2018-11-29). China, Iran Solve Oil Payments Problem. iranian.com Iran and China have found a way for China to continue buying Iranian crude and pay for it without risking a U.S. sanction breach, an Iranian official said, as quoted by Fars News. "A Chinese bank will start its banking exchanges with the Iranian side on December 2," the head of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, Asadollah […]
(2018-11-29). DR Congo: Mass Rape Trial Crucial for Justice. hrw.org 
| | The leader of the Mai Mai Sheka militia group, Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka, campaigns for a seat in parliament ahead of the November 2011 national elections, despite being sought on a Congolese arrest warrant for crimes against humanity, including sexual violence. Walikale, North Kivu, November 24, 2011. | © 2011 AFP/File | (Goma) — The trial of a militia leader for mass rape and other grave crimes is crucial for justice in the …
(2018-11-29). Indian Farmers Call for Action Over Agricultural Crisis. hrw.org 
| | Farmers from across India gather in New Delhi to demand action from lawmakers. November 29, 2018. | © 2018 Private | Thousands of farmers from across India will march to the parliament in New Delhi on November 30, to demand action on the deepening agrarian crisis that has left a trail of heavy debts and suicide in its wake. | More than …
(2018-11-29). Pakistan Should Remove People with Mental Disabilities From Death Row. hrw.org 
| | Imdad Ali, who is aged around 50, was sentenced to death for the murder of a religious cleric in 2002 and is set to be hanged tomorrow. | © Reuters (Representative image) | This week, a medical board confirmed that Saleem Ahmad, a prisoner on death row for 14 years, has chronic schizophrenia. | Ahmad, 50, had been scheduled to be executed in November 2017, but a court …
(2018-11-29). Ukraine: Barriers to Free Movement for Older People. hrw.org 
| | An older man with a disability sits on an old luggage cart preparing to cross the Stanitsa Luhanska border point in Eastern Ukraine. With wheelchairs rarely available, older people and others with mobility disabilities may resort to crossing by carts or sleds pushed by strangers, for a fee. April 6, 2018. | © 2018 John Wendle for Human Rights Watch | (Kyiv) — Older people who need to travel between the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine and governme…
(2018-11-29). US: Cervical Cancer Deaths Up for Black Women. hrw.org 
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(2018-11-29). First Conviction of Officers in Philippines 'Drug War'. hrw.org 
| | Mourners display a streamer during a funeral march for Kian delos Santos, a 17-year-old student who was shot during anti-drug operations in Caloocan, Metro Manila, Philippines August 26, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | A Philippine court on November 29 convicted three police officers for the …
(2018-11-29). Google Shut Out Privacy and Security Teams From Secret China Project. theintercept.com 
The secrecy surrounding the work was unheard of at Google. It was not unusual for planned new products to be closely guarded ahead of launch. But this time was different. The objective, code-named Dragonfly, was to build a search engine for China that would censor broad categories of information about human rights, democracy, and peaceful protest. | In February 2017, during one of the first group meetings about Dragonfly at Google's Mountain View headquarters in California, some of those present were left stunned by what they heard. Senior executives disclosed that the search system's infrastructure would be reli…
(2018-11-28). Hatewatch Headlines 11/29/2018. splcenter.org Border Patrol's use of tear gas an ill omen; High court poised to reverse LGBT rights; How Trump picked up a meme from 4chan on Twitter; and more.