(2019-01-28). Headlines for January 28, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. & Taliban Agree to Path for Afghan Peace Deal, Federal Employees Return to Work as Gov't Agencies Temporarily Reopen, Venezuela: Maduro Gov't Defies U.S. and European Calls to Support Opposition, Philippines: Twin Bombs Rock Cathedral, Killing At Least 20, U.N. Condemns Killing of Palestinian by Israeli Settlers, Israeli Forces Kill 3 Palestinians Across Occupied Territories, Brazil: Mining Dam Collapse Kills At Least 58, Hundreds Still Missing, France: Protesters Take Streets for 11th Week, Call Out Police Brutality, Germany to Shut Down All Coal Plants by 2038, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Reinstates…
(2019-01-28). Why More Americans Are Breaking Their Silence on Israel. counterpunch.org Most folk outside the United States — and until this month, most Americans — won't have heard of Michelle Alexander. She's a civil rights lawyer and academic and has written a book called The New Jim Crow, and a few months ago The New York Times took her on as a regular columnist. Like millions of black — and More
(2019-01-28). France's Macron presses Sisi on human rights in Cairo meeting. aljazeera.com French president says he raised the issue of human rights with his Egyptian counterpart during state visit.
(2019-01-28). Nigeria: Buhari Suspends Top Judge Before National Elections. telesurenglish.net Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari suspended a Supreme Court Judge on Friday based on corruption allegations which sparked heavy internal controversy ahead of the Feb. 16. national elections. | RELATED: | Nigerian Rights Group Estimates 20,000 Kidnapped Girls in Mali | Chief justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen is currently facing trial on charges of faili…
(2019-01-28). When Is a Democracy not a Democracy? When It's Venezuela and the US is Pushing Regime Change. mintpressnews.com 
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.
(2019-01-28). China: Disgraceful 4 and a half years prison term for human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang. amnesty.org | Responding to the 4 and a half years prison sentence handed down by a Chinese court to human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, who was found guilty of "subverting state power", Doriane Lau, China Researcher at Amnesty International, commented: | "Today's verdict is a gross injustice. It's outrageous that Wang Quanzhang is being punished for peacefully standing up for human rights in China.
(2019-01-28). Syria: Arrests, Torture by Armed Group. hrw.org 
| | New fighters of the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham attend a mock battle in anticipation of an attack by Syrian government forces on northern Idlib province and the surrounding countryside, August 14, 2018. | © 2018 Omar Haj Kadour/Getty Images | (Beirut) — An armed group with links to al-Qaeda has in recent months arbitrarily arrested scores of residents in areas under their control in Idlib, Hama, and Aleppo governorates, Human Rights Watch said today. | Human Rights Watch documented 11 cases in which…
(2019-01-28). Expressing Religious Views is Risky in the Maldives. hrw.org 
| | The Maldivian flag flies at Jumhooree Maidan, or Independence Square, in Male, Maldives. | © 2007 (WT-shared) Jpatokal/Wikipedia | Ibrahim Ismail, the chairman of Mandhu College in the Maldives and a former lawmaker, says he believes in debate rooted in facts and backed by citations, including over religion. But Ismail, better known as Ibra, recently discovered the potential danger of such debate. | On January 7, 2019, a magistrate in Naifuri, an island in northern Maldives, sentenced a 25-year-old woman to death…
(2019-01-28). Cameroon: Peaceful protesters targeted in violent crackdown must be released. amnesty.org Following the mass arbitrary arrests of protesters in several cities in Cameroon on 26 January, Samira Daoud, Amnesty International's West and Central Africa Deputy Director said: | "The Cameroonian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release protesters detained simply for exercising their right to peaceful protest at the weekend. No one should face arrest simply for speaking out. | "The crackdown on peaceful protests across several cities undermines the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in Cameroon. The authorities must end repression of protests and uphold the country's constit…
