(2018-12-22). Canada demands China release two detained Canadians. aljazeera.com US, UK and EU also issue statements in support of Canada.
(2018-12-22). Russia Offers to Host Palestine-Israel Peace Talks. telesurenglish.net Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is offering to host meetings between chief Palestinian and Israeli officials in a bid to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two countries. | RELATED: | Israeli Forces Detain Palestine Reporters Filming Land Razing | "Given our special relations not only with Palestine but Israel as well, we want…
(2018-12-22). Mali FM Kamissa Camara on rebels, human rights and Sahel security. aljazeera.com Mali's foreign minister discusses the struggle for regional security, alleged human rights violations and resilience.
(2018-12-22). Libya migrants scribble on prison wall: 'People were sold here'. aljazeera.com Detainees protest against smuggling networks in Libya, where many are allegedly sold and resold numerous times.
(2018-12-22). Bangladesh: Violent Campaign Targets Opposition. hrw.org 
| | Police rush Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters at a protest on February 9, 2018, Dhaka, Bangladesh. | © 2018 Allison Joyce/Getty Images | (New York) — A repressive political environment in Bangladesh ahead of the December 30, 2018 national elections is undermining the credibility of the process, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Bangladeshi authorities should impartially investigate allegations of election violence and ensure that…
(2018-12-22). US Extends Waiver To Allow Iraq To Keep Importing Iranian Gas. iranian.com The United States extended an exemption allowing Iraq to continue importing Iranian oil and gas despite US sanctions on Tehran, a US State Department spokesman confirmed. The spokesman said on Friday that the 90-day extension would allow Baghdad to keep importing Iranian gas that is crucial for Iraqi power production. "A 90-day waiver was granted […]
(2018-12-22). Germany To Ban Iran's US-Sanctioned Mahan Air. iranian.com Germany is to ban flights in and out of the country by Iran's Mahan Air, which is under US sanctions over allegations it ferries troops and supplies into Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, a newspaper reported on Friday, Reuters reports. Bild said the German government had taken the decision to stop Mahan Air from operating […]
(2018-12-21). Headlines for December 21, 2018. democracynow.org Secretary of Defense Mattis Resigns in Rebuke of Trump Foreign Policy, Trump & Senate at Impasse over Border Wall Funding as Shutdown Looms, Acting AG Whitaker Rejected Advice of DOJ to Recuse Himself from Mueller Probe, U.S. Plans to Send Asylum Seekers Back to Mexico While Awaiting Claims Processing, Treasury Dept. Lifts Sanctions on Russian Oligarch's Business Empire, DOJ Charges 2 Chinese Nationals over Massive Hacking Campaign, Yemeni Mother Reunites with Dying Son After Travel Ban Waiver, Egypt: Court Acquits 40 NGO Workers over 2013 Illegal Funding Charges, Pope Francis: Catholic Church Will "Never Again"
(2018-12-21). Trump's War on Children. counterpunch.org Children are in the news yet again. Not the 12,800 immigrant children that were in shelters for migrant children in the United States in September 2017, a significant increase from May 2016. In that month there were 2700 immigrant children in detention facilities that Trumpsters describe as similar to summer camps. And not the 85,000 children who Save More
(2018-12-21). Iranian-American Group Thanks Rep. Jared Huffman, House Democrats for Pressing the Trump Administration on Ensuring Sanctions Do Not Block Humanitarian Goods from the Iranian People. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2018-12-21). Colombian Indigenous Senator Denounces Attack on His Brother. telesurenglish.net Indigenous leader and human rights defender, German Valencia, was attacked by a group of at least six armed and hooded men Thursday night at his home in the Vilachi village in Cauca, Colombia. | RELATED: | Colombia: Psychologist Working For Ex-FARC Integration Killed | The incident took place around 8 p.m., after pamphlets offering rewards for the "heads" of leaders circulated around the northern part of the department. The pamphlets were allegedly signed by the Aguilas Negras (Bla…
(2018-12-21). Turkey's Erdogan Vows "All Measures" To Circumvent Sanctions On Iran. mintpressnews.com Hawks in Congress and in the president's own administration will use Erdogan's Thursday announcement to "stand by Iran" as fodder for arguing against bringing the troops home, and continuing Syria ground operations in order to counter Iranian expansion.
