(2018-12-07). PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (29 November — 05 December 2018). imemc.org Israeli forces continued with systematic crimes, in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), for the week of 29 November — 05 December, 2018. | On the International Day for Persons with Disabilities: Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian with a disability in Tulkarem.
(2018-12-07). Jerusalem Governor Banned from Entering West Bank. imemc.org Israeli authorities, on Thursday, banned Jerusalem's Governor, Adnan Gheith, from entry into the West Bank, for six consecutive months. Gheith was summoned Thursday morning, to al-Maskobieh detention and interrogation center, where he was handed a military order banning him entry to the West Bank for six consecutive months. The order, …
(2018-12-07). Israeli Government-Linked Creative Community for Peace's Confidential Report. imemc.org 12/06/18 Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) / US, UK The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights continues to make long strides in effectively challenging Israel's regime of occupation and apartheid. The cultural boycott of Israel is supported by thousands of artists around the world, with pledges to uphold …
(2018-12-07). As Voter Fraud Scandal in North Carolina Deepens, Democrats Push Voting Rights Bill. therealnews.com 
Tar Heel Democrats are voting to expand voter rights, while Republicans push voter IDs to hold on to power. We speak to NC state representative Graig Meyer
(2018-12-07). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70: Time to De-Colonize Human Rights! counterpunch.org 
"…recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." These are the words in the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) promulgated 70 years ago on December 10, 1948. They were More
(2018-12-07). Report: Palestinians in Israel Jails Continue to Suffer Medical Negligence. imemc.org Palestinians living under detention in Israeli prisons are being diagnosed with medical conditions, as of late, because of a lack of health care, a Palestinian NGO has revealed. In a report, the Prisoners' Centre for Studies said that 12 per cent of the Palestinian prisoners in occupation jails are diagnosed with …
(2018-12-07). Russia: Human Rights Defender Jailed. hrw.org 
| | Russian human rights activist Lev Ponomarev at an All-Russian convention on the protection of human rights. | © 2017 Anton Novoderezhkin\TASS via Getty Images | (Moscow) — A Russian court has unjustly jailed one of the founders of Russia's human rights movement for a Facebook post about a peaceful protest, Human Rights Watch said today. On December 5, 2018, a court in Moscow sentenced Lev Ponomarev, 77, to 25 days in jail for alleged repeated violat…
(2018-12-07). Somali Journalist Critically Hurt in Car Bombing. hrw.org 
On Tuesday evening, veteran Somali journalist and media rights activist Ismail Sheikh Khalifa was critically wounded when a bomb planted in his car exploded in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. Ismail was leaving the TV studio where he hosts a weekly show, when the bomb detonated remotely. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. | | | Somali journalist and media rights activist Ismail Sheikh Khalifa. | © Radio…
(2018-12-07). Mali: Dangerous Upsurge in Abuse by Ethnic Militias. hrw.org 
| | Peuhl animal herders waiting to cross the Bani River, near Sofara, central Mali. On August 7, 2018, Dozo militia allegedly detained 11 Peuhl traders as they waited to cross the river to go to Sofara market, and later killed them. | © 2011 Tuul and Bruno Morandi / Alamy Stock Photo | Ethnic militias have killed over 200 civilians and burned dozens of villages in communal violence in central Mali during 2018, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Most victims have been ethnic Peuhl villagers targeted b…
(2018-12-07). Japanese police detain Zengakuren activists for nearly three weeks. wsws.org The police measures used against this student group are part of a broader attack on basic democratic rights.
(2018-12-07). Canada arrests top Chinese executive for "sanctions busting" wsws.org The arrest and impending extradition to the US of Meng Wanzhou is a diplomatic and geopolitical provocation that has effectively blown up the US-China trade-war "truce" after less than a week.
