(2019-01-15). 200 Indigenous Mexicans Violently Forced out of Vacant Lot. telesurenglish.net A rights group denounced the eviction of more than 200 displaced indigenous people from an empty lot in the municipality of Tlapa, Mexico, by a legal representative of the owner's property. | RELATED: | Mexico: Indigenous Chol Community Denounces Eviction Attempt | Constancio Sanchez Campos, the legal representative, showed up with two bulldozers and threa…
(2019-01-15). Will Trump's AG Pick William Barr Face Questions over Gitmo, Mass Incarceration & NSA Surveillance? democracynow.org 
Senate confirmation hearings begin today for William Barr, President Trump's nominee for attorney general to replace Jeff Sessions, who was fired in November. Barr served as attorney general for George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. During that time, he was involved in the pardon of six Reagan officials for the Iran-Contra scandal and oversaw the opening of the Guantánamo Bay military prison, which was initially used to indefinitely detain HIV-positive asylum seekers from Haiti. Barr also openly backed mass incarceration at home and helped develop a secret Drug Enforcement Administration program which became a "blu…
(2019-01-15). Media Reports "Good News": Kids Are Dying in Venezuela, Sanctions are Working… globalresearch.ca The Guardian's Tom Phillips' article Venezuela Crisis Takes Deadly Toll on Buckling Health System (January 06, 2019) is more good news for US psychopaths, such as Trump, Bolton and Pompeo. Children are dying in Venezuela. Sanctions are working! | Tom is …
(2019-01-15). Bill Barr Must Not Be Sessions 2.0 on Civil Rights. commondreams.org President Donald Trump has nominated William Barr, left, to serve as his new attorney general—a post held under former President George H.W. Bush, right. (Photo: AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-15). The 'Private Governments' that Subjugate U.S. Workers. globalresearch.ca Corporate dictatorships—which strip employees of fundamental constitutional rights, including free speech, and which increasingly rely on temp or contract employees who receive no benefits and have no job security—rule the lives of perhaps 80 percent of working Americans. | These corporations, …
(2019-01-15). Canada issues China travel alert as tensions escalate. aljazeera.com Ottawa warns of risk of arbitrary detention after Robert Schellenberg given death penalty in sudden drug case retrial.
(2019-01-15). Noah Perry to Legalize Human Trafficking in NY. indybay.org NYS Assembly Bill A99 for indefinite detention effectively legalizes human trafficking. First it's three days, then another five days, then another sixty days, then ninety and another ninety, and another, with no end in provision.
(2019-01-15). As Senate Hearings Begin, Calls to Block 'Trump Enabler' William Barr From Becoming Next AG. commondreams.org "Barr may be the kind of enabler Trump desires to further skirt Congress and, through emergency decree or executive action, fund a border wall, continue to gut asylum protections, and keep rounding up, detaining, and deporting tens of thousands of migrants." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-15). Headlines for January 15, 2019. democracynow.org Over 30,000 Los Angeles Teachers Walk Out in First Strike in 30 Years, Barr Pledges to Protect Mueller Probe as He Faces Senate AG Hearings, NYC Prisoners Go on Hunger Strike, Feel Effect of Gov't Shutdown, Poland Mayor, Defender of Immigrant Rights, Dies After Public Stabbing, Afghanistan: Taliban Car Bomb Kills 5, Injures Over 100, Afghanistan: New Defense Minister Accused of War Crimes, Human Rights Abuses, Brexit: Lawmakers Set to Vote on Contested Brexit Deal, Pennsylvania Judge Blocks Trump's Birth Control Restrictions Nationwide, Justice Ginsburg Declared Cancer-Free, Reviews SCOTUS Cases from Home, SCOTUS…
(2019-01-15). Indonesia: Police must drop 'rebellion' charges against three Papuan political activists. amnesty.org Amnesty International and Yayasan Pusaka call on the Regional Papua Police Force (Polda) to drop the "rebellion (makar)" charges under Article 106 of Indonesia's Criminal Code against three Papuan political activists and immediately and unconditionally release them. They were charged and detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.
