(2019-01-06). Saudi Arabia: 'Ghosting' Divorces End, Women Must Be Informed. telesurenglish.net Starting Sunday, courts in Saudi Arabia are required to notify wives by text on any rulings confirming their divorces. However, women still remain subject to male guardianship laws within the Islamic monarchy. | RELATED: | India Criminalizes Triple Talaq But Muslim Women Find No Relief | "The new measure ensures women get their [alimony] rights when they're divorced," Saudi lawyer Nisreen al-Ghamdi told Bloomberg. "It also ensures that any powers of attorney issued before th…
(2019-01-06). Britain's Foreign Policy Meddling in Venezuela, Supportive of Washington's Aggressive Stance. globalresearch.ca A wide-scale Washington-driven aggression against Venezuela is underway, imperialist and anti-democratic at its core, and it has the full backing of the British government. British meddling in Venezuela is packaged in human rights and democracy rhetoric, the same way it …
(2019-01-06). Guatemala: Agents Detain UN Anti-graft Investigator at Airport. telesurenglish.net The Guatemalan Migration Institute (IGM) barred Saturday the entry of an investigator on the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (Cicig), Yilen Osorio Zuluaga. | RELATED | Guatemala Gov't Bows to Pressure, Renews Visas of Officials from UN Anti-Graft Body | The restriction of the Cicig official violates the ruling of the constitutional court of the Central American nation that favored the anti-corruption agency. | The investigator was detaine…
(2019-01-06). Thailand: Allow Fleeing Saudi Woman to Seek Refuge. hrw.org (Bangkok) — Thailand authorities should immediately halt the planned deportation of a Saudi woman who says she is fleeing domestic abuse and fears for her safety if forcibly returned to Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should also allow her unrestricted access to make a refugee claim with the Bangkok office of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and should respect UNHCR's decision under the agency's protection mandate. | Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, told Human Rig…
(2019-01-06). FBI-CIA Collaboration Reveals Blatant Illegitimacy of Guantánamo Trials. truthout.org Earlier last month, lawyers for Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, a Yemeni citizen who's been detained in Guantánamo since January 16, 2002, petitioned the Supreme Court to review his case. His legal team argues that the US government lacks the authority to detain al-Alwi under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force and that indefinite detention is illegal. Previously, the district and circuit courts den…
(2019-01-05). Despite US Sanctions Iran Finds New 'Potential' Oil Buyers. telesurenglish.net "Despite U.S. pressures on the Iranian oil market, the number of potential buyers of Iranian oil has significantly increased due to a competitive market, greed, and pursuit of more profit," Amir Hossein Zamaninia, Iran's deputy oil minister for trade and international affairs, said Saturday. | RELATED: | Iran: Rouhani Says US Sanctions Won't Bring Gov't to Knees While Presenting New Budget | Although countries granted waivers from the United States to continu…
(2019-01-05). We are sorry for the inconvenience, but this is a revolution. mronline.org 
On January 1 in India, 5.5 million women formed a 620-kilometer wall across the length of the state of Kerala to fight for women's rights to the Sabrimala temple. On the same day, Cuba celebrated 60 years since the 1959 revolution, which has been a persistent thorn in the side of global capital ever since. | Source
(2019-01-05). Nicaragua and the Corruption, Co-optation of Human Rights. globalresearch.ca Since the demise of the Soviet Union, almost 30 years ago, abuse and debasement of human rights concerns have served increasingly to create pretexts promoting Western dominance around the world. From former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, to Iraq and Sudan, to …
(2019-01-05). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Issues Statement Following Supreme Court's Decision to Rehear Gerrymandering Cases. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-05). Mexico: UN, NGOs Condemn Murder of Activist Sinar Corzo. telesurenglish.net The murder of Mexican activist and human rights defender Sinar Corzo Esquinca in Chiapas late Thursday has been publicly condemned by the United Nations and more than 100 non-governmental organizations. | RELATED: | Colombia: Third Social Leader Killed in First 4 Days of 2019 | Sinar Corzo was killed by unidentified gunmen on motorcycles at about 9: 45 p.m. Thursday, just 30 meters from his house. He was shot in the head and died instantly. | Buried Friday amid demands for justice, h…