(2019-01-28). Remains from the ashes. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-28). Where is the political will for justice? amnesty.org "Dad, help me, the forces are around me," were the final, desperate words Dr. Kasipillai Manoharan heard his son, Ragihar, utter before the loud boom of a grenade explosion ended their phone call. At the time, Dr. Manoharan was trying to reach Ragihar where he said he would be at — Trincomalee's Dutch Bay beachfront. When he was near, the Army denied him entry, beaten and held at gunpoint. Dr. Manoharan then heard screams and saw flashes of gunfire. A few hours later, he was at the morgue, identifying the bullet-ridden body of his son. | Thirteen years later, Dr. Manoharan, and the loved ones of four other…
(2019-01-28). As Trump's War Hawks Threaten Venezuela, Omar and Jayapal Demand US Rule Out Military Intervention. commondreams.org "We have to wonder, if Trump and Pompeo are so worried about human rights and democracy in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, why do they actively support horrible regimes in Brazil, Guatemala, and Honduras?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-28). Bahrain: Verdict on opposition leader is bitter blow to freedom of expression. amnesty.org Responding to the news that Bahrain's Court of Cassation has upheld the conviction of opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, Amnesty International's Middle East Campaigns Director Samah Hadid said: | "Today's verdict is yet another nail in the coffin for the right to freedom of expression in Bahrain and exposes the country's justice system as a complete farce. The decision to uphold Sheikh Ali Salman's conviction and life prison sentence following an unfair trial highlights the authorities' determination to silence critical voices. |
(2019-01-28). Championing hope and human rights in Kibera. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-27). Pope Francis Calls for 'Just, Peaceful Solution' in Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Pope Francis, in his first remarks on the Venezuelan political crisis, called on Sunday for a just and peaceful solution that respects human rights. | RELATED: | UK Labour Lawmakers, High-profile Activists, Academics Defend Venezuela Against Intervention | "Faced with the grave situation it is going through, I ask the Lord that a just and peaceful solution is sought and achieved in order to overcome the crisis, respecting human rights (and) the good of…
(2019-01-27). Yemeni Mothers Protest Detentions of Sons in UAE-run Prisons. telesurenglish.net Women are demanding Yemen's officials deliver information on their imprisoned sons detained in an UAE-run prison, the Association of Mothers of Abductees said during a protest in Aden Sunday. | RELATED: | Yemen: Saudi-led Coalition Bombs Capital, Residents Say 'Deadliest in a Year' | "We call on the government, the minister of the interior and the Attorney-General to reveal the fate of the dozens of missing prisoners a…
(2019-01-27). ROBERT PARRY: With the US Meddling Again in Latin America, a Look Back at How Washington Promoted Genocide in Guatemala. consortiumnews.com As the U.S. declares a new government in Venezuela, we look back at how the Reagan administration promoted human rights violations in Guatemala, including genocide inflicted on Indian villages, as the late Robert Parry reported on Feb. 21, 2013. By… Read more →
(2019-01-26). The Invisibility of Protester Deaths in Poor Areas. venezuelanalysis.com Twenty-eight people were killed in Venezuela between January 21 and 24. Venezuelan human rights organization SURGENTES examines who has been most affected by the spiral of violence.
(2019-01-26). Advancing Access to Justice for People with Disabilities in Armenia. hrw.org 
| | Artur Hakobyan gives interview to RFE/RL's Armenian Service: Radio Azatutyun. | Screenshot © RFE/RL/Radio Azatutyun | A recent decision by Armenia's highest court promises to advance the right to equal justice for people with disabilities in Armenia. | In 2015, Artur Hakobyan, a then 18-year-old military conscript reported that a military commander physically abused him on several occasions during his mandatory service. Hakobyan alleges that on one occasion, the commander dragged him by his ear and hit him in the n…
(2019-01-26). Philippines: Reject attempts to lower minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12. amnesty.org Amnesty International is deeply concerned at renewed efforts by the Philippine government to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 years old. The proposed change is contrary to authoritative guidance on international standards relating to juvenile justice, which urges States not to lower their minimum age of criminal responsibility to the age of 12. This move is all the more disturbing when seen in the context of the Philippines' 'war on drugs', which has left thousands dead and continues to claim children's lives.