(2018-12-21). "Cultural Marxism": The Quixotic Catch-All Term to Cover Feminism, Multiculturalism, Identity Politics, Civil Rights, … globalresearch.ca "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." — H. L. Mencken | Cultural Marxism is …
(2018-12-21). 'We Should Expect Them to Keep Developing New Ways to Subvert Public Will' – CounterSpin interview with Paul Rosenberg on GOP power grabs. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Paul Rosenberg about Republican post-election power grabs for the December 14, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-12-21). Federal Court Blocks Trump Asylum Ban Again. globalresearch.ca A federal court has again blocked the Trump administration's new asylum ban. | The American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Center for Constitutional Rights were in court earlier today successfully seeking the preliminary injunction in this case, East …
(2018-12-21). States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights—but Cities Are Pushing Back. thenation.com States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights—but Cities Are Pushing Back…
(2018-12-21). #SaveHakeem — Stop deportation of Bahraini refugee. greenleft.org.au 
Bahraini refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi has been held in detention in Thailand since November 27, facing the terrifying prospect of deportation to the country where he was tortured. | Al-Araibi fled to Australia in 2014 and was accepted as a refugee. In November, he travelled on UN travel documents to Thailand for a short holiday with his wife. When he arrived at Bangkok airport, Al-Araibi was arrested under an Interpoll "Red Notice" (an international arrest warrant) issued by the Bahrain government. | Interpol is not meant to issue red notices for refugees, so this red notice should never have been issued for Al-Araib…
(2018-12-21). In Defeat for Trump's Xenophobic Agenda, Supreme Court Rejects 'Immoral' Anti-Asylum Policy. commondreams.org In what immigrant rights groups celebrated as a major victory over President Donald Trump's xenophobic agenda, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the White House cannot automatically deny asylum to those who don't enter the country through an "official" border crossing. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2018-12-21). US: Don't Return Asylum Seekers to Mexico. hrw.org 
| | The port of entry to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. © 2017 Human Rights Watch | (Washington, DC) — The US Department of Homeland Security has announced a policy, effective immediately, that will return asylum seekers to Mexico while their claims are processed in the United States. This raises serious concerns about whether asylum-seeking adults and families will be obstructed in their ability to pursue their asylum claims…
(2018-12-21). Sudan: Shooting of protestors must be immediately investigated. amnesty.org In response to security officers opening fire on protestors in Sudan leaving at least nine people dead, five of whom were students, and dozens more injured over the past two days, Seif Magango, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, said: | | "These killings must stop. Opening fire on unarmed protesters cannot be justified and…
(2018-12-21). Ethiopia: Commentary on Ethiopia's draft CSO law. amnesty.org Amnesty International is pleased to provide this commentary on the draft Charities and Societies Proclamation submitted by Ethiopia's Legal Advisory Council to the Federal Attorney General. The draft proclamation marks a major improvement on existing legislation and will offer greater respect for the rights to freedom of association and expression. Some provisions would, however, continue to significantly impede the enjoyment of these rights. This commentary proposes recommendations to encourage and urge the Ethiopian government to further strengthen the draft legislation in line with its expressed commitment to…
(2018-12-21). United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Possible Verdict For Human Rights Defender: Ahmed Mansoor. amnesty.org On 24 December 2018 the Federal Supreme Court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to hear the appeal of prominent human rights defender and prisoner of conscience, Ahmed Mansoor. The court may issue a final verdict. On 29 May 2018, Ahmed Mansoor was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges including "insulting the UAE and its symbols".
