(2018-12-11). On the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. zcomm.org I do not think the Declaration is obsolete or even anachronistic, although it needs to be updated in various ways to take account of the distinct human rights challenges posed by the realities of the digital age…
(2018-12-11). Argentine Court: Ex-Ford Execs Guilty of Kidnapping, Torture. telesurenglish.net The Federal Court of San Marin ruled that ex-directors of the Ford multinational Pedro Màºller and Hector Sibila were found guilty in connections with the kidnapping and torture of workers at the plant that the carmaker had in General Pacheco city during the last military dictatorship. | RELATED: | Argentina: Women Protest Ruling in Femicide Case | It is the first sentence against directors of a multinational corporation, not as accomplices, but as direct participants in crimes against h…
(2018-12-11). How Reuters Slandered Venezuela's Social Benefits Card. counterpunch.org The Venezuelan government has promoted a Social Benefits Card to facilitate the distribution of goods and services at a time when the country is beset by a pernicious financial blockade that makes it difficult to access food and medicine. The sanctions applied against Venezuela by the USA, Canada and European allies are ILLEGAL. They violate More
(2018-12-11). US & Canada Violate International Law with the Arrest of Chinese Huawei Exec. therealnews.com 
Col. Larry Wilkerson explains that it's not the Chinese Huawei executive that violated law when circumventing US sanctions, but it is the US that violates them by imposing sanctions that were never agreed to on an international level
(2018-12-11). Sealed with a kiss: Yemen's rivals agree to swap 16,000 prisoners. aljazeera.com Deal will cover 8,576 people detained by the Houthis, including teachers and children, and 7,487 Houthi fighters.
(2018-12-11). ACTION ALERT: CNN Must Rehire Pundit Who Defended Democratic Rights. fair.org 
Marc Lamont Hill appearing as a political commentator on CNN | As Marc Lamont Hill delivered his widely discussed speech at the United Nations on November 28, in which he expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and emphasized the need to protect the human rights and self-determination of all who lived "from the river to the sea," he probably expected some critical response. What he likely didn't expect was to be fired from his position as a CNN commentator, and to have his job as a professor at Temple University threatened. | Pro-Israel partisans and commentato…
(2018-12-11). Why World War II, Not the New Deal, Ended the Great Depression. counterpunch.org 
On November 27th, I wrote an article on how FDR's long-standing racism accounted for the detention of Japanese-Americans rather than security concerns following Pearl Harbor. I also noted in brief that it was WWII rather than the New Deal that ended the Great Depression. That prompted an email to CounterPunch editors taking exception to this More
(2018-12-11). Marc Lamont Hill Was Arguing for the Rights of Humans, Not of States. zcomm.org The important demand that CNN rehire Hill has obscured much of the actual content of his speech…
(2018-12-11). Chile Revokes Prison for Police Involved in Mapuche Murder. telesurenglish.net An appeals court in southern Chile reversed Monday a preventive detention order for two policemen involved in the murder of Mapuche man Camilo Catrillanca as Congressional hearings against Interior Minister Andres Chadwick begin Tuesday. | RELATED: | Chile: Piñera to Withdraw GOPE Carabineros From Araucania | Braulio Valenzuela and Patricio Sepulveda, accused of…
(2018-12-11). A message from Kumi Naidoo on human rights in 2018. amnesty.org …
(2018-12-11). Rights Today in Southeast Asia – 2018. amnesty.org …
(2018-12-11). Rights Today in Africa – 2018. amnesty.org …
(2018-12-11). This year's epic human rights wins. amnesty.org …
(2018-12-11). Violence Against Women Online in 2018. amnesty.org …
(2018-12-11). Rights Today in South Asia – 2018. amnesty.org …
(2018-12-11). Rights Today in Europe and Central Asia – 2018. amnesty.org …
(2018-12-11). The Not Enough Impact Report 2018. amnesty.org …
(2018-12-11). Thailand: Don't Return Cambodian Dissident. hrw.org 
| | Rath Rott Mony | © Private | (New York) — The Thai government should not forcibly return the dissident Rath Rott Mony to Cambodia, Human Rights Watch said today. There are strong reasons to believe that Mony would face politically motivated prosecution, wrongful detention, and ill-treatment in Cambodia. | "Thailand should not do Cambodia's bidding by forcibly returning an out…
(2018-12-11). Croatia: Migrants Pushed Back to Bosnia and Herzegovina. hrw.org 
| | Migrants including asylum seekers in a dilapidated building in Borici camp, Bihac, Bosnia Herzegovina. November 19, 2018. | © 2018 Human Rights Watch | (Budapest) — Croatian police are pushing migrants and asylum seekers back to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in some cases violently, and without giving them the possibility to seek asylum, Human Rights Watch said. | Human Rights…
(2018-12-11). Protecting Your Security and Rights Online. hrw.org 
| (New York) — Human Rights Watch released an interactive online game today to help people understand how important strong encryption is to everyone's security in the digital age. The interactive feature, " Everyday Encryption," shows how encryption protects people in their daily lives. | Technology companies and nongovernmental groups rely on encryption to secure sensitive data from malicious actors. At the same time, governments contend that encryption will limit their surveillance capabilities, saying that…
(2018-12-11). Activists Found Guilty of Terrorism-Related Offense for Stopping U.K. Migrant Deportations. theintercept.com The guilty verdict arrived around lunchtime on December 10 — Human Rights Day, which this year marked the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It signaled the end of a nine-week trial and three days of jury deliberations in Chelmsford Crown Court, about 30 miles northeast of London. More than a year and a half after the 15 defendants had locked themselves around a deportation charter flight at London's Stansted Airport, successfully stopping it from taking off, the defendants were convicted of intentional disruption of services at an aerodrome, a terrorism-related offense with a po…
(2018-12-11). Google CEO Hammered by Members of Congress on China Censorship Plan. theintercept.com Google CEO Sundar Pichai came under fire from lawmakers on Tuesday over the company's secretive plan to launch a censored search engine in China. | During a hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee, Pichai faced sustained questions over the China plan, known as Dragonfly, which would blacklist broad categories of information about democracy, human rights, and peaceful protest. | The hearing began with an opening statement from Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who said launching a censored search engine in China would "strengthen China's system of surveillance and repression." McCarthy questioned whether it was…
(2018-12-11). Rights Groups Turn Up Pressure on Google Over China Censorship Ahead of Congressional Hearing. theintercept.com Google risks being "complicit in human rights violations" if it brings censored search back to China, said a global coalition of over 60 groups.
