(2019-02-13). Why we must support 14 women determined to fight hate in Poland. amnesty.org …
(2019-02-10). Man's testicles tasered during horrific police arrest (VIDEO). rt.com 
Disturbing bodycam video shows Arizona cops tasering a man 11 times, including on the testicles, as his horrified family scream for them to stop. The police are now being sued for "excessive force and torture."
(2019-02-09). Trump Refuses to Put Sanctions on Saudis Over Khashoggi Murder. telesurenglish.net The United States Trump administration signaled Friday it was unlikely to meet a deadline to report to Congress on whether it intends to impose sanctions on those responsible for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, prompting an angry backlash on Capitol Hill. | RELATED: | Morocco Suspends Participation in Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen | Republican and Democratic lawmakers triggered a provision of the Global Magnitsky human rights act in October, giving the administra…
(2019-02-09). New York Times admission of Afghanistan fiasco provokes "human rights imperialist" backlash. wsws.org The Times editorial supporting a US withdrawal from Afghanistan is a self-damning indictment of the entire "war on terror," which the newspaper supported for the better part of two decades.
(2019-02-09). IYSSE calls on students in Australia to join the demonstrations in defence of Julian Assange. wsws.org The defence of Assange is at the cutting edge of the fight against growing authoritarianism and an assault on democratic rights around the world.
(2019-02-09). What does the media not get about sanctions on Venezuela? greenleft.org.au 
Last week, the US formally adopted sanctions on Venezuelan national oil company PDVSA, as well as on CITGO, its US-based distribution arm, as part of its press for regime change in Caracas. National Security Advisor John Bolton estimated the actions would affect some $7 billion in assets and would block $11 billion in revenue to the Venezuelan government over the next year. The State Department was quick to add, "These new sanctions do not target t…
(2019-02-09). Rape Victim Lands Behind Bars in Tunisia. hrw.org 
| Imagine seeking police assistance after being gang raped — and finding yourself behind bars. This is what happened to 22-year-old A.F., who was arrested on charges of homosexual conduct after he went to a police station in the southern Tunisian town of Sfax in January to report the assault. | Instead of treating A.F. as a victim in need of support, police detained him and subjected him to a forced anal examinationat a local hospital. These unscientific and invasive "exams," in…
(2019-02-09). Will the US Speak Out on Hungary's Rights Crisis? hrw.org 
| | Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addresses the supporters after the announcement of the partial results of parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, April 8, 2018. | © 2018 Reuters | When he visits Hungary next week, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo should raise the alarm in light of Hungary's deteriorating human rights situation. | Instead of sending a message of business as usual, he should make clear that Hungary's backsliding on human rights has implications for its relations with the US. | Undermin…
(2019-02-09). 'We Won't Forget': New Digital Ad Campaign Targets Susan Collins Over Kavanaugh Vote. commondreams.org "Collins promised to protect women's rights. It was all a sham." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-02-08). Amnesty International modifies its position on US sanctions and threats against Venezuela. zcomm.org Last year, I asked Amnesty International for its position on US economic sanctions against Venezuela. I also asked Amnesty's position on the threats US officials have made against Venezuela's government, including open encouragement of Venezuela's military to perpetrate a coup. Last year, Amnesty replied that it took "no position" on US economic sanctions. Regarding US Read more…
(2019-02-08). Trump Sanctions, Regime Change Strategy in Venezuela Can Only Cause More Violence and Suffering. counterpunch.org Washington has been trying to topple Venezuela's government for at least 17 years, but the Trump administration has taken a more openly aggressive tack than its predecessors. Last week, administration officials kicked their efforts into high gear by anointing their chosen successor to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros in advance of any coup d'etat. The 35-year-old More
(2019-02-08). U.S. media ignore—and applaud—economic war on Venezuela. mronline.org 
The U.S. media chorus supporting a U.S. overthrow of the Venezuelan government has for years pointed to the country's economic crisis as a justification for regime change, while whitewashing the ways in which the U.S. has strangled the Venezuelan economy (FAIR.org, 3/22/18). Sister Eugenia Russian, president of Fundalatin, a Venezuelan human rights NGO that was […] | Source
(2019-02-08). Brett Kavanaugh Is Already Done Pretending He Respects Abortion Rights. thenation.com Brett Kavanaugh Is Already Done Pretending He Respects Abortion Rights…
(2019-02-08). In Alabama, a Muslim Man Was Denied the Presence of His Imam During His Execution. aclu.org The Supreme Court's ruling to move forward with Domineque Ray's execution violates the Establishment Clause's principle of religious neutrality. | Domineque Ray was pronounced dead last night at 10: 12 p.m. Thirty minutes prior, his execution by lethal injection began. | His last words were a proclamation of his Muslim faith in Arabic. But Ray's imam was missing from the room, despite Ray's repeated requests to the state for his imam's presence. In the days leading up to his death, Ray w…
