(2019-02-01). Myanmar using 'oppressive laws' against peaceful critics: HRW. aljazeera.com Rights group says freedom of expression deteriorating since Aung San Suu Kyi's government took office in 2016.
(2019-02-01). IACHR Requests Information on Assange's Conditions. telesurenglish.net Ecuador received an Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) request for precautionary measures in favor of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been detained at the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012. | RELATED: | Assange Starts Legal Bid to Unseal US Charges Against Him | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informe…
(2019-02-01). Sanctions of Mass Destruction: America's War on Venezuela. counterpunch.org 
American economic sanctions have been the worst crime against humanity since World War Two. America's economic sanctions have killed more innocent people than all of the nuclear, biological and chemical weapons ever used in the history of mankind. The fact that for America the issue in Venezuela is oil, not democracy, will surprise only those More
(2019-02-01). New Oil Sanctions on Venezuela: "Would Destroy What's Left of its Economy" zcomm.org National Security Advisor John Bolton announced that the US will freeze Venezuelan assets and block oil payments for Venezuelan oil imports to the US. This would not only be illegal, but would also be yet another crippling blow to the country…
(2019-02-01). Life in Besieged Venezuela. zcomm.org A young author presents intimate snapshots of ordinary life as it is lived by millions of Venezuelans during a grueling crisis fueled by deadly US sanctions and coup efforts…
(2019-02-01). Europe Implements Iran Payment Mechanism to Bypass US Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Tuesday Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed the 'Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges' (INSTEX), a payment mechanism designed by Germany, France and the United Kingdom to maintain trade with Iran and avoid U.S. sanctions on the Persian nation, but urged that it be implemented "in its whole." | RELATED: | 3 Injured in Iran Police Station Attack | "We hop…
(2019-02-01). Elliott Abrams: A Human Rights Horror Show in Three Acts. counterpunch.org Last Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Elliott Abrams would once again be returning to government, this time as President Donald Trump's special envoy to help "fully restore democracy and prosperity" to Venezuela. Abrams, 71, is best known for abetting dictators and genocide in Latin America and for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal during More
(2019-02-01). Pakistan and the Cultural Appropriation of Pashtun Rights Movement. globalresearch.ca Historically, from the massacres in Bangladesh in 1971 to the training and arming of Afghan jihadists during the Soviet-Afghan war throughout the 1980s and '90s, and then mounting ill-conceived military operations in Pakistan's tribal areas under American pressure, leading to …
(2019-02-01). Senegal: Make Talibé Children a Campaign Focus. hrw.org 
| | Talibés begging in downtown Dakar, Senegal, May 11, 2017. | © 2017 Lauren Seibert/Human Rights Watch | (Dakar) — Political parties and candidates for Senegal's February 24, 2019 presidential election should commit to ending the abuse and exploitation of talibé children, Human Rights Watch and the Platform for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (PPDH), a coalition of Senegalese rights groups, said today. | Hundreds of thousands of talibé children in Se…
(2019-02-01). Australian activists say: to help Venezuela, lift sanctions and end intervention. greenleft.org.au 
Australian solidarity activists are calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government to demand the United States lift its sanctions on Venezuela and rule out any military intervention in the South American country. | Federico Fuentes, co-author of Latin America's Turbulent Transitions and co-convenor of the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network, said: "It is well known that Venezuela is passing through the worst economic crisis in its history. | "While focus has been placed on falling international oil prices and economic mismanagement by the Nicolas Maduro government, little attention has been paid to…
(2019-02-01). The price Peter Norman paid for his anti-racism. greenleft.org.au 
The Peter Norman Story
| Written by Andrew Webster & Matt Norman
| Macmillan, 2018
| $34.99 | Australian sprinter Peter Norman had just run a blistering 20.6 seconds in the men's 200-metre final at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games to claim the silver medal. After he heard about the plans of the gold and bronze medallists, African-American runners Tommy Smith and John Carlos, to protest against racism in the US, Norman agreed to support their actions by wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badge, stating: "I'll stand with you". | In The Peter Norman Story, his nephew Matt Norman, w…
(2019-02-01). Immigrants in US subjected to nasal force-feeding at ICE detention center. wsws.org The Trump administration has imported the savage tortures carried out at Guantanamo Bay and other CIA prisons, for use against immigrants and refugees.
