(2019-02-03). US Intervention in Venezuela Portrayed as a "Humanitarian Mission". "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P). globalresearch.ca Human rights and democracy? | Great powers invariably disguise foreign interference or military intervention as a humanitarian mission. The refrain may vary but in fact always comes down to the same thing: out of concern for the local population we have …
(2019-02-03). Bolton: I'll Send Maduro to Guantanamo. globalresearch.ca On Friday, the neocon running Trump's foreign policy, John Bolton, threatened to send the elected president of Venezuela to the indefinite torture camp at Guantanamo. | Maduro should be relieved. The previous neoliberal regime in DC had the disfavored leader …
(2019-02-03). "'Vicious' And 'Brutal'" — Life Inside a Freezing Federal Prison With No Heat. theintercept.com 
Inside accounts are seeping out of a New York prison where hundreds of people have been incarcerated without heat as the city endured arctic weather.
(2019-02-02). Will Iran Sanctions Herald the Fall of the Imperial Dollar? globalresearch.ca When the Trump administration unilaterally pulled out of the Iran nuclear agreement in May 2018 and announced it would reimpose sanctions against Iran, the European Union (EU) declared its commitment to preserving the agreement and finding ways for its companies …
(2019-02-02). Freezing Inmates Desperate for Heat at Federal Detention Center in Brooklyn. truthdig.com 
More than a thousand people incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., say they have been locked in freezing cells for a week. Activists and inmates' family members gathered outside the federal facility on Saturday to demand humane conditions. | A power outage has left the jail's more than 1,600 inmates to endure this week's brutal cold snap without light or heat. Because they are also without computers, inmates have been unable to contact loved ones, renew medical prescriptions or email attorneys for…
(2019-02-02). Guatemala: Amnesty Reform Would Excuse Those Guilty of Genocide. telesurenglish.net Social organizations in Guatemala are demanding Congress stop an "amnesty" bill that would forgive those responsible for grave human rights violations during the civil war. | RELATED: | Guatemala: Ombudsman Says Government Sabotaging Security, Peace | In a public statement, over 100 organizations state that the reform to the "Law of National Reconciliation" violates international agreements on human rights and puts at risk "the integrity of the victims, witnesses, prosecutors an…
(2019-02-02). Detainee on Hunger Strike Details Force-Feeding. truthdig.com "They tie us on the force-feeding bed … put a lot of liquid into the tubes, and the pressure is immense," says an Indian detainee.
(2019-02-02). Brooklyn detainees bang on prison windows for help during cold weather blackout (VIDEO). rt.com 
Shocking footage filmed outside a federal prison in Brooklyn, New York, shows inmates apparently banging on the walls and windows of their cells to draw attention to their freezing conditions.
(2019-02-02). Philippines: Congress Aims to Lock Up More Children. hrw.org 
| | | | | | In this photo taken last year in Manila, children are detained in a Bahay Pagasa detention center, the same type of facility the Philippine government plans to use under a proposed new law that would lower the age of criminal responsibility. | | © 2018 Carlos Conde/Human Rights Watch | (New York) — Philippine legislators should reject a draft law to lower the age of criminal liability from 15 to 12, Human Rights W…
(2019-02-01). Will Iran Sanctions Herald the Fall of the Imperial Dollar? counterpunch.org When the Trump administration unilaterally pulled out of the Iran nuclear agreement in May 2018 and announced it would reimpose sanctions against Iran, the European Union (EU) declared its commitment to preserving the agreement and finding ways for its companies to circumvent U.S. sanctions. Now, eight months later, the Europeans finally announced the creation of More
(2019-02-01). Will Iran Sanctions Herald the Fall of the Imperial Dollar? commondreams.org French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Drian (L), UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (C) and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas give a press conference on Iran at the Informal Meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers at the National Bank of Romania headquarters in Bucharest January 31, 2019. (Photo: AFP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-02-01). Former US Spies Are Helping the UAE Hack Human Rights Activists. mintpressnews.com Mainstream networks will likely shrug and yawn at this bombshell Reuters story, given that it doesn't involve Putin or Russia, but merely one of Washington's chief Arab Gulf oil and gas allies.
