(2019-01-31). Venezuela detains foreign journalists amid crackdown on protests. aljazeera.com Five journalists, three working for Spanish news agency EFE and two French reporters, detained in Venezuela this week.
(2019-01-31). Guatemala: Ombudsman Says Government Sabotaging Security, Peace. telesurenglish.net Wednesday Guatemala's Ombudsman Jordan Rojas denounced the Guatemalan Government executing actions that counter the advances in democratic security and peace. | RELATED: | Guatemalan Dictator's Daughter Banned From Presidential Race | In a presentation of a 2018 Report on Human Rights before Congress, Rojas mentioned that the weakening of the National Civ…
(2019-01-31). Civilians in Police Crosshairs as France Adopts Totalitarian Tactics to Squash Yellow Vests. mintpressnews.com 
The insanity of Macron supporting the "uprising" in Venezuela while sanctioning vicious reprisals against his own people at home is glaringly obvious to all but Macron and his backers.
(2019-01-31). UK urged to apologise to Cyprus torture victims. aljazeera.com UK agreed to pay compensation to those abused during 1950s campaign but still refuses to accept liability.
(2019-01-31). ICE Is Force-Feeding Detainees on Hunger Strike. truthdig.com Federal immigration officials are force-feeding six immigrants through plastic nasal tubes during a hunger strike that's gone on for a month inside a Texas detention facility, The Associated Press has learned. | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says 11 detainees at the El Paso Processing Center have been refusing food, some for more than 30 days. Detainees who reached the AP, along with a relative and an attorney representing hunger strikers, said nearly 30 detainees from India and Cuba have been refusing to eat, and some are now so weak they cannot stand up or talk. | Another four detainees are on hunger…
(2019-01-31). Over 60 Human Rights Groups Back Call to Boycott Eurovision in Israel. mintpressnews.com "The Israeli regime of military occupation, colonialism and apartheid is blatantly using Eurovision as part of its official strategy 'Brand Israel', which tries to show 'the most beautiful face of Israel' to whiten and divert attention from its war crimes against the Palestinians."
(2019-01-31). US Democracy? Republican Leader Opposes Law to Encourage Voting. telesurenglish.net Republican leaders in the United States expressed open contention to policies that would make it easier for Americans to vote on the Senate floor Wednesday, sparking alarm from voting rights groups and Democrats. | RELATED: | Top Pentagon Spokeswoman Quits Amid Claims of Gross Misconduct | Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky ridiculed…
(2019-01-31). Stacey Abrams: "We Have to Work Harder" Than Those Who Would Suppress the Vote. democracynow.org 
Democrats have selected former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to deliver the response to President Trump's State of the Union address. The address will take place on Tuesday, after being delayed due to the government shutdown. Abrams will become the first person not in public office to respond to the president, as well as the first African-American woman to deliver the response. She recently launched Fair Fight Action, a voting rights advocacy group, after she narrowly lost Georgia's governor's race to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who was widely accused of suppressing the vote. In mid-November, A…
(2019-01-31). As Malaysia and Ireland Find Out, You Stand Up for Palestinian Rights at Your Peril. mintpressnews.com It takes an enormous effort for any country to oppose Israel, but particularly a small country that has to rely on bigger powers. It is even harder to impose effective pragmatic measures against Israel, as in the case of Ireland and Malaysia.
(2019-01-31). EU Launches INSTEX To Facilitate Trade, Bypass US Sanctions on Iran. mintpressnews.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo previously warned of "swift punishment" for countries doing business with Iran, thus INSTEX is seen as a first small step toward greater European economic independence.