(2018-12-21). Nicaragua: Report by independent experts affirms that government of President Ortega has committed crimes against humanity. amnesty.org In response to the publication of the "Report on the Acts of Violence Occurred Between April 18 and May 30, 2018 in Nicaragua," by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI-Nicaragua) today, Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said: | "The damning report by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts reveals that the government of President Daniel Ortega has committed crimes against humanity in the context of the crisis that began last April. This report constitutes a detailed investigation of the crimes under international law and human rights violations carried…
(2018-12-21). Erdogan: US Sanctions Can Not Hurt Turkey-Iran Ties. iranian.com Ankara and Tehran need to prevent the US sanctions from impeding the neighbouring countries to reach their bilateral targets, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, reports Anadolu Agency. "We must stop the US sanction decision on Iran from impeding us to reach our targets," Erdogan said at the Turkey-Iran Business Forum in the Turkish capital Ankara. […]
(2018-12-20). Congress Just Took a Big Step Toward Ending the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners. aclu.org Passing the First Step Act will be a step toward upholding the rights and protecting the health of pregnant prisoners. | Congress on Thursday passed the Senate version of the First Step Act, which is now headed for signature to President Trump. He is expected to sign it on Friday. | The First Step Act would, in addition to enacting other important criminal justice reforms, prohibit the shackling of p…
(2018-12-20). 'Domestic Workers Don't Have Protections Against Discrimination and Harassment' – CounterSpin interview with Mariana Viturro on Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Mariana Viturro about the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights for the December 14, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-12-20). The Lives We Changed in 2018. aclu.org 
Because of the generosity of ACLU members, these people are free to live their lives again. | This year hasn't been easy: Thousands of families are still suffering the effects of family separation; the Muslim ban continues to keep loved ones apart; and whole generations of family trees are being decimated by an unfair, out-of-control mass incarceration machine. But beneath the headlines, the news alerts, and the legal battles are a few glimmers of hope that ACLU supporters made possible., , Here are some of our favorite moments from 2018. | Ansly Breathes Free Again : | Ethics teacher Ansly Damus fled…
(2018-12-20). North Korea Slams Hostile US Sanctions and Pressure. globalresearch.ca Washington negotiates in bad faith, consistently making unacceptable demands, offering nothing in return but empty promises to be broken. | A key sticking point in US/Pyongyang talks is the Trump regime's refusal to ease sanctions — nor offer any good faith …
(2018-12-20). Trump Publicly Admits His Middle East Policy Puts Israel First — Not America. theantimedia.com 
(MPN) — In a recent interview with the Washington Post, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated that his administration's Middle East policy — including the illegal U.S. military occupation of nearly a third of Syria, the administration's adoption of aggressive Iranian sanctions, and Trump's response to murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi — is not driven by his country's interest in oil but instead …
(2018-12-20). US Deporting Iraqis Without Valid Documents. hrw.org 
| | Protesters rally outside the federal court just before a hearing to consider a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Iraqi nationals facing deportation, in Detroit, Michigan, US, June 21, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters/Rebecca Cook | (Beirut) — The United States government has deported at least 30 of a planned 1,400 people originally from Iraq back to their country, in some cases threatening long imprisonmen…
(2018-12-20). Iran: Imprisoned Dissident Dies. hrw.org 
| | Rajai Shahr Prison, Karaj, Iran. | © 2004 Private | (Beirut) — Iranian authorities should immediately carry out an independent and impartial investigation into the death of an imprisoned activist on a hunger strike, Human Rights Watch said today. Anyone found responsible for wrongdoing in the death of Vahid Sayadi Nasiri should be held accountable. Iranian authorities have systematically failed to conduct transparent investigations into at least prio…
(2018-12-20). Ten Good News Stories for Kids in 2018. hrw.org 
| | Girls in India during a hygiene training as part of the Great WASH Yatra. Himanshu Khagta, WASH United, 2012 | A couple of years ago, a friend following me on Twitter said he found my feed really depressing. "Doesn't anything good ever happen for children?" he asked. | Spreading doom and gloom sometimes seems an occupational hazard of human rights work. But I've taken my friend's words to heart and now, as we approach the end of the year, here are 10 good news stories for kids: | A number of armed forces and armed grou…
