(2019-02-15). Google, Apple Under Fire to Block Saudi 'Woman Tracker' App. telesurenglish.net Apple and Google are facing major backlash, from human rights activists and lawmakers, after being accused of supporting patriarchy with a Saudi Arabian "woman tracker app" which is used to monitor and manage the whereabouts of women in the Arab nation. | RELATED: | Another MBS PR Stunt? Saudi Arabia To 'Review' Male Guardianship System | "I haven't heard about it," Apple CEO Tim Cook told NPR, adding that he would investigate the situation. "But obviously we'll take a lo…
(2019-02-15). Public Citizen: Trump's National Emergency Declaration Paves Way for Sweeping Authoritarianism. democracynow.org 
With one day left to pass a government spending bill before today's midnight deadline to avert another government shutdown, both the House and Senate passed the measure Thursday that came out of the bipartisan conference committee earlier this week. The bill includes nearly $1.4 billion to build 55 miles of new border barriers out of steel, far less than the $5.7 billion requested by President Trump. Democrats quickly condemned the news, and consumer rights nonprofit Public Citizen vowed legal action against him. We speak with Public Citizen President Robert Weissman.
(2019-02-15). Venezuela's Foreign Minister: "The US is in Front of the Coup Attempt, not Behind it" therealnews.com 
Interview — in Spanish with English subtitles — with Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, who speaks about the likelihood of war with the US, the impact of the sanctions, and the way out of the conflict between Venezuela and the US and its allies in the opposition and in the region
(2019-02-15). Black Civil Rights Advocate Takes Control of Neo-Nazi Hate Group the National Socialist Movement. splcenter.org The antisemitic and neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Movement (NSM) is now under the control of a black civil rights advocate from California who once dissolved a notorious Ku Klux Klan chapter in Mississippi.
(2019-02-15). The FBI Is Dismantling Its War Crimes Unit. truthdig.com The FBI is dismantling a special unit that investigates international war crimes and hunts down war criminals — including suspected torturers and perpetrators of genocide, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting has learned. | The unit, which was created a decade ago and has its roots in federal efforts to hunt Nazis living in the United States after World War II, has had a hand in many high-profile prosecutions. | Most recently, its investigators helped take down the Liberian warlord Thomas Woewiju, whom a…
(2019-02-15). What Happened at the Brooklyn Jail Is Part of a Deeper Human Rights Crisis. truthout.org Recent headlines over the plight of people imprisoned in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn begs for a deeper look into the conditions of confinement in the U.S. prisons, jails, and juvenile and immigrant detention facilities. Although the electricity and heat are back on at the Brooklyn federal facility, the continuing and staggering neglect that led to this humanitarian crises continues — and will continue. Not only did the federal officials lie about conditions at the facility, they refuse to acknowledge the situation as part of a deeper human rights crisis. | For the staff and volunt…
(2019-02-15). National Civil Rights Group Responds to Supreme Court's Decision to Hear Census Case. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-02-15). No Trump Wall! No State of Emergency! fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the Legalization for All Network and other immigrant rights groups. We urge all progressive organizations to sign on and endorse it. You can do so here: www.facebook.com/notes/legalization-for-… | On the campaign trail, candidate Trump said that Mexico would pay for his wall. President Trump could not get funding for his wall on the U.S./Mexico border even when his Republican Party controlled the House, the Senate and the White House. Then he shut down parts of the Federal Government for…