(2019-02-08). Planned Parenthood: SCOTUS Halts Louisiana Abortion Law for Now, But Roe v. Wade Fate Uncertain. democracynow.org 
The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a restrictive Louisiana anti-choice law from going into effect Thursday, in a major victory for reproductive rights advocates. The case was seen as a litmus test for determining whether millions of women across the nation will continue to have access to abortions. The divided court ruled 5 to 4 in favor of an emergency appeal by a Louisiana-based abortion provider, Hope Medical Group for Women, to temporarily block a Republican-backed law that could have left the state with just a single doctor legally allowed to perform abortions. The law requires doctors who perform abo…
(2019-02-08). Ocasio-Cortez & Markey Unveil Sweeping "Green New Deal" to Radically Shift U.S. Off Fossil Fuels. democracynow.org 
After months of anticipation, Democratic New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey introduced a resolution for the Green New Deal Thursday, presenting a sweeping plan to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in 10 years, make major investments in public transit and federal jobs, fully transition the U.S. electricity off fossil fuels and codify indigenous peoples' rights to prior consent and approval for decisions that affect them. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seemed to mock the proposal on Wednesday, referring to it as a "green dream, or whatever they call i…
(2019-02-08). Dems Accuse Trump Admin of "State-Sponsored Child Abuse" as Separated Migrant Children Scandal Grows. democracynow.org 
Trump administration officials are acknowledging that there may be thousands more missing immigrant children who were separated from their parents than originally reported. This was the focus of a hearing on Thursday of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. We speak to Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project. He is the lead lawyer on the ACLU's national challenge to the Trump administration's family separation practice. He testified at the hearing yesterday.
(2019-02-08). SCOTUS Halts Louisiana Abortion Law for Now, But Fate of "Roe v. Wade" Uncertain. truthout.org The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a restrictive Louisiana anti-choice law from going into effect Thursday, in a major victory for reproductive rights advocates. The case was seen as a litmus test for determining whether millions of women across the nation will continue to have access to abortions. The divided court ruled 5 to 4 in favor of an emergency appeal by a Louisiana-based abortion provider, Hope Medical Group for Women, to temporarily block a Republican-backed law that could have left the state with just a single doctor legally allowed to perform abortions. The law requires doctors who perform…
(2019-02-08). Swiss Prosecutors Squander Opportunity to Counter Kleptocracy. hrw.org 
| | In December 2016, authorities seized a yacht reportedly worth $100 million from Teodorin Obiang, the president's eldest son and vice president, as part of an ongoing Swiss investigation into money-laundering. | © 2009 Madmack66 (Wikimedia Commons) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ | The son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodorin Nguema Obiang, who is also vice president, kept a US$100-million superyacht in the Netherlands and 25 exotic cars in Switzerland. The yacht is worth more than Equatorial…
(2019-02-08). Morocco: Free Facebook Commentator. hrw.org 
(Beirut) — Moroccan authorities should free an entrepreneur who was sentenced to two years in prison in violation of his right to free speech and review his conviction given its abusive nature, Human Rights Watch said today. An appeal of Soufian al-Nguad's conviction is underway and continues on February 11, 2019. | | | Soufian al-Nguad, from his Facebook account. | © 2018 Private | A court of first instance in Tetouan, a city in northern…
(2019-02-08). Indonesia: Free Three Papuan Activists. hrw.org 
| | Yanto Awerkion (far left) detained in the Timika police station in September 2017 for his role in organizing a petition calling on the UN to organize a referendum in Papua. | (Jakarta) — Indonesian authorities should release and drop treason charges against three Papuan activists for peaceful advocacy in the Papua mining town of Timika, Human Rights Watch said today. The Indonesian government is currently imprisoning at least nine people…
(2019-02-08). Bangladesh Opposition Leader Zia in Prison a Year. hrw.org 
| | Bangladesh's former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, center, leaves after a court appearance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 28, 2017. | © 2017 AP Photo/A.M. Ahad, File | One year ago, Khaleda Zia, the leader of Bangladesh's main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sent to prison. Zia was convicted ahead of the December 2018 elections when the courts acted on longstanding cases against her. | While Human Rights Watch takes no position on the underlying merits of the ca…
(2019-02-08). Trump mistakenly praises Church for 'abolition of civil rights,' Dems go wild (VIDEO). rt.com 
Donald Trump mistakenly lauds Christians for suppressing civil rights — the opposite of what he was due to say — and his political opponents mock the president, and hint that he was sending a coded message to his base.
