(2019-02-13). Why we must support 14 women determined to fight hate in Poland. amnesty.org …
(2019-02-12). Back to the future: British Labour Party platform. peoplesworld.org 
Going back to a law Sir Winston Churchill established and championed in 1909, the British Labour Party's think tank has drafted a strongly pro-union pro-worker platform it plans to run on in next United Kingdom election and enact if it gains power. The Institute for Employment Rights' Manifesto For Labour Law envisions re-established and strong …
(2019-02-12). Wright State Faculty Ends One of the Longest Strikes at a Public University in U.S. History. democracynow.org 
In Dayton, Ohio, faculty members at Wright State University have just concluded one of the longest public university strikes in U.S. history. On Sunday, the university's administration reached a tentative contract agreement with the faculty union's executive committee, which union members will vote to ratify in coming days. The strike began late last month, when the university imposed a contract on faculty members that worsened working conditions and decreased benefits. When the administration refused to negotiate, 85 percent of Wright State University's union members voted to authorize a strike. We speak with Ru…
(2019-02-12). Democrats Echo Israel's Far-Right. zcomm.org While right-wing Israelis prefer to say that the land where they rule a Palestinian population that is denied basic civil rights is contested, the occupation is a fact under international law…
(2019-02-12). Football, Refugee Rights and Hakeem al-Araibi. globalresearch.ca "Al-Araibi's case has become a crucial test of world football's commitment to human rights." So observed the director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights at Monash University, Sarah Joseph, in a piece last month. "Is this commitment real, …
(2019-02-12). Shutdown Deal Corners Trump — But He Could Still Wreak Havoc. truthout.org Another week, another adult dose of whiplash chaos. Is that even a thing? It is now. | Sunrise on Tuesday morning brought news that the "shutdown committee" had cobbled together a bipartisan agreement "in principle" to avoid yet another government closure. According to reports, the deal will include $1.375 billion for 55 miles of border fencing and caps the overall number of detention beds Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be allowed to maintain. Democrats dropped their…
(2019-02-12). Australian government claims credit for release of detained Bahraini footballer, but refuses to assist Julian Assange. wsws.org Politicians who have abrogated the right to seek asylum and joined the persecution of Julian Assange have postured as champions of persecuted refugees.
(2019-02-12). US Congresswomen Openly Endorse BDS Movement. theantimedia.com (MEMO) — The first two Middle East Congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, have openly endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Michigan congresswoman Tlaib said on Saturday that she wanted to highlight "issues such as racism and Israel's violations of the Palestinians' human rights". Meanwhile Omar, the congresswoman for Minnesota, said she is working …
(2019-02-12). Where do Apparel Companies Stand on Women Workers? hrw.org 
| | A worker inside a garment factory in Tamil Nadu, India. India passed a law governing sexual harassment at the workplace in 2013. The Indian government can play a leadership role in advocating for a binding ILO Convention on violence and harassment at work, while simultaneously revamping efforts to implement the law in country. | © 2013 Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg via Getty | Will the fashion industry throw its weight behind the global #MeToo movement? The next few months will tell us how committed apparel companies are…
(2019-02-12). Steve McDowell, campaigner for Australian paramedic rights, speaks with WSWS. wsws.org When paramedic Steve McDowell launched his support page No More Neglect, he was inundated with thousands of members.