(2019-02-15). Border Wall "Emergency" Fake, Center for Constitutional Rights Says. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-02-15). Immigrants Are Fighting for Their Rights Even Behind Bars. thenation.com Immigrants Are Fighting for Their Rights Even Behind Bars…
(2019-02-15). Brazil: 420 Violent Deaths Against LGBTQ in 2018. telesurenglish.net At least 420 people of LGBT community in Brazil died by homicide or suicide in 2018, fueled by homophobia and hate crimes, the Gay Group of Bahia (GGB) said in a report released Friday. | RELATED: | Bolsonaro To Erase Paulo Freire And Feminism From Textbooks | GGB, one of the oldest functioning associations defending human rights and the right to free sexual orientation and gender identity in the country, released the report "Violent deaths of the LGBT population in Brazil," which…
(2019-02-15). Israel Detained 500 Palestinians, Including 89 Children in 2019. telesurenglish.net This January alone, Israel detained 509 Palestinians, including 89 children and eight women, from occupied Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian prisoners rights groups. | RELATED: | Palestinian Photojournalists Win Prestigious Photo Awards | Israeli authorities detained 102 Palestinians from East Jerusalem, 88 from Ramallah, 80 from Hebron, 55 from Jenin, 62 from Bethlehem, 30 from Nablus, 30 from Tulkarm, 25 from Qalqilya, 8 from Toubas, 6 from Salf…
(2019-02-15). Suspension of Voice TV Highlights Why Thailand must Lift Over-broad Powers to Curtail Press Freedom. amnesty.org Amnesty International calls on Thailand's military authorities, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), to guarantee media freedom in the country, including by taking the long overdue step of amending or repealing vaguely worded and overly restrictive decrees promulgated in the name of protecting security following the 2015 military coup. | Amnesty International remains concerned that the Thai authorities have, since taking power in a military coup in 2014, consistently targeted individuals and broadcasters expressing political opposition or views deemed critical of authorities with sanctions and crimina…
(2019-02-15). Indian students demand right to education, jobs. greenleft.org.au 
Up to twenty thousand Indian students and their supporters from around the country took to the streets of Delhi on February 7, for the Young India Adhikar [Rights] March. The protest was organised by representatives of 60 different student organisations from campuses across the country, to protest the Modi government's attacks on students and to demand the right to education and employment. | Green Left Weekly spoke to one of the march organisers, Kawalpreet Kaur. Kaur is a student at Delhi University and a representative of the All India Students Association (AISA), one of the organisations initiating the protes…
(2019-02-15). Sri Lankan president denounces opponents of the death penalty. wsws.org Sirisena not only wants reinstatement of executions but the endorsement of all human rights organisations.
(2019-02-15). Mozambique: Jornalista detido impedido de receber visitas da família: Amade Abubacar. amnesty.org O jornalista Amade Abubacar foi transferido da prisà£o distrital de Macomia para a prisà£o de Mieze, no distrito de Pemba, capital da província de Cabo Delgado, em 24 de Janeiro. Desde entà£o, as autoridades prisionais têm-lhe negado a visita de familiares. Foi-lhe permitida uma visita supervisionada de membros de uma Comissà£o da Ordem dos Advogados de Moàßambique e do seu advogado em 25 de Janeiro, no decurso da qual Amade alegou que tinha sido vítima de maus-tratos enquanto esteve em detenàßà£o militar.