(2019-01-31). US Sanctions as a Tool to Perpetuate Neocolonialism. globalresearch.ca It's an evident fact that neocolonial powers are ruled by behemoth corporations whose wealth is measured in hundreds of billions of dollars, far more than the total GDP of many developing nations. The status of these multinational corporations as dominant …
(2019-01-31). Russia denounces U.S. cynicism sanctioning Venezuelan PDVSA. mronline.org 
Russia denounced Tuesday the U.S. cynicism by announcing sanctions against the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA and excluding from that sanction U.S. companies operating in the South American nation. | Source
(2019-01-31). EU launches mechanism to bypass US sanctions on Iran. aljazeera.com EU opens new channel for humanitarian trade with Iran, showing its willingness to stand against US policies.
(2019-01-31). Muslim child-murderer sues prison over refusal to allow imam instead of priest attend death chamber. rt.com 
A Muslim inmate in Alabama has asked a court to postpone his execution, claiming the state has violated his rights by not allowing an imam to be present when he is put to death, instead of a Christian cleric.
(2019-01-31). Étude sur le bien-être du personnel. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Management response – Independent review into the tragic loss of Rosalind McGregor, Amnesty International's Advocacy Programme Intern in the Geneva Office. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Estudio sobre el bienestar del personal. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Russia: Heartless charges against activist who supported detained colleague. amnesty.org The Russian authorities must stop their vicious campaign against opposition movement Otkrytaya Rossiya (Open Russia), Amnesty International said today after an activist from the organization was charged for posting solidarity messages about a recently detained colleague. | Roman Zaitsev was indicted last night under Russia's repressive "undesirable organizations" law for sharing Open Russia's articles about activist Anastasia Shevchenko and an Amnesty statement calling for her release. In a further tragic twist this morning, Shevchenko's 17-year-old daughter died in hospital. The authorities refused Shevchenko pe…
(2019-01-31). US Interrogators Are Working in UAE Prisons in Yemen. theantimedia.com 
(MEMO) — US interrogators are present in UAE prisons in Yemen, the Daily Beast has revealed today, providing shocking evidence that the American military is a witness to the torture of Yemenis. In a series of interviews, two former detainees have testified to being interrogated by men with American accents, who looked on as they were beaten and electrocuted. …
(2019-01-31). Rosalind McGregor Review. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Chapter 5: Human Rights Violations | Five Case Studies. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Free the press in Nigeria. amnesty.org In Nigeria today, journalists are harassed, detained, tortured and killed for doing their job. | And they've had enough. | A free press makes for a free society. The work journalists do is crucial for everyone in Nigeria – and the law should never silence the truth. | Together, journalists and media workers from across Nigeria have written a manifesto calling on the government to ensure their freedom. Freedom to do their vital work and to serve the people of Nigeria. | They need your support to make the government listen. Rise up with them and sign up to make Nigeria a free and open society. | Ensure that media h…
(2019-01-31). Management Response – Enquête indépendante sur la mort tragique de Rosalind McGregor, stagiaire au Programme de plaidoyer international (IAP) d'Amnesty, bureau de Genève. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Mozambique: Suspicious Death of Suspect in Custody. hrw.org 
| | Andre Hanekom with his daughter Amanda Hanekom | @2019 Private | (Johannesburg, January 31, 2019) — Mozambique authorities should ensure an impartial and transparent investigation into the suspicious death in police custody of Andre Hanekom, a South African businessman. Hanekom, who was detained for alleged involvement in armed attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, died on January 23, 2019, at Pemba Provincial hospital, five day…
(2019-01-31). KonTerra (Wellbeing) Report. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Venezuela: Authorities must release journalists detained while covering crisis. amnesty.org In response to reports of the detention of at least 11 journalists in Venezuela this week, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said: | "The detention of journalists is a flagrant and deeply concerning attack on freedom of expression and the right to truth, in a vain attempt to prevent the world from seeing the massive human rights violations that the Venezuelan authorities are committing." |
(2019-01-31). Sri Lanka: Proposed counter terrorism law does not comply with international law. amnesty.org The proposed Counter Terrorism Act intended to repeal its draconian predecessor, needs substantial amendment to be brought in line with international law. Sri Lanka promised to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act when it co-sponsored United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 in September 2015 and to replace it with anti-terrorism legislation which would be in accordance with contemporary international best practice. Despite their commitment, the government of Sri Lanka has delayed doing so by more than three years. Amnesty International is concerned that the proposed legislation falls short in many s…
