(2019-01-17). Amnesty International's Troubling Collaboration with UK & US Intelligence. mintpressnews.com 
Some troubling connections contradict Amnesty's image as a benevolent defender of human rights and reveal key figures at the organization during its early years to be less concerned with human dignity and more concerned with the dignity of the US and UK's image in the world.
(2019-01-17). US: Activist Group Seeks Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights. telesurenglish.net A delegation of domestic workers visited the Capitol Wednesday to meet with members of the U.S. Congress to make a case for the institution of a Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights. | RELATED: | 'Workers Should Not Live In Poverty': Bernie Sanders Wants $15 Minimum Wage | Just a few weeks after the formation of the new Congress, the National Alliance of Domestic Workers (NADW) called on legislators to instate federal rights for the benefit of the group, which represents mor…
(2019-01-17). Largest U.S. Registered Nurses Union to Champion Women Workers' Rights at Women's Marches. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-17). Iran Newspapers, Minister Criticize U.S. Arrest of Newscaster. truthdig.com DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran kept up its criticism Thursday of the FBI's apparent arrest of an American anchorwoman from Iran's state-run English-language TV channel, with its foreign minister saying "she's done nothing but journalism." | The hard-line Vatan-e Emrooz paper criticized the detention of Press TV's Marzieh Hashemi as "Saudi-style behavior with a critical journalist." That's a reference to the Oct. 2 assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. | Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Press TV that "we have a right to…
(2019-01-17). Zimbabwe accused of violent crackdown on protests. aljazeera.com Rights groups say the security forces have responded to demonstrators with 'unprecedented use of excessive force'.
(2019-01-17). DR Congo: UN Raises Ethnic Violence Death Toll to 890. telesurenglish.net The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR) said Wednesday that violence from ethnic groups have caused hundreds of deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). | RELATED: | Southern Africa Bloc Urges DR Congo Election Vote Recount | "At least 890 people were killed between Dec. 16 and 18 in four villages in Yumbi territory, Mai-Ndombe province… in what appears to have been clashes between the Banunu and Batende communities," UNCHR said in a statement whic…
(2019-01-17). Houthis illegally detaining, torturing women: Yemeni activists. aljazeera.com Sanaa-based monitor says Houthi rebels are holding dozens of women without trial and often torturing the detainees.
(2019-01-17). Prominent Iranian jailed by FBI: Demand her freedom. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — A well-known Iranian journalist, Marzieh Hashemi, has been jailed by the FBI. Hashemi is an anchor on Iran's English language Press TV and has interviewed many progressive U.S. activists. According to credible reports, Hashemi was taken into custody at the Saint Louis, Missouri area's Louis Lambert International Airport on January 13. The FBI has since moved her to a detention facility near Washington DC. | There is no indication that Hashemi has been charged with anything. | Hashemi, who was born in the United States but resides in Iran, was on a visit to family members, including a broth…
(2019-01-17). Trump's new 'anti-Muslim' appointee worries civil rights groups. aljazeera.com Charles Kupperman is the latest addition to the Trump administration with ties to anti-Muslim group, say watchdogs.