(2019-02-12). 'We Will Be That Lantern on the Shore': Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley Rally With TPS Holders Outside Trump White House. commondreams.org Immigrant rights advocates and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from Nepal and Honduras—joined by Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.)—rallied outside the White House on Tuesday morning to protest the Trump administration's moves to revoke protected status from people residing in the United States due to dangerous conditions in their home countries. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-02-12). Tunisia: Scant Help to Bring Home ISIS Members' Children. hrw.org 
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(2019-02-12). Egypt: A Move to Enhance Authoritarian Rule. hrw.org 
| | Egyptian policemen standing guard outside a polling station with an electoral banner depicting incumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seen with a caption reading in Arabic 'for the sake of Egypt we will continue the story of a nation', in the capital Cairo's central neighborhood of Zamalek, March 26, 2018. | © 2018 Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images | (Beirut) — Proposed amendments to Egypt's constitution, including granting the armed…
(2019-02-12). Seven Children Among 16 Killed by US-Led Airstrikes in Syria. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, US airstrikes killed at least 16 civilians, including seven children, eight women, and an elderly man, in far eastern Syria. The civilians were fleeing an ISIS-held village that US-backed forces are attacking. This is the latest in a growing number of civilian deaths in US strikes, coming amid …
(2019-02-12). (Another) Mockery of Justice in Russia. hrw.org 
Oyub Titiev, a Chechen human rights activist, has been behind bars for more than 13 months on bogus drug charges and his trial is now drawing to a close. Today, the defense filed its last motion, and the judge declined it — just as she has declined all other defense motions. | | | Oyub Titiev at the Shali court in Chechnya, February 12, 2019. | © 2019 Tanya Lokshina/Human Rights Watch | When Oyub's trial began last summer, we had little, if any, expectations for a fair hearing. A man jailed by Chechen authorities in…
(2019-02-12). Nearly 15,000 Counter Trump Event With El Paso Rally to Reject 'Hatred and Bigotry'. commondreams.org "We're standing together to show them the truth about our border community. A border wall is not needed, there is no immigration crisis, and asylum seekers have rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-02-12). Diez horas con la globalización-El individuo Nación. indybay.org Diez horas con la globalizacion-El Individuo Nación | Oscar Sánchez Fernández de la Vega | Creer que nuestra identidad nos la puede proporcionar un territorio, un idioma, nuestras tradiciones y mucho menos una bandera, un himno o una patria es simplificar lo complejo. Con seguridad nuestra "individualidad" está potencialmente en nosotros mismos y todos los derechos deberían de orientarse a que se desarrollase total y libremente. | Hay que defender la identidad, puesto que la diferencia es un elemento constitutivo de cada ser humano y también de las identidades colectivas en que este se agrupa.
(2019-02-12). Remembering Alison Des Forges, 10 Years Later. hrw.org 
| | Alison Des Forges | Ten years ago today, our beloved colleague Alison Des Forges died in the crash of Flight 3407 traveling from Newark to her home in Buffalo. Alison had recently been in Uganda to meet with her research team that, to my great fortune, included me. A colleague and I had just finished documenting a series of massacres by the Lord's Resistance Army, headed by Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony. While in Kampal…
(2019-02-12). March & Rally: Hands Off Venezuela! NO coup – NO war – NO sanctions! indybay.org UN Plaza, 7th and Market Sts.
(2019-02-11). Anti-War protesters say 'No' to Klobuchar presidential bid. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – A contingent of demonstrators braved the cold and dense snowfall, February 10, establishing an anti-war presence at Boom Island Park, where Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar announced her 2020 presidential bid. | Klobuchar has a long history of voting with Republicans on the issues of foreign intervention and militarism, to include voting "Yea" on bills that imposed economic sanctions on Syria and Iran, added $61 billion to the defense budget, extended the expiration date of the PATRIOT Act, and authorized President Trump to transfer precision guided munitions to the Israeli apartheid regime. She…
(2019-02-11). Glenn Greenwald Defends Rep. Ilhan Omar: Criticizing Israeli Lobby & AIPAC Is Not Anti-Semitic. democracynow.org 
Democratic Congressmember Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is facing criticism today after commenting on a tweet by Glenn Greenwald. On Sunday, Greenwald tweeted, "GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy threatens punishment for @IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib over their criticisms of Israel. It's stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans." Rep. Omar retweeted his post and added the line: "It's all about the Benjamins baby." She later named AIPAC as the organization paying American politicians to be pro-Israel.