(2019-01-05). Iraq Rejects Iran Sanctions and US Troop Presence. globalresearch.ca Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim laid out the latest step on the path to independence for Baghdad from the US concerning sanctions on Iran by Washington. Although Iraq currently has a 90-day waiver to …
(2019-01-05). Canadian Political Prisoners. Human Rights and the Persecution of Canadian Muslims. globalresearch.ca Disproportionate numbers of First Peoples are in Canadian prisons. The society arranges this fact to not seem that extraordinary. It could be argued that aboriginal peoples are political prisoners in North America, in or out of prison. Or that this …
(2019-01-05). DR Congo: Voter Suppression, Violence. hrw.org 
| | A polling official counts votes in a school in Kinshasa after the Democratic Republic of Congo's general elections, December 30, 2018. | © 2018 Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images | (Kinshasa) — Widespread irregularities, voter suppression, and violence significantly marred elections on December 30, 2018 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Election officials should ensure that the announced results in the presidential, legislative, and provincial elec…
(2019-01-05). U.S. Senate's First Bill, in Midst of Shutdown, is a Bipartisan Defense of the Israeli Government from Boycotts. theintercept.com Attacks on the free speech rights of Americans in the name of defending Israel seem to have no end in sight.
(2019-01-05). Manson follower responsible for brutal torture & murder recommended for parole in California. rt.com 
Robert Beausoleil, an acolyte of cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson, has been recommended for parole after serving nearly 50 years in prison for murder — a decision that has infuriated a relative of his victim.
(2019-01-04). Headlines for January 4, 2019. democracynow.org 116th Congress Sworn In as Nancy Pelosi Elected House Speaker, House Democrats Adopt PAYGO Austerity Spending Rule, House Democrats Approve New Ethics Rules, Form Climate Committee, Trump Repeats Border Wall Demands as Gov't Shutdown Enters 14th Day, Trump Admin Wants to Send More Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border, Brazil: President's Assault on Indigenous Rights Threatens Amazon, Mexico: Mayor Assassinated Hours After Taking Office, Trump Administration Threatens Iran over Its Space Program, Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Faces Criminal Inquiry, Google Uses "Double Irish Dutch Sandwich" Scheme to Avoid Taxes, P…
(2019-01-04). Rhode Island Supreme Court Allows Unfairly Shutdown Strip Club to Reopen. aclu.org Providence's licensing board, we argue, violated the club's rights when it was shut down based solely on allegations of solicitation of prostitution. | Imagine a symphony orchestra barred by the state from performing again because a musician was found to have sold marijuana to a colleague backstage. Imagine a bookstore being shuttered by the government because peace activists planned acts of civil disobedience in a backroom. Imagine a movie theater permanently closed because an employee assaulted a patron. | In Providence, Rhode Island, you don't have to imagine it, because it happened to a strip club c…
(2019-01-04). Pompeo Tours Latin America with an Eye on Venezuela Regime Change. mintpressnews.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with allies in a tour of Latin America this week, in which he talked about stepping up US-led efforts against Venezuela. | The Trump administration has been increasingly hostile towards the Caribbean nation, escalating sanctions and even threatening a military "option." | Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is due to start his second term on January 10, having won re-election on May 20, but Washington and several right-wing regional governments have refused to recognize…
(2019-01-04). Capitalism and Race Redux. counterpunch.org Race is among the more tortured axes of American social relations. The nation was formed from slavery and genocide and no redistribution of political and economic power has been made to rectify the imbalance that resulted. And less formalized types of violence and exploitation have persisted into the present. The same is true of treatment of the indigenous population— as late as the 1970s indigenous women of childbearing age were still being forcibly sterilized. More
(2019-01-04). Elizabeth Warren and the Military Industrial Complex. mintpressnews.com Warren's views on countries in the crosshairs of the US State Department largely conform to those of her colleagues on Capitol Hill: Iran is a "bad actor," Russia and China "are working to undermine the basic human rights we hold dear," and so on.