(2019-02-08). Reject the shameful media campaign for regime change in Venezuela. greenleft.org.au 
Corporate media outlets in Australia and internationally are overwhelmingly campaigning in support of the United States' regime change push in Venezuela. | The US has waged an unrelenting destabilisation campaign to undermine the democratically elected government of Venezuela — one that dates back to when Hugo Chavez was first sworn in as president in 1998. | This campaign has included failed military coups, assassination attempts, economic warfare via sanctions and other measures. Throughout all this, the US has received the full backing of the corporate media. | These same corporate media outlets have lar…
(2019-02-07). Anti-LGBT Groups Launch Movement Against Federal Equality Act. splcenter.org Anti-LGBT hate group leaders and activists recently launched a new project, the #Gone2Far movement (GTFM), to oppose H.R. 2282, the federal Equality Act, which seeks to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include protections for the categories of a person's sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.
(2019-02-07). Florida Anti-Immigrant Group Lobbies To Introduce Legislation Attacking Immigrants. splcenter.org Anti-immigrant group Floridians for Immigration Enforcement (FLIMEN) lobbied legislators in Florida to introduce legislation mandating E-Verify and banning sanctuary measures.
(2019-02-07). 100 years after Seattle 1919: Is the general strike making a comeback? peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Is the General Strike, a worker weapon that struck fear into corporate chieftains and crooks and their political cronies a century ago, making a comeback? A new film, commemorating centennial of the Great Seattle General Strike of 1919, plus a panel of experts in worker history and rights, tackled that question Feb. 6 at a …
(2019-02-07). In Zapata's shadow, Minneapolis says "Yes" to refugees. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – A sizable crowd gathered at the base of the statue of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata at South Minneapolis's Plaza Centenario, February 2, for an event titled "Rally Against the Wall." The demonstration was initiated by Minnesota Caravan Solidarity/Minnesota en Solidaridad con la Caravana, a coalition of international solidarity and immigrants' rights groups in Minnesota's Twin Cities. About 90 demonstrators chanted in support of the refugees travelling in large groups from Central American countries like Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border and cond…
(2019-02-07). Pennsylvania Can't Be a Model for Reform if We Undermine People's Rights. aclu.org Members of the state's General Assembly should deny ballot access to a "victims' rights" constitutional amendment that threatens due process. | Elected officials and corrections administrators in Pennsylvania have been doing a bit of a victory lap after the recent announcement that our state prison population dropped by 1,000 people in 2018. On the heels of the passage of the Clean Slate Act — a new law to automatically seal some people's criminal records from public view — some ha…
(2019-02-07). The South Dakota Legislature's Transphobia. aclu.org Members of the legislature have renewed their attack on transgender students with three separate bills targeting their civil rights. | After a short-lived victory in January, transgender students in South Dakota are once again being targeted with legislation that would put them at greater risk and, at the same time, cause serious damage to the state's reputation and economy. | On Jan. 24, lawmakers in the state Senate scuttled a bill requiring transgen…
(2019-02-07). Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott. bdsmovement.net 
Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott: In the NewsUS federal judge dismisses lawsuit seeking to deter academic associations from adopting boycotts for Palestinian rights. | Academic Boycott Right To BoycottFebruary 5, 2019 | By: | | Palestine Legal
(2019-02-07). Marzieh Hashemi: taken captive by Democracy. uwidata.com The unmotivated arrest and custody of Iranian journalist Marzieh Hashemi, an American national working for Press TV, has shown the whole world once again how the paragon of the Free World tramples on reporters' rights. Marzieh Hashemi, the face of the Iranian channel, an African-American with dual citizenship, was detained at an airport in St […]
(2019-02-07). Support grows to free Hakeem Al-Araibi. greenleft.org.au 