(2019-02-01). Footage shows police pointing assault rifles at child detainees in Australia. wsws.org The footage resembled an aggressive military operation in the neo-colonial wars conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(2019-02-01). Vietnam: Hanoi Misleads UN on Rights Record. hrw.org 
| | Twenty-five political prisoners currently locked up for exercising basic rights. | | © 2018 Private | (Geneva) — Vietnam presented a grossly inaccurate picture of its human rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on January 22, 2019, Human Rights Wat…
(2019-01-31). Minneapolis: Fundraising event nets more than $3000 for Fight Back! fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — More than 75 trade unionists, anti-police-terror, immigrant rights, anti-war and student activists came together January 26 for a successful house party that netted more than $3000 for Fight Back!. | One of the event organizers, Matt Boynton stated, "The revolutionary press is of major importance in the struggle against capitalism in this country and around the globe. This fundraiser for Fight Back! was an incredible success." | Leader of trade unions and other people's organizations offered short toasts where they explained the importance of Fight Back! to their work. | Fight Back! editor…
(2019-01-31). Three Hundred Social Leaders Band Together to Create Caucus. telesurenglish.net Three hundred social leaders will form the League for Democracy, a congressional caucus created in defense of the rights of rural communities, officials said Thursday. | RELATED: | Colombia Witnesses Murder of 17th Social Leader in 2019 | "It is an initiative that has roots in 80 municipalities of the country, which will represent communities that fight for water, the environment, the implementation of the Peace Agreement and human rights," said Ivan Cepeda, senator from Colombia.
(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). Venezuela: US Rejects Calls for Dialogue Ahead of Dueling Marches. venezuelanalysis.com Draconian US sanctions and calls for dialogue set the stage for pro- and anti-government marches this weekend.
(2019-01-31). US Sanctions on Venezuela Harm Human Rights of Innocent People, UN Expert Warns. venezuelanalysis.com UN Special Rapporteur for sanctions Idriss Jazairy says that the United States' attempt to topple the Venezuelan government with an oil embargo is illegal and will have grave humanitarian consequences.
(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). Everyday Life in Besieged Venezuela: A Conversation with Jessica Dos Santos. venezuelanalysis.com A young author presents intimate snapshots of ordinary life as it is lived by millions of Venezuelans during a grueling crisis fueled by deadly US sanctions and coup efforts.
(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). 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). Sherrod Brown Is More Than Just a Midwestern Populist. thenation.com Sherrod Brown Is More Than Just a Midwestern Populist…
(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). What Breastfeeding Has To Do With Economic Security. aclu.org A recent study from the Center for WorkLife Law reveals the heavy toll of breastfeeding discrimination and the pressing need for more protections. | The discrimination began almost immediately after Barbara, an emergency room nurse, returned from maternity leave. Like most breastfeeding parents, Barbara needed to pump regularly to keep up her milk supply and prevent infection. But while her co-workers got smoke breaks, Barbara wasn't allowed to take time to pump, leaving her in pain: "I'd feel like my breasts [were] bursting," she said. | When she did get breaks, Barbara found herself expressing breast milk for h…
(2019-01-31). Rosalind McGregor Review. amnesty.org …
(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). Republicans Are Using Shameless Tactics to Split Democrats Over BDS. truthout.org With the Senate's imminent passage of the grandiosely titled Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019, it's now official: Israel/Palestine will be a major political wedge issue in the 116th Congress and the 2020 election season. And it's not going to be pretty. | This new Senate bill is essentially a package of previous bills that appears on the surface to be boilerplate Middle East legislation. But with the addition of a provision by Sen. Marco Rubio that seeks to stifle support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, this legislation is nothing short of…
(2019-01-31). Enquête sur Rosalind McGregor. 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). 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). 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…
(2019-01-31). Estudio sobre el bienestar del personal. 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). 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). Étude sur le bien-être du personnel. amnesty.org …
(2019-01-31). KonTerra (Wellbeing) Report – Management Response. 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). 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). Activists Bring Awareness to Trafficking Ahead of Super Bowl. telesurenglish.net Thirty-three arrests for sex trafficking set the tone for this year's Super Bowl in Georgia and activists are working to bring awareness to the crime, said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. | RELATED: | Nigerian Rights
(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). Estudio sobre el bienestar del personal en Amnistía Internacional, realizado por el KonTerra Group – Management Response. amnesty.org …
(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). 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). Myanmar: Peaceful Critics Prosecuted. hrw.org 
| | Demonstrators shout slogans at a protest against an amendment to Myanmar's public assembly law in Yangon, March 5, 2018. | © 2018 Thein Zaw/AP Photo | (Yangon) — Myanmar's first democratically elected civilian government in decades has prosecuted large numbers of peaceful critics in violation of basic human rights, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Concerned governments should press Myanmar to protect the rights to expression and assembly, and re…
(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 …