(2019-01-04). Christmas in Tornillo: Activists, Lawmakers Demand Trump Shut Down Prison Camp for Migrant Children. democracynow.org 
As the government shutdown heads into its 14th day and Trump doubles down on his demands for a border wall, we turn to look at the ongoing crisis unfolding at the U.S. border and the protesters on the ground fighting back. In West Texas, immigrant rights activists are staging daily actions to shut down the Tornillo prison camp, where thousands of immigrant youth are being detained. The organizers call themselves the "Christmas in Tornillo" occupation. On New Year's Eve, they shut down the entrance of the sprawling prison camp, where 2,300 children are being held in more than 150 tents. We speak with Juan Ortiz, i…
(2019-01-04). Top Human Rights Tweets of the Week. hrw.org Trending rights tweets this week: Netflix agreed to censor a comedy episode because Saudi Arabia complained about it; powerful film showing China's detention of upwards of one million Uighur Muslims for forced indoctrination; the Democratic Republic of Congo's elections marred by systemic irregularities; and everyday people who inspired HRW in 2018.
(2019-01-03). On Her Shoulders: Stunning Film Follows Nobel Peace Winner Nadia Murad's Fight to End Sexual Violence. democracynow.org 
We look at the remarkable story of Nadia Murad, the Yazidi human rights activist from Iraq who was recently awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. Murad was kidnapped by the Islamic State in 2014 and repeatedly raped as she was held in captivity. After managing to escape, Murad fled Iraq and has dedicated her life to drawing international attention to the plight of the Yazidi people. The documentary "On Her Shoulders" follows Murad as she shares her story with the world. The documentary has been shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary and recently received the Columbia Journalism duPont Award. We speak…
(2019-01-03). Iraq Vows to Buck US Sanctions on Iran and End US Troop Presence. mintpressnews.com Many Iraqi leaders called Trump's recent surprise visit to their country a violation of their nation's sovereignty. This has ended up leading to a wider backlash and resulted in multiple Iraqi politicians demanding a complete end to the US military presence in the country.
(2019-01-03). Headlines for January 3, 2019. democracynow.org Democrats Take Back House with Historic Firsts, Dems to Vote on Contested PAYGO Rule, Which Restricts Gov't Spending, Dems to Vote on Plan That Funds Gov't Without Border Wall Funding, Shutdown Takes Toll on on Native American Communities, Trump Takes Aim at Mattis, Praises Kim Jong-un in Cabinet Meeting, Trump Takes Takes Credit for Markets, China Trade Relations, India: 2 Women Enter Hindu Temple After Centuries of Denied Access for Women, Mali: Gunmen Kill 37 Civilians Amid Mounting Ethnic Tensions, Russia: U.S. Citizen Detained on Espionage Charges, Chinese Probe Lands on Far Side of Moon in Historic First, N…
(2019-01-02). Young cultural workers take lead in celebrating 50 years of art and culture in the Philippine revolution. fightbacknews.org Utrecht, Netherlands – Hundreds of cultural workers, youth, human rights and political activists, artists, academics, Filipino and other migrant nationalities and representatives of political parties and formations from all over the world, jampacked the auditorium of center for art and culture in this central Dutch city, December 29, to celebrate "Fifty Years of Art and Culture in the Filipino People's Struggle for National and Social Liberation" and the anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on December 26, 1968. | The celebration was organized by the National Democratic Fron…