The campaign to stop the refoulment of refugee Hakeem al-Araibi from Thailand to Bahrain is growing, with many football authorities taking a stand. | Sports stars, trade unionists, the Bahraini community, human rights organisations and politicians gathered in Melbourne and Sydney on February 1 to demand that Araibi be freed from a Thai prison. | Meanwhile, the Bahraini government has formally lodged a request to extradite Araibi from Thailand to Bahrain to face trumped up charges. If this happens, his life will be in danger. | Araibi is a semi-professional footballer and former member of the Bahraini national foo…
(2019-02-07). Pushing Back Trump's Attack on Reproductive Choice. hrw.org 
| | A woman walks past a mural on a Family Health Options clinic in the Kibera slums in Nairobi, Kenya, May 16, 2017. © 2017 Reuters | United States lawmakers — including many female legislators elected in the recent mid-term elections — are pushing back against President Donald Trump's attacks on the reproductive rights of women outside the US. | Today, lawmakers re-introduced the Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act (Global HER Act). The act, introduced in 2017, would bar the US from restricting fund…
(2019-02-07). "Breathtaking and Terrifying": UN Partners With CIA-Funded Palantir. theantimedia.com 
(CD) — The CIA-funded California software firm Palantir Technologies and the World Food Program (WFP) have announced a five-year $45 million partnership that data privacy and human rights advocates are describing as "breathtaking and terrifying" as well as "horribly irresponsible and potentially incredibly harmful." The partnership, according to a joint statement released Tuesday, builds on a pilot project that allowed the United Nations …
(2019-02-07). Russia: Journalist Faces Unjustified Criminal Charges. hrw.org 
| | Svetlana Prokopyeva, Pskov. | © 2019 Pavel Dmitriyev | (Moscow) — Russian authorities opened a criminal investigation against a journalist for criticizing the authorities in her comments about a recent suicide bombing, Human Rights Watch said today. Russia also fined the radio station and newsfeed websites that carried her comments. | If she is prosecuted, the journalist, Svetlana Prokopyeva, faces up to seven years in prison on charges of "justifyi…
(2019-02-07). Myanmar's Hollow Denial of Rape of Rohingya. hrw.org 
| | A Rohingya woman walks through Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, March 22, 2018. | © 2018 Reuters | Despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, the government of Myanmar denies their armed forces raped Rohingya women and girls in a campaign of ethnic cleansing that forced more than 740,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee the country since late 2017. | In a long-delayed submission to the United Nations women's rights committee this week, Myanmar said there was "no evidence to support these wild claims…
(2019-02-07). Labor must oppose Trump coup in Venezuela. greenleft.org.au 
The Australian Labor Party leadership has failed its first foreign policy test in 2019 by falling in behind the Coalition government's support for the Donald Trump administration's recognition of Juan Guaidó as un-elected "interim President" of Venezuela, in violation of international law. | Labor's support for Trump's regime change push, and its silence on the US's illegal sanctions and threats of military actions against a sovereign nation, should be cause for serious soul searching by Labor party members. | Just a few months ago, pa…
(2019-02-07). Spanish state vs Catalonia: putting a political trial on trial. greenleft.org.au 
On February 12, the trial of 12 Catalan politicians and social movement leaders involved in the October 1, 2017 independence referendum is set to begin in the Spanish Supreme Court. | The leaders face sanctions as harsh as 25 year's jail for their alleged offences — rebellion, sedition and embezzlement of public funds. | It is the first of three trials. Other defendants, including former police chief, José Lluís Trapero, will face the National High Court. Those members of the Catalan parliament who allowed discussion and voting on the referendum enabling law will face the High Court of Justice of Catalonia…
(2019-02-07). Afghanistan: Prosecute Abuse of Women Football Players. hrw.org 
| | Afghanistan women's football. | © Courtesy of Afghanistan women's national football team | (New York) — Afghan authorities should fully investigate and appropriately prosecute the sexual assault claims by 20 members of Afghanistan's national women's football team, Human Rights Watch said today. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's world governing body, should assist and monitor Afghan government prosecutions and promot…
(2019-02-07). Syrian Rights Activist Honored. hrw.org 