(2019-01-25). Watch the 14th Vigil for Assange. consortiumnews.com Julian Assange's lawyers filed a petition with the Inter-American Court for Human Rights and WikiLeaks is mentioned in a new Mueller indictment unveiled Friday, two of the topics that were discussed on the 14th Vigil on Friday. Guests included Peter… Read more →
(2019-01-25). It's Time to Give TSA Screeners Full Union Rights. thenation.com 
The shutdown has exposed how dangerous it can be to starve critical safety personnel. | The post It's Time to Give TSA Screeners Full Union Rights…
(2019-01-25). My Time as an NAACP LAW Fellow. naacp.org I applied for the NAACP's law fellows program because of the organization's legacy in protecting the rights of people of color and in doing so the rights of all people. Law school has allowed me to more fully contextualize the history of race in the United States, and I recognized the crucial role the NAACP has played […]
(2019-01-25). It's Time to Update Aging Voting Equipment Before the 2020 Election. aclu.org Sixteen million voters encountered problems voting in 2016. A big culprit was aging voting equipment. | When Ronald Campbell went to his polling location in Horry County, South Carolina, to vote in the 2018 midterms, he wasn't expecting it to become an odyssey. But when he and his wife arrived at their polling location, the lines were so long that Ronald feared he and his wife wouldn't be physically able to stand for the amount of time it would take to get to the voting booth. Nevertheless, they returned to the polling location four separate times throughout the day until the line had become reasonable — th…
(2019-01-25). Silence of the Lambs: The Case of Marzieh Hashemi. counterpunch.org 
In the wake of the outcry after the abduction and murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi—in a foreign country and under the directive of a rogue Crown Prince—one would think the threshold to condemn the detention of an American journalist in the United States without charge or trial would be quite low. Unfortunately, it has More
(2019-01-25). Egypt's LGBT Crackdown Expands to Stifle Journalists. hrw.org 
| | Screenshot of an August 2018 television segment in which Egyptian anchor Mohamed Al-Ghaity interviewed an unidentified gay guest. Al-Ghaity was sentenced to one year in prison for the interview in January 2019. | © 2018 LTC TV/YouTube | An Egyptian television anchor was unexpectedly sentenced to one year in prison for interviewing a gay man on TV last week. The conviction of Mohamed Al-Ghaity,…
(2019-01-25). Tunisia: Bloggers Held for Criticizing Officials. hrw.org 
| | Revolutionary graffiti adorns a wall of the Prime Minister's office in Tunis, January 22, 2011. | © 2011 Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly | (Tunis) — Tunisian authorities are investigating, charging, and in some cases detaining bloggers and social media activists merely for their peaceful criticism of public officials, Human Rights Watch said today. Several said they have begun to censor themselves because of police action and threat of prosecut…
(2019-01-25). While Google paid lip-service to workplace activists, their lawyers fought to strip their rights. rt.com 
Employees at web giant Google are in an uproar after it was reported the company had been pushing to overturn a labor law ruling protecting activists who organize over workplace email and forums.
(2019-01-25). Saudi Arabia: Access for independent monitors urgently needed amid more reports of torture of activists. amnesty.org Amnesty International has obtained new reports of torture and abuse inflicted on a group of Saudi Arabian human rights activists who have been in arbitrary detention since May 2018. These reports follow similar testimonies from November 2018 into the torture of a number of the activists, and highlight the urgent need to allow independent monitors access to those in detention, the organization said today. | According to the testimonies, a total of ten human rights defenders were tortured, sexually abused, and subjected to other forms of ill-treatment during their first three months of detention, when they were hel…
(2019-01-25). Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Gestures are not enough: Amnesty International submission for the UN Universal Periodic Review, 33rd session of the UPR Working Group, May 2019. amnesty.org This submission was prepared for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in May 2019. In it, Amnesty International evaluates the implementation of recommendations made to the DPRK in its previous UPR, including in relation its engagement and cooperation with the UN human rights mechanisms and other international human rights-related organizations.
