(2019-02-14). No EU cost for Israeli 'apartheid' in West Bank. bdsmovement.net 
No EU cost for Israeli 'apartheid' in West Bank: In the NewsBy Andrew Rettman Sanctions and governmentsFebruary 14, 2019 | By: | | euobserver
(2019-02-14). Hands Off Venezuela: US, Canada Go Home! globalresearch.ca What is happening to Venezuela is a coup d'état and it has nothing to do with democracy, human rights, free and fair elections or international law. The US and Canada represent the antithesis of those values; defying the United Nations …
(2019-02-14). Pompeo, Bolton, and Iran's "Fake Opposition" globalresearch.ca As Iranian people struggle for democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as preserving the national security and territorial integrity of their country, two main groups have emerged among the opposition to Iran's hardliners, …
(2019-02-14). Rep. Ilhan Omar Grills Elliott Abrams on Support for Central American Genocide. therealnews.com 
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) of Minnesota presented Elliott Abrams with uncomfortable facts about his past illegal activities and asked him whether he would pursue similar human rights violating policies against Venezuela as he did against Latin America in the 1980's
(2019-02-14). Mexican President López Obrador cracks down on Central American migrants. wsws.org Central American immigrants detained in Piedras Negras, Coahuila on the Texas border are rebelling against detention at the hands of López Obrador.
(2019-02-14). Australian government loses vote on refugee medical evacuation legislation. wsws.org The bill entrenches the power of the minister to prevent detained refugees from travelling to Australia and receiving desperately needed medical care.
(2019-02-14). Egypt: Set Independent Torture Inquiry. hrw.org 
| | Egyptian policemen secure Egypt's national police academy. | © 2015 AP Photo/Amr Nabil | (Beirut) — The Egyptian authorities' failure to end or impartially investigate torture and mistreatment in detention facilities reinforces an urgent need for an independent international inquiry, Human Rights Watch said today. As a party to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, Egypt should also allow the United Nations special rapporteur on torture an…
(2019-02-14). Is the refugee rights movement at a turning point? greenleft.org.au 
Children are off Nauru, Hakeem is back in Australia and parliament has passed the medical evacuation bill. For what feels like the first time in forever, the refugee rights movement is making gains. | True, these gains are small and limited — but they are gains, nonetheless. | The passing of the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018, better known as the medivac bill, was met with celebrations on Manus Island and Nauru as well as within the refugee rights movement. | People have died because of the federal government's refusal to evacuate refugees from offshore detention centr…
(2019-02-14). The world has not forgotten the women detained and tortured in Saudi Arabia. amnesty.org We all have that one person we immediately connect with. Someone who you know will always be part of your life. The person you can easily talk to, even though it has been months if not years since you last saw one another. For me, Eman Al Nafjan is such a person. Someone I am proud of, who inspires and makes me laugh. | We met in 2010 while I was living in Saudi Arabia. Eman introduced me to Saudi culture and cuisine, and taught me useful Arabic phrases. She took me around the magical souks in Riyadh. |
(2019-02-14). UAE arms fair showcases Belgian weapon in use by Yemeni militias. amnesty.org A type of Belgian machine gun known to be wielded by a Yemeni militia in the Hodeidah offensive is among the weaponry set to be showcased this weekend at one of the Middle East's largest arms fairs in Abu Dhabi, Amnesty International said today. | According to promotional materials for the UAE's IDEX2019 arms fair, the Minimi will be among the thousands of types of weapons available for sale. Manufactured in Belgium's Wallonia region by FN Herstal, it is among an array of arms transferred by the Belgian Walloon authorities to the Saudi Arabia/UAE-led coalition in recent years for use in the armed conflict in Yeme…
(2019-02-14). Sri Lanka: SEP and Abbotsleigh workers' committee organise picket to oppose witch hunt in plantations. wsws.org The fight against the witch hunt in the plantations is bound up with the defence of the democratic rights of the working class from the onslaught of the capitalist class.
(2019-02-14). Global Sports Groups New Human Rights Ally in Bahrain? hrw.org 
| | Hakeem al-Araibi | © 2019 | Today marks the eighth anniversary of the mass protests in Bahrain during the 2011 Arab Uprisings, when thousands demonstrated against the ruling al-Khalifa family's tight grip on power. The government's ensuing crackdown left about 30 people dead and hundreds injured. | For the last eight years, the Bahraini authorities…
(2019-02-14). Australian students endorse rallies to free Julian Assange. wsws.org "I'm going, because I believe Assange should be set free and he should be defended. All people should go to the rallies if they believe in democratic rights."