(2019-01-31). Chapter 6: CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY UNDER INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Stacey Abrams: "We Have to Work Harder" Than Those Who Would Suppress the Vote. truthout.org Democrats have selected former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to deliver the response to President Trump's State of the Union address. The address will take place on Tuesday, after being delayed due to the government shutdown. Abrams will become the first person not in public office to respond to the president, as well as the first African-American woman to deliver the response. She recently launched Fair Fight Action, a voting rights advocacy group, after she narrowly lost Georgia's governor's race to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who was widely accused of suppressing the vote. In mid-November…
(2019-01-31). UN Experts Investigating Khashoggi's Death Banned From Entering Crime Scene. theantimedia.com 
(MEMO) — A team of United Nations (UN) human rights experts carrying out an international investigation into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi have been banned from entering the crime scene at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Leader of the investigation Agnes Callamard and her team of rights experts recently announced that it had submitted …
(2019-01-31). KonTerra (Wellbeing) Report – Management Response. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Human Rights Watch Film Festival, London. hrw.org 
| | Students in front of Wits great hall protesting against the militarized securities in Wits, from the film Everything Must Fall | | © Daylin Paul | The Human Rights Watch Film Festival will be presented in London from March 13-22, 2019, featuring 15 award-winning documentary and feature films. The international line-up of films from Venezuela, South Africa, Palestine, Thailand, and more offer critical insight into local and global human rights concerns impacting people aroun…
(2019-01-31). Enquête sur Rosalind McGregor. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Estudio sobre el bienestar del personal en Amnistía Internacional, realizado por el KonTerra Group – Management Response. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Étude sur le bien-être du personnel d'Amnesty International, réalisée par le groupe KonTerra – Management Response. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Independent reviews into the tragic loss of Rosalind McGregor and staff wellbeing at Amnesty International. amnesty.org Today Amnesty International has published the final two of three separate independent reviews triggered by the tragic suicides of two beloved colleagues, Gaà´tan Mootoo, Researcher for West Africa, who died in May 2018, and Rosalind McGregor, an intern in the International Advocacy Programme in Geneva, who died in July 2018. | The first independent review, undertaken by James Laddie QC of Matrix Chambers in London, aimed to examine whether Amnesty International discharged its duty of care to Gaà´tan Mootoo, and what lessons the organisation can learn from this tragic incident. More information on this…
(2019-01-31). EU Leaders Drag Their Feet on Hungary Sanctions. hrw.org 
In September, it seemed as if the European Union had finally woken up to the threat that Hungary's Fidesz government poses to the rights of Hungarian citizens, democratic institutions, and shared values of the EU, when the European Parliament voted to launch political sanctions. | | But since then the EU Council, made up of member state governments, has dragged its feet even as the situation in Hungary worsens. | In a debate on Hungary yesterday, members of the European Parliament called out the lack of progress by the Council on the political sanctions process under ar…
(2019-01-31). Chapter 4: Online Tourism Companies Doing Business in the Settlements. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Investigación relativa a Rosalind McGregor. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Management response – Investigación independiente sobre la trágica pérdida de Rosalind McGregor, trabajadora en prácticas de la oficina de Ginebra del Programa de Incidencia Internacional de Amnistía Internacional. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). Scrap Australia Day, acknowledge the past and fight for the future. greenleft.org.au 
Celebrating January 26 is a state-sanctioned exercise that rubs salt into the wounds of Indigenous Australia. It proclaims, "You lost, we won. Know your place." | But the desire for an honest conversation about modern Australia's origins in the violent and ongoing dispossession of Indigenous people is not going away. | Across the country Invasion Day marches were both bigger than ever, and took place in many more places. More local governments have dropped their January 26 activities and finally the ABC allowed Triple J to shift its Hottest 100. | The mood for change is gathering momentum — and it'..