(2018-12-07). Why Iraq Is Crucial To U.S. Sanctions On Iran. iranian.com Iraq, OPEC's second-largest oil producer and one of Iran's largest trade partners might come to enjoy even longer sanction waivers from Washington than the eight countries that scored a 180-day sanction relief last month. The reason: curbing Iran's influence over its neighbor is a long-term goal, not something that could be done with sanctions inside a […]
(2018-12-06). Selected Articles: Truth and Human Rights vs. Fraud and Corruption. globalresearch.ca Do you value the reporting and in-depth analysis we provide, free of charge, on a daily basis? Do you think this resource should be maintained and preserved as a research tool for future generations? Bringing you 24/7 updates from all …
(2018-12-06). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70: Time to De-Colonize Human Rights! globalresearch.ca The post-WW II promise of human rights was a compact meant for white people only, but a People-Centered Human Rights framework seeks global liberation and transformation. | "If human rights are to have any incredibility, any "universal" applicability, any value, they …
(2018-12-06). How George H.W. Bush and Other Conservatives Undermined his Americans with Disabilities Act Legacy. progressive.org Bush deserves credit for what he did to make the ADA happen. But federal civil rights laws are just empty symbolic gestures unless the executive branch vigorously enforces them and judges take them seriously.
(2018-12-06). Rattling the Bars: Stopping Corporate Exploitation in Prisons (Pt 2/2). therealnews.com 
Eddie Conway talks with Bianca Tylek, founder of the Corrections Accountability Corporation about thousands of corporations funding private prisons and immigration detention centers and what citizens can do about it
(2018-12-06). Workers, allies lobbying incoming Dems for progressive legislation. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The Democratic-run U.S. House hasn't even gotten underway yet, but lobbies for progressive causes — from saving the environment to restoring the teeth in the Voting Rights Act — are already seeking spots on the incoming lawmakers' opening agenda. What the Dems do when they take over is important to workers and their allies, even …
(2018-12-06). Re-education Camps, Infiltration, Surveillance: China Criticized over Persecution of Uyghur Muslims. democracynow.org 
The United Nations and human rights groups have accused China's government of setting up massive anti-Muslim "re-education" camps in the northwest Xinjiang province to disappear, jail and brainwash Uyghur Muslims. Some estimates put the population in the camps at up to 2 million. After months of denials, China acknowledged their existence in October, saying they are part of efforts to counter extremism. But Uyghurs say it's a form of collective punishment—and that they live under a high-tech surveillance state designed to eradicate Islam. We speak to Rushan Abbas, a Uyghur-American activist based in Washing…
(2018-12-06). China Criticized Over Persecution of Uyghur Muslims. truthout.org The United Nations and human rights groups have accused China's government of setting up massive anti-Muslim "re-education" camps in the northwest Xinjiang province to disappear, jail and brainwash Uyghur Muslims. Some estimates put the population in the camps at up to 2 million. After months of denials, China acknowledged their existence in October, saying they are part of efforts to counter extremism. But Uyghurs say it's a form of collective punishment — and that they live under a high-tech surveillance state designed to eradicate Islam. We speak to Rushan Abbas, a Uyghur-American activist based in Wa…
(2018-12-06). Americans Endorsed Voting Rights in 2018, but Some State Lawmakers Want to Sabotage These Victories. aclu.org 
State legislators are ignoring their voters' wishes and engaging in new tactics to suppress the vote. | The 2018 election ushered in a wave of voting rights victories. Voters in Florida, Michigan, Maryland, and Nevada all made it easier to register and vote, showing that voters reject voter suppression efforts and <...