(2019-02-11). Fact-Checking Common Myths on Transition-Related Care for Trans People. aclu.org Transition-related care is medically necessary for many transgender people, yet insurance companies continue to deny coverage for these treatments. | Dashir Moore, a transgender man from Georgia, wanted a fresh start in life. So at the age of 31, he packed up and moved to Colorado, a state that offered both a great lifestyle and trans healthcare. He hoped he could finally be himself. | Things went well at first. Almost immediately after Dashir arrived in Colorado, he was able to update the gender marker on his driver's license. He got a job as a customer service rep. | Then he scheduled chest surgery. No strang…
(2019-02-11). Thailand: Bahraini Footballer Goes Home to Australia. hrw.org 
| (New York) — Thailand has freed a Bahraini refugee football player threatened with extradition since November 2018 following global pressure from athletes, sports federations, and rights groups, Human Rights Watch said today. | On February 11, 2019, Thai prosecutors dropped their extradition case against Hakeem Al-Araibi, sought by…
(2019-02-11). Lebanon: No Justification for LGBT Crackdown. hrw.org 
| | Activists take part in a protest outside the Hbeish police station in Beirut on May 15, 2016, demanding the release of four transgender women and calling for the abolishment of article 534 of the Lebanese Penal code, which prohibits having sexual relations that 'contradict the laws of nature'. | © 2016 ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images | (Beirut) — Lebanese security forces have repeatedly interfered with human rights events related to gender a…
(2019-02-11). Gutting Payday Loan Rules Will Harm Vulnerable Families. hrw.org 
| | Gutting payday loan rules will harm vulnerable families | © Seth Anderson/Flickr | Proposed plans to get rid of rules designed to protect largely low-income consumers from abusive high-interest loans risk the well-being of some of America's most vulnerable households. | The United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently announced the proposal to rescind rules that would have meant payday and auto-title lenders had to make sure that customers could repay loans under the terms of the contract. Loans not…
(2019-02-11). ICE Detainees on Hunger Strike Being Force-Fed Like Those at Guantánamo. consortiumnews.com Organizations ranging from the ACLU to Human Rights Watch condemn the practice as "inherently cruel, inhuman, and degrading," writes A. Naomi Paik. Protesters depicting detainees of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) By A. Naomi… Read more →
(2019-02-10). Want to 'destroy' your ex? Sanctuary will name fish after former lover & feed it to a bear. rt.com 
An Oregon bear sanctuary has come up with the perfect anti-Valentine's Day 'celebration'. It will name a salmon after your former partner and let one of its 1,000-pound bears "tear into your ex."
(2019-02-10). Pox Americana: Vijay Prashad on Venezuela, India, Mexico, Congo, and U.S. Hegemony. theintercept.com There is a brazen, bipartisan push by the U.S. government for regime change in Venezuela with the Trump administration officially declaring opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the "legitimate" president. The economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela by the U.S. are aimed at starving the population into submission with notorious neoconservatives John Bolton and Elliott Abrams coordinating the campaign to overthrow the government of Nicolás Maduro. What we are witnessing right now in Latin America is a modern iteration of the same dirty tactics that the U.S. has historically used against the nations south of the U.S. bo…
(2019-02-10). Australia Court Rules it is the 'Wrong Time' for Coal. hrw.org 
| | A coal mine near Gunnedah, Australia, September 11, 2012. | © AP Photo/Rob Griffith | An Australia court has rejected an appeal to grant permission to develop a new coal mine because it will contribute to global warming, the latest in a series of court rulings grounded in concerns over climate change. | It is the "wrong time" for coal, the Environmental and Land Court of New South Wales concluded, "because the GHG [Greenhouse Gas] emissi…
(2019-02-10). Sudan: Video Footage Shows Extreme Violence, Abuse. hrw.org 
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(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). 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). 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…
(2019-02-08). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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.