(2019-02-14). An Emirati Woman's Ordeal to Seek Protection from Abuse. hrw.org 
| | © Hind Albolooki/Twitter | Hind Albolooki fled the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after receiving threats from family members for wanting to divorce an abusive husband. | "I am a mother of four children," she said. "No mother would leave her children just like this. But I had to leave my kids. I had no other choice." Her decision to flee says much about the lack of protection available to women in the UAE. | Hind sought asylum in North Macedoni…
(2019-02-13). In Prison, the Power's On, But There's No Accountability. counterpunch.org The power is back on at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and the street outside is relatively silent, but it shouldn't take a week without heat during a polar vortex and hour after hour of hands hammering on windows, to sound an alarm about conditions in federal lock up. The Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn More
(2019-02-13). Betsy DeVos Is Pushing a Terrible Double Standard on College Campuses. aclu.org The education secretary's proposed rules on treatment of sexual harassment and assault claims in school settings discriminate on the basis of sex. | This piece originally ran at The Washington Post. | In her proposed rules governing the treatment of sexual harassment and assault claims on college campuses and K-12 schools, Edu…
(2019-02-13). New Hampshire Law Illegally Targets Young Voters Ahead of 2020 Primary. aclu.org The state wants students to face criminal penalties if they don't pay to change their out-of-state licenses after voting. | The New Hampshire 2020 primary is still almost a year away, but state legislators are already working to disenfranchise voters. HB 1264, a law set to go into effect in July 2019, will change the definition of what it means to be a "resident" of New Hampshire, forcing people with out-of-state driver's licenses or car registrations to switch to the state versions if they register to vote. | While it may sound like an archaic DMV issue, it's actually a burden on the right to vote. In New Hamps…
(2019-02-13). Ilhan Omar Makes Convicted War Criminal Elliott Abrams Squirm. truthdig.com As forensic experts in El Salvador continue the 26-year effort to exhume the bodies of the victims of the December 1981 El Mozote massacre, Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar grilled the Trump administration's Venezuela envoy, Elliott Abrams, on his role in human rights violations. | "I fail to understand why members of this committee or the American people should find any testimony that you give today to be truthful," Omar said during a House foreign affairs hearing on Venezuela on Wednesday. She was referencing the Iran-Contra scandal,…
(2019-02-13). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to Deliver Closing Arguments in SFFA v. Harvard. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-02-13). 70 More Bodies Found, 2 Clandestine Graves Uncovered in Mexico. telesurenglish.net Mexican authorities say they have found 49 clandestine graves with 69 bodies inside on a rural property in Colima state. | RELATED: | 2 Migrant Caravans Detained at US-Mexico Border After Crossing | The State Prosecutor's Office says they are working to have all 69 cadavers identified through DNA and forensic examinations. The office also stated that around 70 federal employees have been put on the job to investigate the discovery located in a community just outside of Tecoman…
(2019-02-13). Immigrant Rights Groups Trash Border Deal: "Immigrant Families Will Pay the Price" theintercept.com Immigrant rights groups are reacting angrily to the border deal to keep the government open, which President Donald Trump has said that he will sign into law, averting a shutdown. The bill, which has not yet officially been drafted, gives Trump more than $1 billion in funding for new barriers on the southern border, and funds a potential increase in immigrant detention capacity. | The barriers that the bill would fund are a rhetorical downgrade from Trump's signature policy of erecting a border wall, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has repeatedly rejected to fund. Funding for immigration detention, wh…
(2019-02-13). EU Adds Saudi Arabia to Dirty-money Blacklist, Upsets UK. telesurenglish.net The European Commission added Saudi Arabia, Panama, Nigeria and other jurisdictions to a blacklist of nations seen as posing a threat because of lax controls on terrorism financing and money laundering, the EU executive said on Wednesday. | RELATED: | Trump Skips Deadline For Report on Khashoggi Murder, Will Not Impose Sanctions on Saudis | The move is part of a crackdown on money laundering after several scandals at EU banks but has been criticized by…
(2019-02-13). China: Prisoner of conscience ill-treated in prison: Lee Ming-che. amnesty.org Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che has been given rotten food and insufficient clothing in his freezing prison cell. As a result of exposing these prison conditions, his wife is not allowed to visit him again until 22 April 2019. Sentenced in 2017 to five years' imprisonment for "subverting state power", Lee Ming-che is a prisoner of conscience and should be immediately and unconditionally released.