(2018-12-20). Déjà vu on the Greek-Turkey Border. hrw.org 
| | Migrants that crossed the land border between Greece and Turkey are seen at the Pre-Removal Detention Center in the village of Fylakio, Northern Greece, February 24, 2017. | © 2017 Alexandros Avramidis /Reuters | Ten years ago, I documented a systematic pattern of brutal Greek border police pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers at the Evros River border that divides Greece and Turkey. Last week, as I edited a new Human Rights Watch report, I felt as though I was re-reading my old report. | Here's a paragraph fro…
(2018-12-20). Nicaragua: Zero Tolerance for Scrutiny. hrw.org (Washington, D.C.) — The government of President Daniel Ortega is doubling down in its effort to silence dissent, Human Rights Watch said today. | On December 19, 2018, Foreign Affairs Minister Denis Moncada expelled from Nicaragua the Special Monitoring Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) and the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), two bodies linked to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. On the same day, a police official leveled dangerous allegations against Vilma Nuñez, the most prominent human rights defender in the country…
(2018-12-20). Emiratos àÅrabes Unidos: Profesor universitario en huelga de hambre se encuentra en estado crítico. amnesty.org La salud de Nasser bin Ghaith, destacado economista y profesor universitario emiratí, se ha deteriorado gravemente tras pasar más de 70 días en huelga de hambre en la cárcel de Al Razeen, en Emiratos àÅrabes Unidos, para protestar por las condiciones de reclusión y la negación del acceso a atención médica. Es preso de conciencia.
(2018-12-20). Tell Google to drop Dragonfly. amnesty.org Google may have paused their plans to support censorship in China – but it's time they commit not to trade human rights for profit. | In August 2018, it was revealed that despite promising not to support censorship in China, Google was preparing to break their promise and launch a search engine that would comply with the Chinese government's repressive internet regulations. | The project was code-named "Dragonfly" and people around the world including journalists, human rights organizations and Google's own employees protested the business move. In December 2018, it was leaked that Google would be hitting pause…
(2018-12-20). United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Hunger-Striking Academic In Critical Condition: Dr Nasser bin Ghaith. amnesty.org Dr Nasser bin Ghaith's health has severely deteriorated. The prominent Emirati economist and academic has been on hunger strike for over 70 days in al-Razeen prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to protest the detention conditions and the denial of access to medical care. He is a prisoner of conscience.
(2018-12-20). Egypt: NGO 'foreign funding' case acquittals must lead to end of crackdown on human rights community. amnesty.org Responding to the news that the South Cairo Criminal Court this morning acquitted all 43 defendants in the retrial of Egypt's notorious "foreign funding" case — also known as Case 173 – Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director said: | "Today's acquittal of all 43 NGO workers in the first 'foreign funding' case is a step in the right direction for Egyptian justice. This was a bogus case that targeted human rights defenders simply for doing their legitimate work and should never have happened in the first place. | "However, today's ruling only relates to the first phase of the ca…
(2018-12-20). Kyrgyzstan: Parliament makes welcome first step towards ratifying Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. amnesty.org Amnesty International welcomes the first move by the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). | "This is an important step towards combating the violations of the rights of persons with disabilities. The unanimity of the vote brings hope that the final ratification is fast approaching. When the Convention is ratified, persons with disabilities must be at the front and centre of any action that the government takes to implement the Convention, including on working groups or committees," said Anna Kirey, Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia…
(2018-12-20). Algérie: Forcés à partir: Histoires de migrants victimes d'injustices en Algérie. amnesty.org L'Algérie est devenue depuis une vingtaine d'années un pays de passage ou de destination finale pour de nombreux ressortissants d'États d'Afrique centrale et occidentale à la recherche d'emplois dans toute une série de secteurs, essentiellement dans le bâtiment et l'agriculture. Malgré le nombre considérable de migrants, de demandeurs d'asile et de réfugiés originaires d'Afrique sub-saharienne présents en Algérie, ce pays ne dispose toujours pas d'un cadre juridique clair définissant le statut des travailleurs migrants et a une loi criminalisant l'immigration irrégulière et en fait une infraction pénale passible…