(2019-02-15). Tunisia: Citizens Testing Right-to-Information Law. hrw.org 
| | The standard form for filing a request for information under Tunisia's 2016 "Right to Access Information Law" (Law No. 2016-22). | (Tunis) — Tunisia's first freedom of information law, approaching its third anniversary, significantly advances the rights of citizens to get information from publicly funded institutions, Human Rights Watch said today. The law's real impact, however, depends on the actual authority of a body created to compel responses fro…
(2019-02-15). Refugee rights activists march on PM's office. greenleft.org.au 
Refugee rights activists protested outside Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Cronulla office on February 9. | They called on parliament to pass the medical evacuation bill and demanded that all refugees be immediately brought to Australia for resettlement. | Speakers celebrated the fact that the movement had forced the government to bring all the children off Nauru. | [More photos on GLW's Facebook page.] | refugee rights …
(2019-02-15). Further Information: Egypt: Pre-Trial Detention For Human Rights Defender: Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub. amnesty.org On 9 February, a judge ordered the pre-trial detention of human rights defender and lawyer Ezzat Ghoniem for 45 days pending investigation. Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub were detained on March 1, 2018. The court ordered their release on probation on 4 September 2018, provided they report to a police station twice a week. They were never released, and on September 14 they were forcibly disappeared by the authorities. On 20 October 2018, an arrest warrant was issued against them for not respecting the probational terms — which they could not apply as being forcibly disappeared. Ezzat Ghoniem remained forcib…
(2019-02-15). Russia: New Wave of Anti-LGBT Persecution. hrw.org 
| | Igor Kochetkov speaking at the European Parliament about persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya. | © 2018 Tanya Lokshina for Human Rights Watch | Russian authorities should investigate allegations of a new wave of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persecution in Chechnya and take steps to protect rights defenders and journalists who expose abuses there, Human Rights Watch said today. | On J…
(2019-02-15). Guinea Ecuatorial: Activistas y defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos pagan un alto precio por alzar su voz. amnesty.org Este documento se ha preparado para el examen periódico universal (EPU) al que se someterá Guinea Ecuatorial en mayo de 2019. Amnistía Internacional evalúa en él la implementación de las recomendaciones formuladas a Guinea Ecuatorial en su anterior EPU, en particular las relativas a la situación de los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos.
(2019-02-15). Egypt: End the cruel denial of family visits to detainees. amnesty.org Egyptian authorities are flagrantly violating international law by denying family visits to scores of detainees, Amnesty International said today. The organization has examined an official document which confirms there is an open-ended ban on family visits in a number of sections at two major prison complexes in Cairo and Alexandria. | Amnesty International has also recorded at least 61 cases of people who were prevented from receiving family visits for protracted periods — in some cases for up to two years – at Tora prison in Cairo and Borg al-Arab in Alexandria. The total number of detainees barred from r…
(2019-02-15). Qatar: Promises yet to be fulfilled: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SUBMISSION FOR THE UN UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW, 33RD SESSION OF THE UPR WORKING GROUP, MAY 2019. amnesty.org This submission was prepared for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Qatar in May 2019. In it, Amnesty International evaluates the implementation of recommendations made to Qatar in its previous UPR, including in relation to freedom of expression, migrant workers' rights, international human rights framework. Regrettably, some of the accepted recommendations remain non-implemented, particularly those related to freedom of expression and migrants' rights. | Amnesty International welcomes Qatar's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Ec…
(2019-02-15). Human rights advocate Professor Stuart Rees supports rallies for the freedom of Julian Assange. wsws.org "Julian Assange follows in the footsteps of a long tradition of journalists and whistleblowers who have made significant contributions to civil societies."
(2019-02-15). Equatorial Guinea: Rights Lawyer Faces Bogus Charges. hrw.org 
| | William Bourdon | (Paris)— Equatorial Guinea named a French anti-corruption lawyer in an arrest warrant against 16 people, in apparent retaliation for his involvement in a money laundering trial against the president's eldest son, ten human rights and anti-corruption groups said today. The warrant accuses the 16 targets of laundering money and helping to finance "terrorism and the proliferation of arms trafficking in Central Africa." | Named in the warrant…
(2019-02-15). LGBTI groups call for Eurovision boycott. greenleft.org.au 