(2019-01-25). Lebanon: Environmental Prosecutors Named. hrw.org 
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(2019-01-25). Sri Lanka: Hope flickers as justice still proves elusive. amnesty.org Time is running out for the Sri Lankan authorities to deliver on its 2015 commitments to truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence, Amnesty International warned today in a new briefing. | As the tenth anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka's internal conflict looms in May, progress on UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 has proceeded at a glacial pace, the hopes of the victims of crimes under international law and human rights violations and abuses during the conflict have been reduced to a flicker. |
(2019-01-25). South Dakota Rejects Restrictions on Trans Athletes. hrw.org 
| | Rainbow flags for sale are photographed on June 24, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | South Dakota lawmakers have rejected a bill which would have barred transgender students from participating in athletics consistent with their gender identity. | The ACLU and other organizations spoke out against the bill, with the South Dakota High School Activities Association, the Association of School Boards in South Dakota, the South Dakota Education Associa…
(2019-01-25). Congress Is Pushing Sanctions Against Supporters of Syria's Bashar al-Assad. theintercept.com On Tuesday, the House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to impose new sanctions on the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad and its allies, and those who do business with them. The move comes a month after President Donald Trump's announcement to withdraw troops from Syria, and as some Arab governments are thawing relations with the Assad regime, which has all but secured a military victory after nearly eight years of war. The measure has been passed by the House twice in previous sessions, and a companion bill currently remains pending in the Senate. | House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot…
(2019-01-25). Zimbabwe: Security forces must be held accountable for the brutal assault on human rights. amnesty.org The Zimbabwean authorities must act swiftly to ensure security forces are held to account for ongoing brutal human rights violations, including torture, rape, beatings and killings of civilians, Amnesty International said today as the crackdown continues against last week's 'stay-away'. | | Dozens o…
(2019-01-25). Venezuela: Arrests, Killings in Anti-Government Protests. hrw.org 
| | People listen to Venezuela's National Assembly head Juan Guaido (out of frame) during a mass opposition rally against leader Nicolas Maduro in which he declared himself the country's 'acting president', on the anniversary of a 1958 uprising that overthrew a military dictatorship, in Caracas on January 23, 2019. | © 2019 FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images |
| (New York) — Venezuelan officials should be held accountable if security force…
(2019-01-24). Black Children Don't Have Nick Sandmann's Rights. thenation.com Black Children Don't Have Nick Sandmann's Rights…
(2019-01-24). Lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck: Bush, Rumsfeld & Cheney Are a Troika of Tyranny & Should Be in Prison. democracynow.org 
As Venezuela faces an attempted coup supported by the U.S., Brazil and the European Union, we speak with human rights attorney Wolfgang Kaleck. In November, John Bolton accused Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua of being part of a "troika of tyranny." Kaleck says the real "troika of tyranny" is George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who should be in prison for war crimes. Kaleck is a human rights attorney who for decades has been at the forefront of the legal fight to hold powerful actors and governments around the world accountable for human rights abuses. His new book, titled "Law Versus Power: Our Global…
(2019-01-24). A Disturbing Number of Missouri Towns Evict Residents for Calling the Police. aclu.org The ACLU is urging towns across Missouri to repeal unjust 'nuisance ordinances.' | Over the last few decades in towns and cities across America, local authorities have passed laws that punish people for calling 911 with steep fines and eviction, even when they are seeking police protection. Known as nuisance ordinances, these laws present victims of crime with an impossible choice. As a domestic violence survivor in St. Louis put it: "If I…
(2019-01-24). A Trans Woman Was Charged With 'False Personation' for Giving the NYPD Her Real Name. aclu.org 
While in custody, officers cuffed Linda Dominguez to her cell using pink handcuffs and repeatedly called her by her old first name. | On her way home from the bus stop on a spring night in the Bronx last year, Linda Dominguez cut across a park because it was the most direct route to her apartment. Even though others leaving the bus were also crossing the park, three officers from the New York City Police Department singled out and arrested Linda, a Latina transgender woman, and took her to the precinct. | Linda, who doesn't speak English, had no idea why the police had stopped her or what they were arresting her…
(2019-01-24). Arizona Provides Me Unequal Healthcare Because I'm Transgender. aclu.org I'm part of a class-action lawsuit to ensure that the state of Arizona includes transition-related health care in its insurance coverage. | I'm a professor of family studies and human development at the University of Arizona, and I have dedicated my career to studying how discrimination impacts LGBTQ adolescents. I'm also transgender, and I know from experience that growing up is different — and still much more difficult — for LGBTQ youth. So it came as a disappointment when I learned that the state university where I work does not cover transition-related healthcare for its employees or their depende…