(2019-01-15). India: Administrative detention for facebook posts: Kishorchandra Wangkhem. amnesty.org Kishorchandra Wangkhem, a journalist based in Manipur, India, was arrested in August, and again in November 2018, because of Facebook posts where he criticised the government. While he was released on bail in both cases, on 27 November, he was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA). This draconian administrative detention law allows for him to be imprisoned for 12 months without charge or trial, in violation of regular criminal justice safeguards. The High Court of Manipur will hear his challenge to his detention under the NSA on 1 February 2019.
(2019-01-15). Turn yourself into an agent of change with our new online course on the UDHR. amnesty.org Defending Dignity: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is open for enrolment and will begin 21 January. The three-week course created by Amnesty International provides an introduction to the revolutionary declaration. | The Universal Declaration of Human Rights relates to all aspects of our lives, whether it is work, education, health, food or housing. When human rights are respected, they often go unnoticed and only become visible when they are being denied. | With Amnesty International's new course, in partnership with FutureLearn, you can turn yourself into an agent of change and equip yourself with k…
(2019-01-15). Russian Federation: Homophobic crackdown in Chechnya resumes. amnesty.org The Chechen authorities have unleashed a new wave of attacks on people believed to be gay or lesbian. At least 40 individuals have been arbitrarily detained and tortured in Chechnya, a republic in the south of Russia. At least two people are reported to have been tortured to death.
(2019-01-15). China: Civil society & scholars call on China to immediately release Uyghur professor Ilham Tohti five years after arrest. amnesty.org On the five year anniversary of the arrest of Uighur professor Ilham Tohti, civil society, including Amnesty International, is calling for China to grant his immediate release and to heed calls for the release of an untold number of Uighur scholars currently detained.
(2019-01-15). China must revoke death sentence against Canadian citizen for drug crimes. amnesty.org | Responding to a death sentence given by a Chinese court to Canadian citizen Robert Schellenberg for drug smuggling, William Nee, China researcher at Amnesty International, commented: | "The death sentence given to Robert Schellenberg does not deliver justice. We urge the Chinese authorities to revoke this sentence. Drug-related offences do not meet internation…
(2019-01-15). INDONESIA: POLISI HARUS MEMBATALKAN TUNTUTAN MAKAR ATAS TIGA AKTIVIS POLITIK PAPUA. amnesty.org Amnesty International dan Yayasan Pusaka menyerukan kepala Kepolisian Daerah (Polda) Papua untuk membatalkan tuntutan "makar" berdasarkan Pasal 106 KUHP terhadap tiga aktivis politik Papua dan segera membebaskan mereka tanpa syarat. Mereka dituntut dan ditahan semata-mata karena menggunakan hak atas kebebasan berkumpul dan berekspresi secara damai. Polisi mendakwa mereka secara represif karena merencanakan acara doa bersama.
(2019-01-15). India: Detención administrativa por publicaciones en Facebook. amnesty.org Kishorchandra Wangkhem, periodista de Manipur (India), fue detenido en agosto y otra vez en noviembre de 2018 por unas publicaciones en Facebook en las que criticaba al gobierno. Aunque en ambos casos quedó en libertad bajo fianza, el 27 de noviembre fue detenido en aplicación de la Ley de Seguridad Nacional. Esta draconiana ley administrativa permite mantenerlo encarcelado 12 meses sin cargos ni juicio, violando las salvaguardias ordinarias de la justicia penal. El Tribunal Superior de Manipur verá la impugnación presentada por el periodista contra esta detención el 1 de febrero de 2019.
(2019-01-15). Cote d'Ivoire: Acquittal of Gbagbo and Blé Goudé a crushing disappointment to victims of post-election violence. amnesty.org Following today's International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to acquit Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé, Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry Amnesty International's West and Central Africa Director said: | "The acquittal of Gbagbo and Blé Goudé will be seen as a crushing disappointment to victims of post-election violence in Cote d'Ivoire. However, the judges found that the Office of the Prosecutor had not presented evidence needed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The Chamber ordered both accused to be immediately released. |
(2019-01-15). Venezuela and Turkey Unite to Refine Tons of Gold Amid US Sanctions. theantimedia.com 
(MEE) — Venezuela and Turkey are working on a deal to ship tonnes of gold to refine and certify in Turkish city of Corum this year. Facing sanctions and international pressure, Venezuela is increasingly turning to Turkey as a partner in the Middle East. Ankara will provide a host of services to Caracas, including building hospital and …
(2019-01-14). Venezuela: Self-Proclaimed 'Interim President' Released After 'Irregular' Detention. venezuelanalysis.com The officers responsible have been detained and suspended, reportedly on Maduro's orders.