(2018-12-11). Valentin Lopez Speaks on the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. indybay.org Valentin Lopez, Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, spoke at an event in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, hosted by the United Nations Association: USA Santa Cruz, CA Chapter on December 8 at the Resource Center for Nonviolence.
(2018-12-10). Doctors Who Facilitate Torture Must Be Held to Account. aclu.org To prevent further stains on the medical profession, the names of those involved in torture and executions need to be made public. | Physicians hold a special position in U.S. society. They are given a place of honor in return for the expectation that they will use their knowledge and skills in the public interest and adhere to a clear set of ethical standards. | Under pressure from the government to misuse their expertise, though, some doctors have been willing to rationalize cooperation in unethical behavior. In recent years, nowhere has such ethical deviation been so starkly on display as in the case of the pa…
(2018-12-10). African-American North Carolina voting rights activist dies. peoplesworld.org 
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(2018-12-10). NRA: You Can No Longer Stay Silent. naacp.org NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization released the following statement to the National Rifle Association (NRA): "The senseless killing of Emantic J. Bradford and the silence from the NRA has confirmed that the 2nd amendment does not apply to legally licensed Black gun owners. Instead of standing by their principles, the NRA continues to demonize and […]
(2018-12-10). 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. peoplesworld.org 
Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 10 December 2018, Marrakesh, Morocco Seventy years ago today, the world's States recognized, for the first time, that all people have universal human rights and they promised to promote and protect those rights. The right to equal protection of the law. The right to life, …
(2018-12-10). Iran: Solidarity with tortured trade unionists as strike action spreads. peoplesworld.org 
Iranian communists have called for international solidarity following the arrest and torture of leading trade unionists as strike action spreads across the province of Khuzestan. Tudeh Party international secretary Navid Shomali said that the clerical regime is in a fragile position and that support for striking workers in Iran was vital. Workers at the Iranian …
(2018-12-10). Marc Lamont Hill Was Arguing for the Rights of Humans, Not of States. thenation.com Phyllis Bennis, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II Marc Lamont Hill Was Arguing for the Rights of Humans, Not of States…
(2018-12-10). At 70, the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights Is Still Making a 'Critical Difference'. progressive.org In the current age of authoritarian-leaning governments, politicians and activists see this declaration as more important than ever.
(2018-12-10). China summons American ambassador over detention of Huawei executive. wsws.org The highly provocative actions of the US are part of the Trump administration's wider campaign to prevent Chinese corporate giants from challenging American technological supremacy.
(2018-12-10). EU's Top Diplomat: EU-Iran Trade Vehicle Could Be Ready By Year-End. iranian.com The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Monday a system to facilitate non-dollar trade with Iran and circumvent U.S. sanctions could be in place by year's end. The European Union wants the so-called Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to help preserve the economic benefits for Iran deriving from the curbs it placed on its nuclear […]
(2018-12-10). Human Rights are Key to Success at Climate Talks. hrw.org 
| | Woman holds sign during March for Climate at UN Climate Talks in Katowice, Poland. | © 2018 Cara Schulte/Human Rights Watch | Today, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, governments at the climate summit COP24 in Poland are working around the clock to finalize the Paris "Rulebook" — the regulations that will guide the implementation of the Paris Agreement to…
(2018-12-10). US: Deregulating Mountaintop Removal Threatens Drinking Water and Public Health. hrw.org 
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(2018-12-10). 5 Questions for Google About Controversial China Search Project. hrw.org 
| | A Chinese national flag sways in front of Google China's headquarters in Beijing on January 14, 2010. | © 2010 Reuters | Google CEO Sundar Pichai will be in the hot seat tomorrow when he testifies before the United States House Judiciary Committee f…
(2018-12-10). Civil Society Organisations Call for national debate on UN Committee recommendations to South African Government on social and economic transformation. hrw.org 
| | The United Nations' Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in session during South Africa's first review. (C) 2018 Elin Martínez/Human Rights Watch | (Johannesburg) – South Africa's Constitution contains a wide range of socio-economic rights. In 2015, expanding and deepening South Africa's commitment to the realization of socio-economic rights, the South African Government ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). On international human rights day today we draw atte…
(2018-12-10). 'Parties resolved the matter': Court documents in 'foreign agent' Butina case suggest deal made. rt.com 
Maria Butina, a Russian national detained in the US and accused of failing to register as a foreign lobbyist under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), appears to have reached a deal with prosecutors.