(New York, February 7, 2019) — A courageous advocate for the rights of refugees and people with disabilities is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism, Human Rights Watch announced today. | | | © Chris Floyd | The winner, Nujeen Mustafa, is a leading voice for justice in her country, Syria. Mustafa was born with cerebral palsy, unable to walk without assistance. She never attended school and taug…
(2019-02-06). US Media Ignore—and Applaud—Economic War on Venezuela. fair.org 
The US media chorus supporting a US overthrow of the Venezuelan government has for years pointed to the country's economic crisis as a justification for regime change, while whitewashing the ways in which the US has strangled the Venezuelan economy (FAIR.org, 3/22/18). A UN rapporteur declares that "sanctions kill" (Independent, 1/26/19)—but few in Western media are listening to his message. | Sister Eugenia…
(2019-02-06). Headlines for February 6, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Attacks Immigrants, Abortion Rights, Democratic Investigations in SOTU, Stacey Abrams Slams Gov't Shutdown, Voter Suppression in SOTU Response, School Apologizes for Racist Yearbook Photos as VA Gov. Northam Resists Resignation, Pope Francis Acknowledges Priests Sexually Abused Nuns, Ex-President of Costa Rica Accused of Sexual Assault, At Least 29 Haitian Migrants Killed in Shipwreck, Taliban Attacks Kill 50 in Afghanistan, CNN: Saudis Gave U.S. Weapons to al-Qaeda, Other Militants in Yemen, CENTCOM Head Was Not Notified of U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Syria, Anti-BDS Lawsuit Against Salaita & American Studi…
(2019-02-06). "Liar-in-Chief": Rep. Ilhan Omar Slams Trump's SOTU Remarks on Border, Venezuela, Israel & More. democracynow.org 
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Trump called for bipartisan unity while he attacked Democrats and the Robert Mueller investigation, denounced efforts to expand abortion rights in Virginia and New York, attacked immigrants and reiterated his demand for a border wall—with no mention of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which delayed his address by a week. Women in Congress wore all white to the speech in a nod to the movement for women's suffrage. After the address, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams made history, becoming the first African-Americ…
(2019-02-06). Poland: Women's Rights Activists Targeted. hrw.org 
…
(2019-02-06). Russia: Jehovah's Witness Convicted. hrw.org 
| | Dennis Christensen (behind the windows) talks with his interpreter at the Zheleznodorzhy District Court in Oryol, January 28, 2019 | © 2019 Human Rights Watch | (Moscow) — A Russian court on February 6, 2019 convicted Dennis Christensen, a Jehovah's Witness adherent and Danish citizen, on extremism charges for practicing his faith, Human Rights Watch said today. The court sentenced Christensen to six years in prison. The conviction is a blatant viol…
(2019-02-06). The Power Is Back on at Brooklyn Jail, but a Visiting Federal Judge Found Untreated Gunshot Wound, "Black Blotchy Mold," and Ongoing Crisis. theintercept.com 
A spate of court hearings relating to a federal jail revealed a humanitarian crisis that goes beyond freezing temperatures and a power outage.
(2019-02-06). Brazil: Bill Could Shield Abusive Police. hrw.org 
| | A military police armored vehicle passes by a person killed by police on April 7, 2016 in the Jacarezinho favela. Military police killed tow other people during the same raid. | © 2016 Carlos Cout | (Sà£o Paulo) — A bill unveiled by Jair Bolsonaro ¥s government in Brazil on February 4 could be used to let police officers who kill people in unjustifiable circumstances evade punishment, Human Rights Watch said today. | "The new bill could spur an incr…
(2019-02-06). Accommodating Asylum-Seekers and Migrants with Disabilities. hrw.org 
"If I stayed in Honduras, I was going to die," said José Medrano (not his real name), a 31-year-old man with a physical disability and a wheelchair user I met last week in a shelter for asylum seekers and migrants in Mexico City. He complained of his home country's lack of rehabilitation services and substandard medical treatment. | | | José Medrano (not his real name) a Honduran man with a disability on his way to the US border. | © 2019 Libertad Hernández | José is among hundreds of Central Americans heading to the Unit…
(2019-02-06). Trump's State of Union Stokes Fear With Nationalist Rhetoric. therealnews.com 
The President's State of the Union speech demanded an end to investigations, while demonizing immigrants and Venezuela, and attacking abortion rights. Our panelists Jacqueline Luqman, Eugene Puryear, and Helena Olea discuss the speech