(2019-01-17). Government Mistakenly Wanted to Deport U.S. Veteran, Says ACLU. truthdig.com DETROIT — A Marine veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder was held for three days for possible deportation before federal authorities learned that he was a U.S. citizen born in Michigan, lawyers said Wednesday. | Jilmar Ramos-Gomez, 27, lives in the Grand Rapids area. He was released on Dec. 17 from a detention center in Calhoun County after personal records were provided to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. | "Why did they think he was a noncitizen? Did they get him confused with someone else? Who knows," ACLU attorney Miriam Aukerman sai…
(2019-01-17). San Francisco March: Annual MLK March/Parade Honoring Civil Rights History. indybay.org San Francisco Caltrain Station then march to Yerba Buena Gardens 700 4th Street, San Francisco…
(2019-01-17). An Open Letter to Kate Kendall. indybay.org We were very sorry to hear that you will be participating in an event at Manny's Wednesday night , The State of the LGBT Rights Movement in the US – What are we fighting for?>
(2019-01-17). Amnesty International's Troubling Collaboration With US and UK Intelligence. theantimedia.com 
(MPN) — Amnesty International, the eminent human-rights non-governmental organization, is widely known for its advocacy in that realm. It produces reports critical of the Israeli occupation in Palestine and the Saudi-led war on Yemen. But it also publishes a steady flow of indictments against countries that don't play ball with Washington — countries like Iran, China, Venezuela, …
(2019-01-17). "Monsters Leading America": Thousands More Children Locked Up Than Reported. theantimedia.com 
(CD) — Confirming the fears of human rights groups, the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported on Thursday that thousands more children were separated from their parents at the southern U.S. border by the Trump administration, long before it first publicly unveiled the family separation policy last spring. "The total …
(2019-01-17). 'We Have Monsters Leading America': Trump's DHS Locked Up More Children Than Previously Known. commondreams.org Confirming the fears of human rights groups, the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported on Thursday that thousands more children were separated from their parents at the southern U.S. border by the Trump administration, long before it unveiled its official family separation policy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-17). The 'Shameful' Answer to #WheresMitch? Not Ending Shutdown, But Voting on Extremist Anti-Choice Bill. commondreams.org Freshman members of Congress and others who have been demanding to know the whereabouts of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in recent days got their answer on Thursday, as McConnell prepared to hold a Senate vote not on whether to reopen the government, but on a bill that would restrict abortion rights for low-income women. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-17). Mauritania: Repressive Laws Restrict Peaceful Speech. hrw.org 
| | People wait to cast their vote on September 1, 2018 outside a polling station in Nouakchott for the country's legislative, regional and local elections. | © 2018 Ahmed Ould Mohamed Ould Elhadj/AFP/Getty Images | (Geneva) — Mauritanian authorities used a litany of harsh and overbroad laws on terrorism, cybercrime, apostasy, and criminal defamation to prosecute and jail human rights defenders, activists, bloggers, and politica…
(2019-01-17). Russia: Bleak Year for Human Rights. hrw.org 
| | Oyub Titiev stands in front of a portrait of his murdered colleague, Natalia Estemirova, in Memorial's Grozny office, Grozny, Chechnya, Russia. | © 2011 Maria Chichtchenkova | (Moscow) — The Russian government relentlessly reduced space for peaceful dissent, political opposition, and civic activism in Russia during 2018, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2019.
(2019-01-17). Armenia: Human Rights Challenges for New Leadership. hrw.org 
| | People celebrating Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan's resignation after days of protests. Yerevan, Armenia, April 23, 2018. | © 2018 Hayk Baghdasaryan/Photolure | (Berlin) — Armenia's new government has inherited a country plagued with corruption and myriad human rights problems, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2019. As the new leadership embarks on rebuild…
(2019-01-17). Ukraine: Human Rights Backsliding as Election Looms. hrw.org 
| | Anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin. | © 2016 Private | (Kyiv) — Attacks on activists and government critics proliferated in Ukraine during 2018, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2019. | The Ukrainian government did little to prevent or punish the attacks or to stem rising violence against minority communities, including Roma and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and…
(2019-01-17). World Report 2019: Reversing Autocrats' Attacks on Rights. hrw.org 