(2018-12-09). A Tribute to Ludmila Mikhailovna Alexeeva. hrw.org 
(Moscow) — Human Rights Watch bids farewell to Ludmila Alexeeva, the doyenne of Russia's human rights movement, who died on December 8 in Moscow. She will forever be a towering figure for human rights activists everywhere: a clear, moral voice for freedom and dignity. | | | Lyudmila Alexeyeva. | © Platon, Moscow 2011 | Ludmila gave her energy and her soul to many cases and issues, from the persecution of ordinary people, to civilian carnage in the war in Chechnya, to the Kremlin's crackdown on civil society that gat…
(2018-12-09). Indonesia: Papuan Militants Kill 17. hrw.org 
| | Cartoonist's depiction of Indonesian government restrictions on media freedom and rights monitoring in Papua. | © 2015 Toni Malakian for Human Rights Watch | (Jakarta) — Indonesian police should investigate a Papuan armed group's killing of at least 17 people, including a soldier, at a construction are…
(2018-12-09). Giving North Korea Abuses a Free Pass. hrw.org 
| | Kim Jong-Un watches a performance in Pyongyang, North Korea, on February 23, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters/KCNA | It is a bitter irony that on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Security Council will give North Korea's atrocious human rights record a free pass. | In 2014, a blistering UN commission of inquiry report found the North Korean government responsible for a laundry…
(2018-12-08). German Court Confirms BDS Advocacy is Protected Freedom of Expression and Assembly. bdsmovement.net 
German Court Confirms BDS Advocacy is Protected Freedom of Expression and Assembly: In the NewsA German court confirms that advocating for BDS and Palestinian rights constitutes freedom of expression and assembly, rights that are protected by the German constitution and are essential for democracy. The court ruled that the German city of Oldenburg unlawfully violated these fundamental rights when it revoked a perm…
(2018-12-08). Myanmar: Quash Conviction of Kachin Activists. hrw.org 
| | People displaced in the conflict between the Burmese military and the Kachin Independence Army are seen at a church in Tanai Township, Kachin State, June 14, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | (Bangkok) — Myanmar authorities should quash the convictions of three ethnic Kachin activists found guilty of defaming the military, Human Rights Watch said today. Zau Jat, Lum Zawng, and Nang Pu were each sentenced to six months in prison and a 500,000 kyat…
(2018-12-07). No Relief: William Barr Is as Bad as Jeff Sessions — if Not Worse. aclu.org Barr's record suggests he will continue the former attorney general's worst policies while promoting a sweeping view of executive power. | Donald Trump's nomination of William Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions as attorney general ought to raise alarm bells across the country. Barr is as bad as Sessions was on the full range of civil rights issues that fall with the Justice Department's purview. And he's a longstanding advocate of expansive executive power. | It's almost certainly the latter view that attracted President Trump, whose own power is likely to be called into question should the Mueller investigation…
(2018-12-07). CIA Torture Killed My Father. I Want to Know What They Did With His Body. aclu.org The truth hurts, but it also helps. | This piece was originally published by The Washington Post. | I believe there are two paths in life — the paths of right and wrong — and that all people know the right path in their hearts. So I believe that people in America, if they can read this, will know the right thing for their government to do is tell me and my family what happened to my father's body. | My father was Gul Rahman. Sixteen ye…
(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). 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 |
| (December 10) Lev Ponomarev filed a court petition to attend the funeral on December 11, 2018 for Ludmila Alexeeva, the champion of Russia's human rights movement and Ponomarev's close friend and colleague. | On December 10, the Tverskoy District Court in Moscow r…
(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). Poland Denies Entry to Environmental Activists to Attend Climate Talks. hrw.org 
When I traveled to Poland to attend the United Nations climate conference yesterday, I passed through immigration without any problems. But not all representatives of civil society groups participating in the negotiations have been that lucky. | | | Women climate change activists demand respect for rights at Paris Agreement signing ceremony outside the United Nations in New York, April 2016. | © 2016 Katharina Rall/Human Rights Watch | Human Rights Watch is aware of at least 13 people whom Polish authorities, over the pas…
(2018-12-07). Senegalese Students Open Up the Conversation About Sexual Abuses. hrw.org 
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