(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). ICE Partners Again With a Sheriff It Once Severed Ties With Because of Racial Profiling. aclu.org Sheriff Terry Johnson is known for racial profiling. He just secured $2.8 million in taxpayer funding to do ICE's bidding. | Whether it's Jeff Sessions, Stephen Miller, or Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the Trump administration has a real knack for empowering and absolving people who push discriminatory law enforcement and immigration policy. Now there's another name to add to that list: Sheriff Terry Johnson of Alamance County in North Carolina. Six years after the federal government severed ties with Sheriff Johnson for his office's discriminatory policing of Latinx residents, Uncle Sam and the Alamance County Sheriff's O…
(2019-02-01). Corporations Have Paid Out at Least $2.7 Billion in Civil-Rights and Labor Lawsuits Since 2000. thenation.com Corporations Have Paid Out at Least $2.7 Billion in Civil-Rights and Labor Lawsuits Since 2000…
(2019-02-01). Congress, Don't Give DHS Unrestricted Authority to Build a 'Smart Wall'. aclu.org What Congress must do to ensure that border technology doesn't trample on the rights of border communities. | On Thursday, House Democrats unveiled their proposal for a $55 billion Department of Homeland Security budget. The proposal includes some strong provisions — including no funding for a border wall, no new Border Patrol agents, and a requirement for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to cut its detention of immigrants and phase out the jailing of immigrant families. But there are also a number of troubling elements, ch…
(2019-02-01). Maduro: 'I Stand Firm Defending Venezuela's Sovereignty'. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reaffirmed his commitment to defending the people's sovereignty of the country when visiting members of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) carrying out military drills on Friday. | RELATED: | Donald Trump's War of Recolonization Against Venezuela | "As commander in chief of the FANB, I stand firm in defense of the people's sovereignty, of the constitution and the rights of Venezuela," said Maduro while supervising the drills. | Así fue el…
(2019-02-01). Gandhi and American Civil Rights. consortiumnews.com Howard Thurman travelled to India and returned to the U.S. intent on bringing nonviolence to the struggles of African Americans, writes Walter E. Fluker. Howard Thurman's image on Howard University chapel's stained glass window. (Fourandsixty from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA) By… Read more →
(2019-02-01). The Real Target of the Huawei Sanctions and the Trade War. mintpressnews.com 
The U.S.-China trade war isn't actually about soybeans and steel. Washington fears its iron grip over the post-Soviet world is waning thanks to China's new global initiatives.
(2019-02-01). "5,000 troops to Colombia": U.S. threats against Venezuela increase. peoplesworld.org 
MÉRIDA, Venezuela—Self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaidó named a number of "diplomatic representatives" to those countries which have recognized him during the past week. The government of Nicolás Maduro, the actual president of Venezuela, along with its international allies are responding to new U.S. oil sanctions and preparing for possible military intervention. Guaidó designated fellow high-profile opposition members …
(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). UPDATED 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.
(2019-02-01). "Do We as a Society Have a Right to Kill?": Chinonye Chukwu's Film "Clemency" Examines Death Penalty. democracynow.org 
As the state of Texas this week carried out the nation's first execution of the year, we look at "Clemency," a new film starring Alfre Woodard that examines the death penalty from the perspective of those who have to carry out executions as well as the condemned. Woodard portrays prison warden Bernadine Williams as she prepares to oversee what would be her 12th execution as warden in the aftermath of one that was horribly botched. As her life seems to unravel, Williams, for the first time, grapples with what it means to be part of a system of state-sanctioned murder, as the execution date for Anthony Woods, playe…
(2019-02-01). Trump's Brilliant Strategy to Dismember U.S. Dollar Hegemony. counterpunch.org 
The end of America's unchallenged global economic dominance has arrived sooner than expected, thanks to the very same Neocons who gave the world the Iraq, Syria and the dirty wars in Latin America. Just as the Vietnam War drove the United States off gold by 1971, its violent regime change warfare against Venezuela and Syria — and threatening other countries with sanctions if they do not join this crusade — is driving European and other nations to create their alternative financial institutions. | This break has been building for quite some time, and was bound to occur. But who would have thought that…
(2019-02-01). Brazil Vice President Supports 'Right to Decide' on Abortion. hrw.org 
| | Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourà£o publicly supported a woman's right to decide to have an abortion | © José Cruz/Agência Brasil | Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourà£o publicly supported a woman's right to decide to have an abortion in an interview published today in O Globo. | Mourà£o raised the issue of abortion after being asked a question about gender, explaining that w…
(2019-02-01). New Site Exposes How Apple Censors Apps in China. theintercept.com The site shows which apps — from human rights groups, the New York Times, and virtual private networks — have been removed from Apple's app store in China.
(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). 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). 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). ICE Force-feeding Immigrant Detainees on Hunger Strike. hrw.org 
| | Screenshot from a 2013 video of Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) volunteering to undergo the standard operating procedures for force-feeding of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. | © 2013 The Guardian/YouTube | ICE officials are force-feeding six immigrant detainees who are on hunger strike in Texas, according to an investigation published by the Associated Press. | The AP reported indications that nearly 30 men — mostly from India an…
(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). Sudan's Game of Catch and Release. hrw.org 
| | Sudanese protesters chant slogans during an anti-government demonstration in the capital Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on January 31, 2019. | © 2019 Stringer/AFP/Getty Images | Salah Abdalla "Gosh," director of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), announced the release this week of 186 so-called "protest" detainees, but said nothing about the fate of the hundreds still locked up in the wake of the bloody, and ongoing, crackdown. | Since mid-December, when protests started across the c…
(2019-02-01). Mohammed bin Salman Is Running Saudi Arabia Like a Man Who Got Away With Murder. theintercept.com 
The Saudi monarch is pursuing Hollywood stars for the country's "Year of Entertainment," while women activists are being tortured behind bars.
(2019-02-01). "Always in Season" Looks at 2014 Hanging in North Carolina and Racial Terrorism. truthout.org As we mark the beginning of Black History Month, we look at Always in Season, a disturbing new documentary that examines lynching in the United States both past and present. It also looks closely at the case of Lennon Lacy, a 17-year-old African-American high school student who, on August 29, 2014, was found hanging from two belts attached to a wooden swing set in a largely white trailer park in Bladenboro, North Carolina. Local authorities quickly determined his death to be a suicide, but Lacy's family and local civil rights activists feared authorities may have been covering up a lynching. We speak with Lacy…
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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 – Management Response. amnesty.org …
(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. amnesty.org …