(2019-02-13). Nigeria: Authorities must uphold human rights during and after elections. amnesty.org The Nigerian authorities must protect people from violence and ensure full respect for freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association before, during and after the country's upcoming general election, Amnesty International said ahead of the votes scheduled for 16 February and 2 March 2019. | There have been several instances of violence at election campaign rallies in some states in recent months, including the deaths of four people in Kano state in clashes between rival political supporters in December 2018. | "The election-related violence in states such as Kano, Kwara, Kogi, Rivers, Taraba and Bayelsa…
(2019-02-13). Mexico: Indigenous rights defenders disappeared: Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and Hilario Cornelio Castro. amnesty.org On 12 February, Mexican Indigenous human rights defenders, Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and Hilario Cornelio Castro disappeared while traveling through Guerrero state, southwest Mexico. They were both members of the Organization of Indigenous Mepha'a People (OPIM, Organización del Pueblo Indígena Mepha'a). Since 2009, due to their human rights work, Obtilia Eugenio and other OPIM members have received several attacks and threats, including death threats. Obtilia Eugenio was recently elected member of the Indigenous Municipal Council of the Ayutla de los Libres town (Guerrero state). Their fate or whereabouts are unknow…
(2019-02-13). Thailand: Lift Ban on Outspoken TV Station. hrw.org 
| | Thai authorities suspend broadcasting of the outspoken Voice TV for criticizing the ruling military junta. | © 2019 Voice TV | (New York) — Thailand's media commission should immediately reverse its decision to suspend broadcasting by Voice TV, Human Rights Watch said today. Taking a television station off the air, even temporarily, is unjustified censorship that will raise doubts about the fairness of the media environment ahead of nationa…
(2019-02-13). US senators re-introduce Russian sanctions 'bill from hell'. rt.com 
A group of senators have introduced a bill suggesting a wide range of sanctions against Russia.
(2019-02-13). Chine: Un prisonnier d'opinion soumis à des mauvais traitements en prison. amnesty.org Les autorités pénitentiaires ont servi de la nourriture avariée au militant taiwanais Lee Ming-che, et ne lui ont pas fourni suffisamment de vêtements, alors qu'il fait très froid dans sa cellule. Son épouse, qui avait révélé ses conditions de détention au grand public, s'est vu interdire de lui rendre visite jusqu'au 22 avril 2019. Lee Ming-che, condamné en 2017 à cinq ans d'emprisonnement pour ´ subversion de l'État ª, est un prisonnier d'opinion. En tant que tel, il doit être libéré immédiatement et sans condition.
(2019-02-13). Incarcerated Immigrants Are Being Tortured. truthout.org In El Paso, Texas, not far from where President Trump delivered a speech riddled with falsehoods and jingoism at a pro-wall rally on Tuesday, at least nine Sikh men reportedly fleeing persecution in India have been on hunger strike in an immigration jail known for weeks. | The asylum seekers are protesting their detention and the conditions of the jail, and Immigration and Customs Enfo…
(2019-02-13). Egypt steps up executions as six people put to death within two weeks. amnesty.org Egyptian authorities today hanged three prisoners convicted of killing a police officer during clashes that erupted in the weeks following the deadly Rabaa massacre. The executions brought the total number of executions in Egypt to six within a span of two weeks. | Responding to the news, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director Najia Bounaim said: | "These executions, which come just days after three other people were put to death in separate cases, mark an alarming escalation in executions so far this year. | "The death pe…
(2019-02-13). Why we must support 14 women determined to fight hate in Poland. amnesty.org …
(2019-02-13). Poland: Office of Human Rights Commissioner must be able to operate without undue interference. amnesty.org This statement is in response to reports that TVP, state television in Poland, has demanded that Adam Bodnar, Human Rights Commissioner, publicly apologize and pay a specified amount of money to a charity for comments he made in a television interview in January 2019.
(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). Take Action Now: Help Pass Crucial Voting Rights Reforms. thenation.com Take Action Now: Help Pass Crucial Voting Rights Reforms…
(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). 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). 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). 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…
(2019-02-11). 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). 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 →
(2019-02-11). 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). 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…
(2019-02-10). 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). 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…
(2019-02-08). 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.