(2019-01-14). Barr Must Restore the Integrity of the DOJ & Reactivate Civil Rights Enforcement. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-14). Canada's Trudeau Accused of Violating First Nations Rights over Gas Pipeline. globalresearch.ca There are moments that define a politician. There are legacies that they leave. But the reality of high office is often so different from the easy promises of opposition. | As a poster boy politician, who entered office promising a new …
(2019-01-14). Advocates Raise U.S. Water Quality, Access and Pollution as a Civil Rights Issue with the UN. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-14). Brazil to Treat Landless Workers Activists as Terrorists: Govt. telesurenglish.net Brazil's far-right government under President Jair Bolsonaro will seek to classify "invasions" of farmland by landless workers as akin to terrorism, with harsher penalties for the activists, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Monday. | RELATED: | Italian Leftist Detained in Bolivia as Part of Brazil's 'Red Purge' | Nabhan Garcia, land issues secretary at the ministry, said the government must convince the National Congress to change the law to give police broader autonomy…
(2019-01-14). William Barr Has a Long History of Abusing Civil Rights and Liberties in the Name of 'National Security'. aclu.org Barr's ideas of secret trials, profiling, and discrimination must face congressional scrutiny during his confirmation hearings. | On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on William Barr's nomination to be the next attorney general of the United States, offering senators an opportunity to scrutinize his record and views. | Such scrutiny is especially crucial in the Trump era. As we've seen throughout his time in office, from imposing the Muslim ban to the recent shutdown fight over border wall funding, President Trump has tried to use "national security" as a pretext to justify discriminator…
(2019-01-14). Human Rights Council Membership Has Its Consequences. hrw.org 
This month, a new group of countries took their place as members of the world's top human rights body. | For the next three years, those sitting on the United Nations Human Rights Council will include the likes of the Philippines, where thousands have been killed in the name of President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs"; Eritrea, found by a UN inquiry to have committed crimes against humanity; and Bahrain, which routinely retaliates against rights activists who raise concerns about government abuses. | | | Overview of the Uni…
(2019-01-14). List of Issues Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee During its Periodic Review of the US. hrw.org 
| | A general view shows the opening of the 16th session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, on February 28, 2011. | © 2011 Reuters | Harsh Criminal Sentencing | Summary | In the United States, state and federal courts regularly impose disproportionate criminal sentences, often in a racially disparate manner. This contributes to the large number of people behind bars in the country. In 2018, people in the state of Florida voted to end laws banning those with felony convict…
(2019-01-14). Russian Authorities Increase Pressure on Crimean Human Rights Lawyer. hrw.org 
| | Law enforcement officials during the search in Emil Kurbedinov's office, Bakhchysarai, Crimea, January 26, 2017. | © 2017 Anton Naumlyik (RFE/RL) | Few human rights lawyers are brave enough to work in Crimea these days. A recent letter from Russia's Ministry of Justice to Crimean defense lawyer Emil Kurbedinov threatening his profession is yet another stark reminder that Ru…
(2019-01-14). Shuttered IRS Is Sending Automated Warnings of Asset Seizures, With Nobody to Call to Stop Them. theintercept.com The letter from the IRS is dated December 24, 2018, the Monday after the start of the government shutdown. The headline reads, "Notice of intent to seize (levy) your property or rights to property." It describes how the recipient, Aaron Caddel, owner of a small chain of boutique bakeries called Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, has 30 days to pay the tens of thousands of dollars allegedly owed the government or face seizure of the funds from his company's bank account. | Caddel, who has two stores in Los Angeles and one in San Francisco, insists that the entire issue is a misunders…
(2019-01-14). Amnesty International's Refugee Rights Action Lab. amnesty.org This is a short briefing about Amnesty International's Refugee Rights Action Lab 2017 – a 9-month 'journey' which provides a new way of supporting and connecting staff and activists, including refugees, campaigning on refugee rights. This document shares lessons learned during the process which will be particularly useful for those considering similar projects.