(2018-12-06). Gender violence awareness and murders are both on the rise. greenleft.org.au 
As part of #16daysofactivism, a global campaign to highlight gender-based violence, Domestic Violence NSW (DV NSW) hosted a panel of journalists and rights advocates to address the difficulties in reporting sexual assault and domestic and family violence on November 29. | Jenna Price from the University of Technology in Sydney and co-creator of Destroy the Joint's "Counting Dead Women" project spoke alongside artist, advocate and survivor of family violence Amani Haydar, author and journalist Jess Hill, journalist and advocate against gender-based violence N…
(2018-12-06). Argentina: Modify Resolution on Use of Force. hrw.org 
| | A member of Argentine National Gendarmerie aims his gun to demonstrators during a protest against government-proposed pension reforms as protesters march to Argentine National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 14, 2017. | © 2017 Mariano Sanchez/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images | (Washington, D.C.) — A new government resolution in Argentina to regulate the use of firearms by security agents runs counter to basic human rights standards and could enc…
(2018-12-06). Illuminating the Skies for Human Rights. hrw.org 
| (New York) — Thirty landmarks across the globe will shine bright blue on December 10, 2018, to celebrate Human Rights Day and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Watch said today. From New York to Beirut and Santiago to Sydney, the global lighting will highlight the fundamental principles of human dignity that the Universal Declaration affirms and that Human Rights Watch works to defend each day. | "This is a challenging moment for human rights, but while the autocrats and rights abusers are capturing the headlines, t…
(2018-12-06). Turkey: Seek UN Inquiry on Khashoggi. hrw.org 
| | Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. | © 2018 Cemal Ka≈üƒ±kà߃± | (New York) — Turkey should formally submit a request to the UN secretary-general to establish an international, independent investigation into Saudi Arabia's murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Human Rights Watch said today. | An international investigation under the authority of the secr…
(2018-12-06). Yemen: Talks Should Address Rights Concerns. hrw.org 
| | Imports sit destroyed in a damaged warehouse at the port in Hodeida city, Yemen. | © November 2016 Kristine Beckerle / Human Rights Watch | Participants to the Yemen talks in Sweden should prioritize key human rights issues, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Mwatana Organization for Human Rights said today. The issues should include removing impediments to the free flow of humanitarian aid and vital commercial goods such…
(2018-12-06). Canada Arrests CFO of Chinese Telecom Giant for Violating US Sanctions on Iran. theantimedia.com 
(MEE) — Canada arrested China's Huawei Technology's chief financial officer for allegedly violating US sanctions on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Meng Wanzhou faces possible extradition to the US, WSJ added. A Canadian justice department spokesperson said she was arrested on 1 December. A Huawei spokesman said the arrest happened as Meng was transferring …
(2018-12-06). Exposing The Israel Lobby Groups Behind The "Political Lynching" Of Marc Lamont Hill. iranian.com The controversy that has resulted from Marc Lamont Hill's speech is just the latest iteration of a larger effort to silence advocacy for Palestinian rights in the United States, at a time when the Trump administration is set to reveal its Israel-centric "peace plan" that is set to be a disaster for Palestinians. After his […]
(2018-12-06). Iran Moves Closer To Adopting Law Against Funding Terrorism. iranian.com Iran's parliament approved a tweaked draft law against funding terrorism on Wednesday which officials hope will bring Tehran closer to global standards and help remove it from investment blacklists as it faces renewed U.S. sanctions. The official news agency IRNA said lawmakers had included amendments requested by a powerful clerical body, which must vet all […]
(2018-12-06). CFO Of Chinese Tech Giant Huawei Arrested In Canada For Violating U.S. Sanctions On Iran. iranian.com Canada has arrested Huawei's global chief financial officer in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the United States on suspicion she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Wednesday. Meng Wanzhou, who is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company […]
(2018-12-05). Does the Second Amendment Protect Only White Gun Owners? aclu.org Recent police killings of Black men for possessing guns they were legally carrying shows the racial double standards of "the good guy with a gun." | The most common refrain from gun rights supporters in the wake of mass shootings or other gun violence is that the best response to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Yet in recent weeks, we have seen two Black men, a group already disproportionately victimized by police use of lethal force, shot and killed by police while protecting those around them w…
(2018-12-05). Why I Ended the Horror of Long-Term Solitary in Colorado's Prisons. aclu.org 