(2019-01-24). "A human rights defender should have no limits" amnesty.org Vincent, 27, grew up in Kibera, Kenya. Many of his friends dropped out of school, but he was determined to take a different path… | School was an hour's walk away. It had its good and bad sides. Some students came from rich families. It was frustrating as I didn't understand why we were poor. But I came to realise that's life and I wanted to make the best of the situation. | In Kibera, poverty is a huge problem. People live here because they do not have the opportunity or means to live elsewhere. Young people start taking drugs at an early age, gender-based violence is rife and children, especially girls, are r…
(2019-01-24). Russia: First Criminal Case under 'Undesirables' Law. hrw.org 
| | Anastasiya Shevchenko at her court hearing in Rostov-on-Don on January 23, 2019. | © Alissa Vasilyeva, Rostov-on-Don, 2019 | (Moscow) — Russian authorities opened their first criminal case against a Russian activist for alleged involvement with a so-called "undesirable" foreign organization, Human Rights Watch said today. On January 23, 2019 Rostov-on-Don court placed Anastasia Shevchenko, a member of the Open Russia Civic Movement (ORCM), under hou…
(2019-01-24). Iran: Prominent Labor Activist Rearrested. hrw.org 
(Beirut) — Iranian authorities on January 20, 2019 arrested two activists who had alleged that authorities tortured them in detention, Human Rights Watch said today. The arrests of Ismael Bakhshi, a prominent labor rights activist, and Sepideh Gholian, a journalist and labor rights activist, came the day after Iranian state television broadcast confessions that they said they were forced to make in detention. | | | Screen shot from Islamic Republic of Iran Broad…
(2019-01-24). "Kibera should be seen as a place of hope" amnesty.org Kibera should be seen as a place of hope. There's great potential here. I have grown up in the slums. I have been to primary and secondary school here. Now I am taking electrical engineering at university. This is just one story. Many other people are taking other courses, but people don't see them, they just see the small evil that is happening. | I am aware of the issues that exist in the slums, but the fear of them remaining encourages me to speak out. | Gender-based violence is a big issue. People fear mentioning it. They don't want to talk about domestic violence, but I want to break this silence. Through my…
(2019-01-24). China: Secret detention places writer at risk of torture. amnesty.org Responding to the Chinese authorities' confirmation that Australian-Chinese writer Yang Hengjun has been detained on suspicion of "endangering national security", Joshua Rosenzweig, East Asia Research Director at Amnesty International commented: | "The Chinese authorities have serious questions to answer over the detention of Yang Hengjun, but it could be months before we find out anything more about his condition or what they're accusing him of doing. | "If it's true that Yang is being held under 'residential surveillance in a designated location', then there is cause for serious concern over his wellbeing. Faci…
(2019-01-24). Iran's 'year of shame': More than 7,000 arrested in chilling crackdown on dissent during 2018. amnesty.org The Iranian authorities carried out a shameless campaign of repression during 2018, crushing protests and arresting thousands in a wide-scale crackdown on dissent, said Amnesty International, a year after a wave of protests against poverty, corruption and authoritarianism erupted across the country. | The organization has today revealed staggering new figures showing the extent of the Iranian authorities' repression during 2018. Over the course of the year, more than 7,000 protesters, students, journalists, environmental activists, workers and human rights defenders, including lawyers, women's rights activists, m…
(2019-01-24). "Educating people through entertainment – key in Kibera" amnesty.org Julian, 24, is a member of Wasanii Sanaa in Kibera. Since she joined the youth organisation she's grown in confidence and is now a role model in her community… | I've spent my whole life in Kibera. In my community there's a lot of drugs, which leads to young people dropping out school. As kids grow up, they become thieves or fall pregnant. My parents have always been strict, but if you don't have people to take care of you, it's as though there's no way out. | Some of my friends in high school took drugs and they wanted me to join in I said no, and ran the risk of looking uncool, but it wasn't the path for me.
(2019-01-24). Russian Federation: Human rights defender under house arrest: Anastasia Shevchenko. amnesty.org On 23 January, Anastasia Shevchenko, an Open Russia human rights defender from Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia, was put under house arrest and may face up to six years in prison if convicted. This is the first time the Russian authorities have opened a criminal case under the repressive "undesirable organizations" law. It is a worrying precedent and could open the floodgates to the prosecution of hundreds of Open Russia members across the country. Anastasia Shevchenko is a prisoner of conscience. She must be immediately and unconditionally released.
(2019-01-24). Saudi Arabia: Let Outside Monitors See Detainees. hrw.org 
| (Beirut) — Saudi authorities should immediately allow independent international monitors to enter Saudi Arabia and meet with detainees, including those who have alleged torture, Human Rights Watch said today. The detainees should include the prominent princes and business leaders held as part of a so-called corruption probe, and the prominent women's rights advocates detained since May 2018. | Media outlets have reported that Saudi authorities opened two investigations into the torture allegati…