(2019-01-14). Finland: Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in advance of the adoption of the list of issues prior to reporting. amnesty.org Amnesty International provides the below information to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee (the Committee) ahead of the adoption of the list of issues prior to reporting in advance of the 7th periodic report of Finland at its 125th session in March 2019. | This submission sets out some of Amnesty International's key concerns about the fulfilment of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant), and in particular with regard to violence against women (Articles 2-3, 7 and 26), forced marriage (Articles 2 and 23), discrimination on the grounds of gender, gender identity and sexu…
(2019-01-14). USA: Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee in advance of the adoption of list of issues priort to reporting. amnesty.org This submission highlights Amnesty International's concerns in relation to the implementation of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights in the United States of America in advance of the adoption of the List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the fifth periodic report. | Amnesty International provides documentation on issues in the USA related to the obstacles to implementation at the domestic level; the continued use of the death penalty; the use of lethal force by law enforcement; the prevalence of gun violence and the failure to protect the right to life; the failure to respect sexual and repro…
(2019-01-14). Russia: Chechen authorities resume homophobic crackdown. amnesty.org Amnesty International has received credible information that the authorities in Chechnya, a republic in the south of Russia, have unleashed a new wave of attacks on people believed to be gay or lesbian. At least two people are reported to have been tortured to death since December 2018. | | The Russian LGBT Network has verified reports that the Chechen authorities have detained arou…
(2019-01-14). Nepal: Authorities must proactively act to eradicate the harmful practice of banishing women and girls to insanitary and dangerous huts during their menstrual cycles. amnesty.org Responding to the death in Bajura district, Nepal, of a woman and her two young sons who had been forced to sleep in an outhouse during her menstruation, a practice known as Chhaupadi, Amnesty International said, the authorities must take urgent action to eradicate this discriminatory, harmful practice. | "In order to prevent further deaths, the Nepali authorities must immediately put in place a comprehensive strategy, designed in consultation with Nepali women's rights groups, to eliminate Chhaupadi. This should include effective enforcement of existing laws criminalizing Chhaupadi and widespread education progr…
(2019-01-14). Laura Loomer & illegal immigrants crash Nancy Pelosi's California estate. rt.com 
Conservative activist Laura Loomer invaded the Napa Valley estate of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and set up a 'sanctuary' for illegal immigrants, amid the ongoing government shutdown over funding the border wall.
(2019-01-13). Outrage In Canada After Militarized RCMP Arrest 14 Wet'Suwet'en Land Defenders on Sovereign Indigenous Land. therealnews.com 
Solidarity protests erupt across Canada while Justin Trudeau faces hostile questions about indigenous rights in British Columbia
(2019-01-13). Israel to Deport Human Rights Watch Director for Supporting BDS. theantimedia.com 
(MEMO) — Israel will deport the Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW)'s regional office, Omar Shakir, refusing a Supreme Court petition. On Thursday the Israeli government submitted its response to a Supreme Court petition previously filed by Shakir in a bid to fight the deportation order against him. The response stated that: "[Shakir] promoted the boycott of …
(2019-01-12). Israeli Airstrikes Pound Warehouse at Syria's Damascus Airport. theantimedia.com 
(ANTIWAR.COM) — Syrian air defenses came to life around the Damascus airport on Friday night, as Israeli warplanes carried out attacks in the area. Reports from Syrian state media say that the attacks centered on a warehouse outside of the airport. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the warehouse was hit and said a second target …
(2019-01-12). New Afghan Defense Minister Should Face Investigation, Sanctions. hrw.org 
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's appointment in December of Asadullah Khalid as defense minister should have rung alarm bells not only in Kabul, but in the capitals of Afghanistan's major donors. That it didn't says a lot about how little human rights matter to an increasingly shaky government, and to donors looking for an exit from the long Afghan war. | | | Defense Minister of Afghanistan, Asadullah Khalid. | © US Department of State file photo | Credible evidence of serious human rights abuses and war crimes linked to K…