| | Anti-government protestors in Venezuela take to the streets for a candlelight vigil in honor of protesters killed in clashes with security forces. | © 2017 Associated Press | (Berlin) — There is a growing global trend to confront the abuses of headline-grabbing autocrats, Human Rights Watch said today in launching its World Report 2019. Within the European Union, at the Unit…
(2019-01-17). Bahrain: Unabated Repression . hrw.org 
| | Demonstrations after the death of a young Bahraini after being shot outside the home of the Shiite leader in Bahrain on March 25, 2017. | © 2017 Sayed Baqer AlKamel/NurPhoto via Getty Images | (Beirut) — Bahrain cracked down on peaceful dissent during 2018, virtually eliminating all opposition, Human Rights Watch said today in releasing its World Report 2019. No independent med…
(2019-01-17). Iran: Unrelenting Repression . hrw.org 
| | Iranian students protest at the University of Tehran during a demonstration driven by anger over economic problems, in the capital Tehran on December 30, 2017. | © 2017 Getty Images | (Beirut) — Iranian authorities carried out arbitrary mass arrests and serious due process violations during 2018 in response to protests across the country over deteriorating economic conditions, perceptions of corruption, and the lack of political and so…
(2019-01-17). US: Central Americans Have a Legal Right to Seek Asylum. hrw.org 
| | Honduran migrants rest in the main square of Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas state, Mexico, on October 19, 2018. | © 2018 Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images | (Washington, DC) — Central American refugees fleeing for their lives have a right to seek asylum in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today in releasing its World Report 2019. The Trump administration uses fearmongering to…
(2019-01-17). UAE: Injustice, Intolerance, Repression. hrw.org 
| | A convoy of UAE military vehicles and personnel travels from Al Hamra Military Base to Zayed Military City, marking the return of the first batch of UAE Armed Forces military personnel from Yemen, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. | © 2015 AP Images | (Beirut) — The United Arab Emirates in 2018 handed down draconian prison sentences to an Emirati activist and a British academic following deeply flawed trials, Human Rig…
(2019-01-17). Qatar: Partial Reforms Risk Undermining Progress. hrw.org 
| | A picture taken on December 4, 2018, shows workers at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al-Khor, a city in northeastern Qatar. | © 2018 David Harding/AFP | (Beirut) — Qatar made some important progress on human rights in 2018 but failed to deliver on several key promised reforms, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2019. Among the promises not yet kept is the full repeal of the…
(2019-01-17). Turkey: State of Emergency Ends, but Not Repression. hrw.org 
| | Women assembled in Istanbul on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women are blocked by police, November 25, 2018. | © 2018 Dilara ≈ûenkaya/Bianet | (Berlin) —Ending the state of emergency in Turkey has not ended repressive rule under President Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2019. Prolonged and ar…
(2019-01-17). Yemen: Civilians Bombed, Shelled, Starved. hrw.org 
| | People are seen near a bus destroyed by an airstrike that killed dozens of children, in a photograph taken on August 12, 2018 in Saada, Yemen. | © 2018 Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images | (Beirut) — The Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi armed group engaged in a conflict in Yemen which have turned the country's humanitarian crisis into a full-blown catast…
(2019-01-17). Libya: Civilians Under Threat from Militias. hrw.org 
| | Armed forces allied to internationally recognized government fight with armed group in Tripoli, Libya September 22, 2018. | © 2018 Hani Amara/Reuters | (Geneva) — Unaccountable and violent armed groups maintain a stranglehold on Libya, while civilians pay the price in the divided country, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2019. Libyan authorities should prioritize ju…
(2019-01-17). Lebanon: Rights Bills Stalled in Parliament‚Ä®. hrw.org 
| | An election official shows a ballot with colors of political parties participating in the parliamentary election shortly after the polling stations closed in Beirut, Lebanon on May 6, 2018. | © 2018 Bilal Hussein/AP Photo | (Beirut) — Lebanon made legislative progress on the waste management crisis and the status of the disappeared in 2018, but parliament failed to follow through on legislation in other key areas, including women's…
(2019-01-17). Pentagon extends troop deployment at Mexican border until September. wsws.org The Trump administration is increasing its repressive measures against immigrants, including doubling the capacity of an immigrant detention center for youth in Homestead, Florida.