(2019-01-31). Sahiwal shootings: The rot goes as deep as the roots. amnesty.org For as long as I can remember, I have been told that Pakistan needs to change. | We need to change the government, we need to change the law, we need to change the politicians, we need to change the economy, we need to change our policies, we need to change ourselves. | The demand for change gets the loudest when something terrible happens. Never again, we tell ourselves. Things must change, we chant. Leaders faithfully echo the sentiment. | All that changes, however, is seasons. | On January 21, the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) opened fire on a car car…
(2019-01-31). Sri Lanka: Countering terrorism at the expense of human rights: Concerns with Sri Lanka's Counter Terrorism Bill. amnesty.org Far from being a break with the past, according to analysis by Amnesty International the new Counter Terrorism Bill proposed by Sri Lanka would require substantial amendment to be brought in line with international law. The draft law, which permits detention without charge for up to one year, contains ambiguity on critical definitions of what constitutes an offence of terrorism, and would permit detention for up to 14 days without access to a court of law. Although the Bill improves on some aspects of the draconian measures in the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), there are many provisions in the current Bill wh…
(2019-01-30). Allan Nairn: Trump's Venezuela Envoy Elliott Abrams Is a War Criminal Who Has Abetted Genocide. democracynow.org 
In an ongoing effort to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Vice President Mike Pence met with members of the Venezuelan opposition at the White House Tuesday alongside Trump's new special envoy to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams. Elliott Abrams is a right-wing hawk who was convicted in 1991 for lying to Congress during the Iran-Contra scandal, but he was later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. Abrams defended Guatemalan dictator General Efraín Ríos Montt as he oversaw a campaign of mass murder and torture of indigenous people in Guatemala in the 1980s. Ríos Montt was later convicted of genocide. Abrams w…
(2019-01-30). A War for Oil? Bolton Pushes Privatization of Venezuela's Oil as U.S. Ratchets Up Pressure on Maduro. democracynow.org 
As the Trump administration continues its attempt to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the U.S. has imposed a de facto embargo on oil from Venezuela's state-run oil company. The new sanctions include exemptions for several U.S. firms, including Chevron and Halliburton, to allow them to continue working in Venezuela. We speak with prize-winning investigative journalist Allan Nairn about the push to privatize Venezuela's oil.
(2019-01-30). US, China Resume Trade Talks Amongst Cold-War Like Tensions. telesurenglish.net Top U.S. and Chinese trade officials returned to the bargaining table Wednesday, working to avoid a sharp escalation in the trade war between the world's two largest economies. | RELATED: | China VP Arrives in US For Talks, Huawei Detention Concerns | At the head of a 30-person delegation from Beijing, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He greeted his counterpart…
(2019-01-30). We Don't Want Another Vietnam War in Latin America: Maduro. telesurenglish.net The citizens of the United States are bigger than President Donald Trump, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday in a Facebook video, imploring they take steps to avoid another Vietnam war. | RELATED: | Oil Gains on Tighter US Supply, Venezuela Sanctions | "I am Nicolas Maduro and I want to send a message to the people of the United States, to alert them to the media war, psychological communication that takes place in the international media and especially in the US media, again…
(2019-01-30). Democracy in the Americas: the U.S. Pot and the Venezuelan Kettle. counterpunch.org Venezuela has as much right to call itself a democracy as does the United States. Until that is understood by enough people, the Trump administration will continue to devastate Venezuela's economy with illegal sanctions and push it towards civil war. People can oppose President Donald Trump's economic sanctions and incitement of a military coup without acknowledging More
(2019-01-30). Maduro denounces Citgo takeover as 'robbery'. mronline.org 
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro says he plans to take legal action against the United States to defy the sanctions. | Source
(2019-01-30). Saudi Arabia: 10 Reasons Why Women Flee. hrw.org 
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