(2019-01-11). Minneapolis protest rejects Trump border wall and attacks on immigrants. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Protesters gathered Wednesday evening, January 9, in frigid weather, on Lake Street in south Minneapolis to say no to President Trump's border wall and his racist attacks on immigrants. The protest was organized on less than a 24-hour notice by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC). | President Trump went on national TV from the Oval Office Tuesday night, spewing a string of lies and racist manipulation in an attempt to pressure congressional Democrats to fund his border wall in order to end the partial government shutdown, which is now the second longest shutdown in U.S. hist…
(2019-01-11). Deaths of Women in Custody During Hurricane Florence Could Have Been Prevented. aclu.org Law enforcement and corrections officials must have emergency plans in place to protect any person in their custody when extreme weather strikes. | Amid rising floodwaters from Hurricane Florence in September, two women in the custody of the Horry County Sheriff's Office were left to drown in the back of a transport van. | The facts are as straightforward as they are damning. The two deputies, Joshua Bishop and Stephen Flood, transporting Nicolette Green and Wendy Newton to a hospital for mental health treatment disregarded roadblocks indicating flooded roadways. Floodwaters quickly overtook the van, and it was s…
(2019-01-11). America Needs Economic Rights. Now Is the Time to Push for Them. thenation.com America Needs Economic Rights. Now Is the Time to Push for Them.
(2019-01-11). Ex-President Karzai Betrays Afghan Women. hrw.org 
| | Former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai speaks at a panel discussion titled 'Disrupting the Established Order' at the TRT World Forum, themed 'Envisioning Peace and Security in a Fragmented World' at the Swiss Hotel The Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey on October 3, 2018. | © 2018 Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images | After former Afghan President Hamid Karzai finished his remarks at the 2019 Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, a voice…
(2019-01-11). Why Doesn't Trump Talk about This Man? hrw.org 
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(2019-01-11). Syria: Deadly School Attack Was Unlawful. hrw.org 
| | A photograph taken by a local anti-government media outlet of a remnant of a 240mm mortar projectile used in a deadly attack by Syrian government forces on Jarjanaz on November 24, 2018. | © 2016 Syria Now | (Beirut) — A November 24, 2018 attack by Syrian government forces near an elementary school that killed six children, a teacher, and a student's mother, appears to have been unlawful and indiscriminate. All parties to the conflict, including th…
(2019-01-11). Malaysia: Law Proposed Against Criticizing Monarchy. hrw.org 
| | Malaysia's newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad attends a news conference in Pataling Jaya, Malaysia, May 12, 2018. | © 2018 REUTERS/Stringer | (Bangkok) — The Malaysian government's proposed new law to protect the monarchy from "insults" is its latest backtracking on human rights promises, Human Rights Watch said today. On January…
(2019-01-10). William Barr Was an Ardent Champion of Mass Incarceration. aclu.org The last time he was attorney general, Barr proclaimed that only prisons reduce crime, and that we need a lot more of them. | In 1992, a little less than a year into his new job, Attorney General William P. Barr added to the zeitgeist of "tough-on-crime" policies when he issued the Bush administration's " 24 Recommendations to Strengthen Criminal Justice." Barr's harsh approach, which included expanding capacity for pretrial detention and offsetting the cost of such expansion with the labor of prisoners, was distilled by the Office of Poli…
(2019-01-10). The BDS movement salutes Angela Davis. bdsmovement.net 
The BDS movement salutes Angela Davis : PACBI StatementThe Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a founding member of the BDS movement for Palestinian rights, salutJanuary 10, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)
(2019-01-10). What Are Federal Employees' Rights to Protest the Government Shutdown? aclu.org People don't lose their First Amendment rights if they work for the government. | Standing up for your First Amendment right to protest can be challenging — especially if you're a government employee. | Since Dec. 22, nearly 800,000 government employees nationwide have been affected by the partial federal government shutdown, putting a stop to work and paychecks. Despite President Trump's claim that federal workers " agree 100 percent with what I'm doing," many have wond…
(2019-01-10). Rescinding a Human Rights Award to Angela Davis Was Cowardly and Unfair. progressive.org One would think that opposing Israel control of Palestinian territories seized in the 1967 war, which the international community recognizes as a foreign belligerent occupation, would not be particularly controversial.