(2019-01-17). Putin has given Chechnya free rein to persecute LGBTI people. amnesty.org By Natalia Prilutskaya, Russia Researcher at Amnesty International | For the second time in less than two years, a violent homophobic crackdown has left LGBTI people in Chechnya fearing for their lives. Earlier this week the Russian LGBT Network confirmed reports that the Chechen authorities have resumed large-scale arrests of individuals believed to be gay or lesbian, imprisoning and torturing them. | According to the organization's protected sources, around 40 people have been arrested since De…
(2019-01-17). Egypt: Arbitrary Detention Extended: Islam Khalil. amnesty.org On 8 January 2019, the Cairo Criminal Court renewed Islam Khalil's detention for a further 45 days. Islam Khalil was a victim of an enforced disappearance and has been held in pre-trial detention on trumped-up charges since 10 March 2018. He is being denied access to necessary health care. The charges, of which Islam Khalil maintains his innocence, are believed to have been brought against him in retaliation for his political activism. The four other co-defendants who were facing the same charges denied knowing Islam Khalil and were released on probation on 4 September.
(2019-01-17). Egypt: Lawyer Detained in Undisclosed Location: Hoda Abdelmoniem. amnesty.org On 15 January 2019, Hoda Abdelmoniem appeared before the prosecution for investigation, and her pre-trial detention was renewed for 15 days. Hoda told her daughter that she is being detained in an undisclosed location. | Hoda's last appearance before the public prosecution was on 21 November 2018, after her 20 days of enforced disappearance. From 2 December 2018 until 14 January 2019, Hoda's lawyer and family could not find her in any prison and did not know about her fate and whereabouts.
(2019-01-16). Could Trump's Attorney General Pick William Barr Be "Worse Than Jeff Sessions" on Civil Rights? democracynow.org 
Senate confirmation hearings began Tuesday for William Barr, President Trump's nominee for attorney general to replace Jeff Sessions. 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 Haitian asylum seekers. Barr also openly backed mass incarceration at home and helped develop a secret Drug Enforcement Administration program which became a "blueprint" for the National Security Agency'
(2019-01-16). Chili's Denied Meagan Hunter a Promotion Because She Needed to 'Dress More Gender Appropriate'. aclu.org 
The ACLU is taking action against Chili's, which discriminated against a server for not fitting her boss' idea of what a woman should look like. | Meagan Hunter loved her job as a server at Chili's Grill & Bar in Phoenix, Arizona — and she excelled at it. She was thrilled when her supervisors suggested that she apply for a new training program to become a manager. | In order to learn more about the opportunity, she attended a seminar on Chili's Certified Shift Leader program. She wore a men's button-up shirt, fitted slacks, and boat shoes — an outfit similar to what male managers at Chili's wear. So s…
(2019-01-16). The WFTU stands on the side of the Los Angeles teachers. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). | The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), representing 95 million workers in 130 countries across the globe, sends its internationalist and militant greetings to the teachers of Los Angeles who took the streets and organized a huge strike in order to defend their labor rights. | During their mobilizations more than 30,000 teachers signed in on picket lines across Los Angeles, more than 900 schools sites also participated while more than 10,000 parents, students and working people showed their soli…
(2019-01-16). I'm Out of a Job Because My Boss Didn't Think I Look Like a Woman. aclu.org 
A former Chili's employee speaks out after being forced to quit for not dressing more "gender appropriate." | I didn't look the part, so I was forced to quit. | Chili's, where I worked for nearly two years, was starting a new management training program and my superiors encouraged me to apply. It was a great opportunity, and I was excited about the prospect of a promotion. | I was planning to buy a home for the first time, and the pay increase would have helped a lot. I'm a single mother, so what I earn matters. I'm also a lesbian, a part of my identity that influences how I dress. | I'd started working at a Phoe…
(2019-01-16). Trump's Anti-Iran Campaign & NDAA Clause Behind 'Inhumane' Detention of PressTV Anchor Marzieh Hashemi. mintpressnews.com The government's failure to comment on Hashemi's detention makes it difficult to analyze specifically what her arrest means. However, her detainment should serve as a chilling wake-up call for journalists, Muslim Americans, and all U.S. citizens.