(2018-12-20). UAE: Fears grow for health of unjustly imprisoned academic. amnesty.org The authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must immediately and unconditionally release Dr Nasser bin Ghaith, a prisoner of conscience whose health has deteriorated sharply in recent days, said Amnesty International today. | Dr Nasser bin Ghaith is serving a 10-year sentence for criticizing the UAE in comments posted on Twitter after a grossly unfair politically motivated trial. | "News that Dr Nasser bin Ghaith's health has deteriorated sharply…
(2018-12-20). Algeria: Forced to leave: Stories of injustice against migrants in Algeria. amnesty.org Over the past two decades Algeria has become a country of transit or final destination of many nationals from West and Central Africa looking for employment opportunities in a variety of sectors, mainly construction and agriculture. Yet despite the large number of Sub-Saharan migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the country, Algeria still lacks a clear legal framework for migrant workers and has a law criminalizing irregular migration making it an offence punishable by up to five years in prison. | Arbitrary arrests and mass expulsions of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa have reached an all-time high, in star…
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(2018-12-20). After COP24, Trudeau Government Promises More Goodies For Big Oil. therealnews.com 
Tina Oh of the Canadian Youth Delegation says COP24 failed to respect the rights of her own and subsequent generations
(2018-12-20). NASA Director Firouz Naderi Calls For Release Of Iran's Political Prisoners. iranian.com The former director of NASA's Solar System Exploration program, Dr. Firouz Naderi, has joined the international call for Iran to release all political prisoners including Nasrin Sotoudeh, Farhad Meysami and Reza Khandan, who were all imprisoned this year in Iran for peacefully advocating human and women's rights.
(2018-12-20). US Sanctions Against Iran. iranian.com Last month, I was interviewed by Jamejam Daily, an Iranian newspaper. Below is the English version: There are calls inside and outside the country that Iranian officials would do well to get real about the US demands and drink the coup of poison sooner rather than later. They say the US "maximum pressure campaign" has […]
(2018-12-19). Trump Administration Recommends Slashing Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color. aclu.org A federal commission's post-Parkland recommendations include reversing an Obama-era guidance on racial disparities in school discipline. | On Tuesday, the Federal Commission on School Safety issued recommendations that it claims will help makes schools safer following the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. But at the center of the report is a proposal that will endanger millions of public school students, especially students of color and students with disabilities, by reversing federal guidance intended to address racial disparities in school discipline. Doing away with the guidance will weaken federal civil rig…
(2018-12-19). Cambodians Who Fled War, U.S. Bombs and Genocide Now Face ICE Raids and Deportations Under Trump. democracynow.org 
Cambodians are being deported from the U.S. at record numbers, including many who have been living in the U.S. for decades after fleeing war, U.S. bombings and genocide under the Khmer Rouge. On Monday, an Omni Air flight departed from El Paso, Texas, with 36 Cambodians on board. They were deported to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Attorneys believe it to be one of the largest deportation flights to Cambodia yet under the Trump administration. We speak with Kevin Lo, staff attorney in the Immigrant Rights Program at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus. He has been working with Cambodians livin…
(2018-12-19). Mental Health Experts & Rights Groups Call for Unceasing Media Coverage of Separated Migrant Children. democracynow.org 
It's been more than four months since a judge ordered the Trump administration to reunite all families that were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, but 140 children are still separated from their parents in U.S. custody. It is believed that 30 children will never be reunited. Despite this, family separation is no longer in the daily headlines. We speak with a Harvard psychologist who is trying to change this by calling on U.S. media outlets to highlight the growing number of days that migrant children have been forcibly separated from their parents. Dr. Paula J. Caplan is a clinical and research psychologist an…
(2018-12-19). Justice for Jakelin: Lawmakers Demand Answers in Death of 7-Year-Old Girl in Border Patrol Custody. democracynow.org 
Outrage is mounting over the death of a 7-year-old indigenous Guatemalan girl in Border Patrol custody, as lawmakers demand answers for the conditions that led Jakelin Caal Maquín to die after being detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. Maquin died on December 8, two days after she and her father presented themselves at the border alongside 161 other Central American asylum seekers. She had been held in detention for more than eight hours when she began to have seizures. Border Patrol agents brought the girl to the hospital after her body temperature spiked to 105.7 degrees. The 7-year-old died of dehydration, shoc…