(2019-01-02). As the 115th Congress Ends, Here Are the Important Civil Rights Battles We've Won. aclu.org During the last two years of Trump, ACLU activists have won fights ranging from advancing criminal justice reforms to stopping border wall funding. | The past two years have been challenging times, as we have witnessed attacks on our shared values and civil rights from the Trump White House and a Republican-dominated Congress. It can sometimes feel difficult to make change happen, but even in this hostile climate, ACLU activists helped drive key legislative victories to advance civil liberties during the 115th Congress, which ends on Thursday. As the new Congress is sworn in on Thursday, these victories should re…
(2019-01-01). Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara—A Rare Look Inside Africa's Last Colony. democracynow.org 
In this special rebroadcast of a Democracy Now! exclusive documentary, we break the media blockade and go to occupied Western Sahara in the northwest of Africa to document the decades-long Sahrawi struggle for freedom and Morocco's violent crackdown. Morocco has occupied the territory since 1975 in defiance of the United Nations and the international community. Thousands have been tortured, imprisoned, killed and disappeared while resisting the Moroccan occupation. A 1,700-mile wall divides Sahrawis who remain under occupation from those who fled into exile. The international media has largely ignored the occupat…
(2018-12-31). A Disaster for Brazil: Noam Chomsky on Brazil's New Far-Right President Jair Bolsonaro. democracynow.org 
As Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro prepares to take office on Tuesday, we return to our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky shortly after the election. Bolsonaro's impending presidency marks the most radical political shift Brazil since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro is a former Army officer who has praised Brazil's former military dictatorship, spoken in favor of torture and threatened to destroy, imprison or banish his political opponents. Bolsonaro has also encouraged the police to kill suspected drug dealers, and once told a fem…
(2018-12-31). An Extraordinary Year for Civil Rights. naacp.org This was an extraordinary year for the NAACP. From building more political power in communities of color to fighting to protect the federal bench from those who have a record of purposefully harming our communities, we've had great successes—and it was your support that made it all happen. Here's a look at what we did […]
(2018-12-31). Bahrain: Rights Defender's Conviction Upheld. hrw.org 
| | Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab arrives for his appeal hearing at court in Manama, February 11, 2015. | © 2015 Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters | (Beirut) — The Bahrain Court of Cassation, the country's court of last resort, on December 31, 2018 upheld a five-year sentence for Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights defender, Human Rights Watch said today. | The sentence arose from comments criticizing torture in a Bahrain prison and the Saudi-…
(2018-12-31). UAE: Rights Defender's Conviction Upheld. hrw.org 
| | Ahmed Mansoor speaks to Reuters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30, 2011. | © 2011 Reuters | The United Arab Emirates Federal Supreme Court, the country's court of last resort in state security cases, on December 31, 2018, upheld a 10-year sentence for Ahmed Mansoor, an award-winning human rights activist, Human Rights Watch said today. | In May, an Abu Dhabi court sentenced Mansoor to 10 years in prison for "defaming" the UAE on s…
(2018-12-31). The Long Hand of U.S. Intervention: The Intercept's 2018 World Coverage. theintercept.com 
Many of the world's troubles are legacies of American intervention. In Iraq, there is the continuation of a war that began with the U.S. invasion in 2003. One of the casualties is an American citizen imprisoned in Iraq for more than a decade, a victim of torture, secret evidence, and witnesses who later recanted. Decades of U.S. meddling in Central America, and support for repressive dictatorships there, have undermined social fabrics; gangs are rampant, and if joining them is easy, getting out is not. In Yemen, where the Saudi-led war has been supported by the U.S. military, children are dying of starvation. | <...