(2019-01-16). Judge Blocks Trump Plan to Add Citizenship Question to Census, Citing "Smorgasbord" of Broken Rules. democracynow.org 
A federal judge in New York City has ruled against the Trump administration's decision to put a citizenship question on the census. In a lengthy opinion, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman wrote that in deciding to add a citizenship question to the census, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross violated a "veritable smorgasbord" of federal rules and "alternately ignored, cherry-picked, or badly misconstrued the evidence in the record before him." Ross announced the citizenship question in March, touting it as a way to enforce the Voting Rights Act and protect minorities against voter discrimination. Voting rights acti…
(2019-01-16). Iranian PressTV journalist held by FBI, denied halal food, hijab removed against her will — network. rt.com 
A PressTV journalist has been mysteriously detained for over 48 hours by the FBI after she was apprehended at St. Louis Lambert International Airport while traveling to visit family, the network has learned.
(2019-01-16). #SaveHakeem: Stop the deportation of a Bahraini refugee. greenleft.org.au 
Bahraini refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi has been held in detention in Thailand since last November 27. He faces the terrifying prospect of being deported to the country where he was tortured. | Al-Araibi, a semi-professional footballer and former member of the Bahraini national football team, was on his honeymoon and had just landed in Thailand. Australian authorities alerted Thai authorities, whereupon he was arrested. Bahrain is demanding his extradition. | Yahya Alhadid, a spokesperson for the Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, said if Al-Araibi is extradited back to Bahrain he will face "continuous elec…
(2019-01-16). México: Guardia Nacional. amnesty.org Amnistía Internacional hace un análisis, a la luz del derecho internacional de los derechos humanos, respecto de la propuesta de reforma a la Constitución mexicana para crear una Guardia Nacional conformada por elementos de las Fuerzas Armadas y de la Policía Federal.
(2019-01-15). NAACP Statement on CBS Election 2020 News Team. naacp.org Contact: Malik Russell/mrussell@naacpnet.org BALTIMORE (January 15, 2019) — The nation's leading civil rights organization issued the following statement: "CBS News' decision to not include Black reporters on their 2020 Election news team further proves the voting power and voices of Black America continue to be undervalued. As the voting bloc which will most certainly heavily determine […]
(2019-01-15). Court Blocks Trump's Plan to Add a Citizenship Question to 2020 Census. aclu.org A federal judge has ruled that the citizenship question violated federal law. | A federal court has blocked the Trump administration's decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, stating that it constitutes an "egregious" violation of federal law. The ruling deals a serious blow to the administration's plan to use the 2020 census to attack the financial and political resources of immigrants and communities of color. | In a decision released Tuesday, Judge Jesse M. Furman deter…
(2019-01-15). The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's Insult to Angela Davis Has Boomeranged. thenation.com The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's Insult to Angela Davis Has Boomeranged…
(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). Zimbabwe: Crackdown escalates on protests over massive fuel price hikes, hundreds arrested. amnesty.org Eight people reportedly killed | Authorities shut down internet | 200 people arbitrarily detained | The Zimbabwean authorities must ensure that the security forces exercise restraint and respect the rights of people protesting against massive fuel price hikes, Amnesty International said on the second day of the national 'shutdown'. | | As a result of the crackdown at least eight p…
(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). Russie: La répression homophobe reprend en Tchétchénie. amnesty.org Les autorités tchétchènes ont lancé une nouvelle vague d'attaques contre les personnes soupàßonnées d'être gays ou lesbiennes. Au moins 40 personnes ont été détenues arbitrairement et torturées en Tchétchénie, une république du sud de la Russie. Au moins deux personnes seraient mortes des suites d'actes de torture.