Long-term isolation has disastrous physical and mental health effects that can amount to torture. The practice must be abandoned across the nation. | In Colorado, long-term solitary confinement used to be a tool that was regularly used in corrections. The problem is that it was not corrective at all. It was indiscriminate punishment that too often amounted to torture and did not make anyone safer. | The practice was pervasive because it was considered reasonable and effective. It was neither. In practice, long-term isolation punished people in a way that not only lacked humanity but sense. And when a program lack…
(2018-12-05). President Trump Is Accelerating the Militarization of the Southwest Border. aclu.org Under President Trump, the slide toward a fully militarized border between the U.S. and Mexico is happening rapidly to the detriment of civil rights. | For decades, the ACLU has fought back against the militarization of domestic law enforcement agencies and the use of the military in our communities. Nowhere is this militarization more pronounced than on the border between the U.S. and Mexico — and President Trump is only making it worse. | The creation of the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11 accelerated the government's operations on the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP…
(2018-12-05). This State Agency Is Refusing to Help a Trans Woman Who Says She Was Assaulted by Police. aclu.org New York's Division of Human Rights says it cannot investigate alleged police and corrections abuses because they are not public accommodations. | DeAnna LeTray of Watertown, New York, was arrested in September 2017 during a domestic dispute with her daughter's boyfriend, who she says pointed a gun at her. | LeTray, who is trans, says the Watertown police officers who arrested her mocked her gender expression and questioned her gender identity. Then, at the police station, LeTray says police ripped her hair off her head and, once she got to the jail, she was stripped naked and sexually assaulted. | LeTray filed…
(2018-12-05). How False Testimony and a Massive U.S. Propaganda Machine Bolstered George H.W. Bush's War on Iraq. democracynow.org 
As the media memorializes George H.W. Bush, we look at the lasting impact of his 1991 invasion of Iraq and the propaganda campaign that encouraged it. Although the Gulf War technically ended in February of 1991, the U.S. war on Iraq would continue for decades, first in the form of devastating sanctions and then in the 2003 invasion launched by George W. Bush. Thousands of U.S. troops and contractors remain in Iraq. A largely forgotten aspect of Bush Sr.'s war on Iraq is the vast domestic propaganda effort before the invasion began. We look at the way U.S. media facilitated the war on Iraq with journalist John "Ri…
(2018-12-05). Venezuela's Maduro Seeks 'Golden Finish' to 2018 with International Offensive as Russia & Turkey Blast US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com Economic, financial, political, military, and counter-terrorism ties were strengthened between Caracas and both countries.
(2018-12-05). Humanitarians Released on Bail in Greece. hrw.org 
| | Sean Binder, a search-and-rescue volunteer who helped migrants and asylum seekers at sea, has been detained in Greece on unfounded charges. © Private, 2018 | Four humanitarian activists who had been imprisoned on baseless charges in Greece were released on bail today by an investigative judge. The authorities should now drop the ridiculous charges against them. | Among those bailed is 23-year-old Syrian refugee Sarah Mardini. Mardini traveled by boat from Turkey to Greece in 2015. When the engine failed, she and he…
(2018-12-05). Malaysia: Keep Moratorium on Abusive Laws. hrw.org 
| | Riot police members stand guard at the Seafield temple on November 27, 2018 in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. | © 2018 Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images | (Bangkok) — The Malaysian government should reconsider its decision to lift the moratorium on laws previously used to repress dissent, Human Rights Watch said today. The government announced on November 30,…
(2018-12-04). The Effects of the Muslim Ban One Year Later. aclu.org We've had one year of the Muslim ban. Congress must ensure it's the last. | Exactly one year ago today, the Supreme Court allowed the full implementation of Trump's Muslim ban. It would be months still before it heard oral arguments in Hawaii v. Trump and issued its ruling on June 26, allowing the ban to remain in place. But on Dec. 4, 2017, America began to ban millions of Muslims from the United States, even if they have family members, jobs, academic spots, or other compelling connections here, and even if they would otherwise be fully…
(2018-12-04). Rattling the Bars: Stopping Corporate Exploitation in Prisons (Pt. 1/2). therealnews.com Eddie Conway talks with Bianca Tylek, founder of the Corrections Accountability Corporation about thousands of corporations funding private prisons and immigration detention centers and what citizens can do about it
(2018-12-04). Central European University Forced to Leave Hungary. hrw.org 
| | People in Budapest protest a draft law targeting Central European University, Hungary, April 4, 2017. | © Lydia Gall/Human Rights Watch | It was no surprise when the Central European University announced Monday that it's being forced out of Hungary and will move to Vienna. The increasingly authoritarian Hungarian government has spent the last year and a half making it difficult — if not impossible — for the…