(2018-12-31). UDHR: Setting Limits On Power Still Pending Since 1948. therealnews.com 
An attentive review of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights suggests that 70 years on we have not fully averted the kinds of mistakes that the drafters of the UDHR sought to prevent from ever being repeated
(2018-12-30). Canada's Barbaric Policies Toward Native Peoples (2/2). therealnews.com 
MP Niki Ashton tells Paul Jay that Canadian government policy in Indigenous communities must be premised on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the principle of respect for free, prior, and informed consent in cases of land development
(2018-12-28). The Courts Consistently Brushed Back Trump's Assaults on Immigrants in 2018. aclu.org From family separation to the asylum ban, our independent judiciary stepped in to ensure that the president is not above the law. | This article was originally published in t he Los Angeles Times. | For immigrants, there's no way to sugarcoat 2018. The Trump administration enacted a series of draconian policies targeting noncitizens, and the one that will most define the year — and this administration — is the separation of thousands of children, some less than a year old, from their mothe…
(2018-12-27). Amber Heard: I Spoke Up Against Sexual Violence and Faced Our Culture's Wrath. aclu.org It's time to reform institutions that protect men accused of abuse. | This piece was originally published in The Washington Post. | I was exposed to abuse at a very young age. I knew certain things early on, without ever having to be told. I knew that men have the power — physically, socially and financially — and that a lot of institutions support that arrangement. I knew this long before…
(2018-12-27). The First Step Act Is a Small Step for Incarcerated Women. aclu.org While the law ends two gender-specific indignities of federal incarceration, it only begins to scratch the surface for incarcerated women. | The enactment of the First Step Act earlier this month will bring some much-needed change to our criminal justice system. But the First Step Act remains just that, a first step — particularly with respect to the impact that mass incarceration has had on cisgender women and trans people. | The legislation ends two gender-specific indignities…
(2018-12-26). Muslim Ban: Meet the Yemeni Americans Suing Trump in an Attempt to Reunite with Loved Ones. democracynow.org 
A group of Yemeni Americans have filed a new federal lawsuit over President Trump's Muslim ban. The suit alleges the State Department has revoked previously approved visas, preventing many Yemenis from reuniting with their families living in the United States. We speak to two of the plaintiffs and the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the lawsuit.
(2018-12-26). The Battle to Stop Family Separation. aclu.org How a Congolese mother and child set in motion an extraordinary battle that exposed government conduct unprecedented in its cruelty and carelessness. | This piece originally appeared at The New York Review of Books. | In March 2017, John Kelly, then Secretary of Homeland Security, said in an interview with CNN that the Trump administration was considering a national policy to separate parents f…
(2018-12-24). UN Members Thwart China's Bid to Gut Funds for Myanmar Probe. hrw.org 
| | Smoke is seen rising from Burma's Taung Pyo Let War village from across the border in Bangladesh. | | © 2017 Private | United Nations member countries thwarted an attempt by China to slash proposed funding for investigations into Myanmar's ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims. This ensures that a newly established UN body will have the necessary financing to gather and preserve criminal evidence for future trials. | After marathon negotiations — during which China called for cutting the propos…
(2018-12-23). Iraq/Kurdistan Region: Risk of Double Trials for ISIS Ties. hrw.org 
| | Cigarette burns cover the hands and arms of 18-year-old "Karim." Kurdish authorities held him for 13 months. He then returned home and was rearrested by authorities under Baghdad's control, who tortured and held him for months. | © 2018 San Saravan | (Beirut) — Sunni Arab boys who serve prison time in Iraq's Kurdistan region for Islamic State (also known as ISIS) connections risk rearrest after their release if they try to reunite with their families…
(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…
(2018-12-21). 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). #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…
(2018-12-20). 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). 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). 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). 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…
(2018-12-19). ALP National Conference a sham. greenleft.org.au 
Bill Shorten surprised no one with his laughingly tiny reforms at the Australian Labor Party National Conference over December 16—18. | If you expected debate, let alone proposals to stop the Adani coalmine or refugee boat turn-backs or the closure of off-shore detention centres, then you would have been disappointed as these things did not happen. | If you were hoping that there might be a commitment to increase the Newstart Allowance or to back progressive industrial relations reforms that will actually change the rules for workers, you would be doubly disappointed as these things were also rejected. | Cl…