(2018-12-04). Duterte Using Marijuana Is No Joke. hrw.org 
| | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during the change of command ceremony of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines April 18, 2018. | © 2018 Reuters | President Rodrigo Duterte said this week that he uses marijuana to stay awake, especially during foreign travel. Will anti-drug agents dare to raid Malacañang, the presidential palace, now that its occ…
(2018-12-04). Mozambique: Security Forces Abusing Suspected Insurgents. hrw.org 
| | A Mozambican army soldier inspects a building destroyed during a night attack by a suspected armed Islamist group in Chicuaia Velha village, Nangade district, on November 23, 2018. | © 2018 Alexandre Nhampossa | (Johannesburg) — Mozambique security forces have been implicated in serious abuses while fighting an armed Islamist group in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. | Since August 2018, the security forces have allegedly arbitrarily detained, ill-tre…
(2018-12-04). More US Child Workers Die in Agriculture Than in Any Other Industry. hrw.org 
| | "Sofia," a 17-year-old tobacco worker, in a tobacco field in North Carolina. She started working at 13, and she said her mother was the only one who taught her how to protect herself in the fields: "None of my bosses or contractors or crew leaders have ever told us anything about pesticides and how we can protect ourselves from them….When I worked with my mom, she would take care of me, and she would like always make sure I was okay….Our bosses don't give us anything except for our checks. That's it." | © 2015…
(2018-12-04). Tunisia: Parliament Should Back Gender Equality in Inheritance. hrw.org 
| | A Tunisian woman holds up a flag during a march to celebrate International Women's Day in Tunis March 8, 2014. | (Tunis) — Tunisia's parliament should take the landmark step of granting women equal rights in inheritance, Human Rights Watch said today. President Beji Caid Essebsi formally submitted a draft law to parliament on November 28, 2018, asking for urgent action on the measure. | The draft law, which was approved by the Council of Minister…
(2018-12-04). Imprisoned Hacktivist Jeremy Hammond Bumped a Guard With a Door — and Got Thrown in Solitary Confinement. theintercept.com Hammond is starting his third week in solitary confinement — a duration that the U.N. says is tantamount to torture.
(2018-12-03). Remembering George H.W. Bush's Inaction on AIDS at Home While Detaining HIV+ Haitians at Guantánamo. democracynow.org 
George H.W. Bush died on the eve of World AIDS Day, an irony not lost on many HIV/AIDS activists who remember the 41st president of the United States for his lack of action in the 1990s as the HIV/AIDS crisis raged on. Bush said little about the crisis during his years as vice president under Ronald Reagan, who didn't even mention AIDS until the penultimate year of his presidency. Despite promises to do more after he was elected president, George H.W. Bush refused to address and fund programs around HIV/AIDS education and prevention, as well as drug treatment. We speak with Steven Thrasher, journalist and doctora…
(2018-12-03). SPLC brings first lawsuit challenging Florida sheriffs' latest collaboration agreements to detain people for ICE. splcenter.org The SPLC sued Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay today for illegally holding a U.S. citizen in the county jail on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold.
(2018-12-03). There's No Real Difference Between Border Walls and Border Fences. aclu.org 
Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, are playing word games when it comes to funding Trump's border wall. | Sometime between now and Dec. 21*, when the current appropriation for the Department of Homeland Security will expire, Congress needs to provide the agency with another's year's funds. A single word has become a sticking point for the politicians who will vote on that funding: "wall," as in President Trump's border wall. | Trump and his Republican allies are demanding billions of dollars for walls along the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats, wanting to be seen as opposing Trump, say that they won't vote for b…
(2018-12-03). China: Release Workers, Student Activists. hrw.org 
| | President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, China, October 18, 2017. | © 2017 Aly Song/Reuters | (New York) – The Chinese government should immediately release workers and students arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared during a nationwide crackdown since mid-2018, Human Rights Watch said today. Those held include factory workers, labor activists, college s…
(2018-12-03). Tackling Hate Speech in Ethiopia. hrw.org 
| | Internet café in Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. | © 2010 Hemis.fr/AFP Photo | Hate and dangerous speech is a serious and growing problem in Ethiopia, both online and offline. It has contributed to the growing ethnic tensions and conflicts across the country that have created more than 1.4 million new internally displaced people in the first half of 2018 alone. The government says it will pass a new law on hate speech t…