Campaigners for gay, lesbian and transgender rights have urged a boycott of this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv in May. | More than 60 LGBTI groups from around the world have joined a new call to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians. In a statement, the groups accuse Israel of "shamelessly using the Eurovision competition" to distract from war crimes. | The organisation a…
(2019-02-15). The BBC is Failing Women on Abortion. hrw.org 
| | A promo shot from Season 7 of Call the Midwife | © PBS | People heading to BBC Action Line for information about accessing safe abortion following the death of a character in Call the Midwife — a television drama set in the 1950s which also airs in the US — couldn't find anything. | This failure to provide information about abortion on its resource website appears to derive from some mistaken…
(2019-02-15). Equatorial Guinea: Rights lawyer faces bogus charges. amnesty.org Grave Concern Detainees Have Been Tortured, Killed | Equatorial Guinea named a French anti-corruption lawyer in an arrest warrant against 16 people, in apparent retaliation for his involvement in a money laundering trial against the president's eldest son, nine human rights and anti-corruption groups said today. | The warrant accuses the 16 targets of laundering money and helping to finance "terrorism and the proliferation of arms trafficking in Central Africa." | Named in the warrant are also people already in police custody accused of participating in a December 2017 coup attempt. They have been unable to commu…
(2019-02-15). UK's ISIS Schoolgirl Case Shows Justice is Key. hrw.org 
| | Renu Begum, eldest sister of Shamima Begum, 15, holds her sister's photo as she is interviewed by the media at New Scotland Yard, London, England, February 22, 2015. | © 2015 Laura Lean/WPA Pool/Getty Images | "All I want to do is come home to Britain." | So says Shamima Begum, a heavily pregnant British teenager, who joined the Islamic State aged 15 but last week fled as IS…
(2019-02-15). Trump's National Emergency? Think Again. hrw.org 
| | President Donald Trump walks out to begin speaking at an event in the Rose Garden at the White House to declare a national emergency in order to build a wall along the southern border | © AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais | President Donald Trump announced that he will sign the bill to fund the government, including US$1.375 billion for 55 miles of steel-post fencing on the southern border, but will simultaneously declare a national emergency, the very threat he had wielded if Congress had failed to meet his demand…
(2019-02-15). Migrant rights groups sue as US starts sending families back to Mexico. rt.com 
Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration as authorities have begun shipping asylum-seeking families across the border to wait for their claims to be processed, insisting the policy endangers lives.
(2019-02-15). Sudan uprising: 'This is a people's revolution'. greenleft.org.au 
In Sudan, a multifaceted civil opposition is posing a serious threat to the continued existence of Bashir's dictatorial regime after weeks of protests, writes Mohammed Elnaiem. | If a hospital is not a sanctuary for an injured person, what is? And what level of hatred, what kind of viciousness can be satisfied by the attempt to ensure that a protester die twice? On January 9, riot police, plain-clothed Bashir loyalists, and security forces fired tear gas and live bullets into the Omdurman Teaching Hospital in Sudan after wounded protesters were taken there during the biggest protest to date demanding the downfall…
(2019-02-15). More than 60 human rights groups back Eurovision boycott. greenleft.org.au 
More than 60 international NGOs have added their voices in protest against the plan to hold the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv this year. They are now part of what is quickly becoming an international campaign by civil society groups seeking to move the event, which is scheduled for May, from Israel. | It came after 50 British artists urged the BBC to boycott the Eurovision citing "Israel's systematic violation of Palestinian human rights". They said that the BBC was not exempt from…
(2019-02-14). U.S. Border Patrol Detained U.S. Citizens for Speaking Spanish in Montana. aclu.org 
Illegal arrests and seizures reflect an out-of-control agency emboldened by Trump's anti-immigrant agenda. | For Ana Suda and Martha "Mimi" Hernandez, May 16, 2018, began like any other in Havre, Montana: work, school, and a trip to the gym once their kids were in bed. They stopped by Town Pump — a local convenience store — to pick up groceries. While in line, the friends were chatting in Spanish, just two people having an ordinary conversation. But the Customs and Border Protection agent standing in line behind them did not see it that way. | He demanded to know where Ana and Mimi were born. After t…
(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). Border Patrol Detained Me for Speaking Spanish in Montana. Then My Town Turned Against Me. aclu.org Customs and Border Protection violated our rights as U.S. citizens just for speaking Spanish in a grocery store. | I moved to Havre, Montana — near the U.S.-Canada border — in 2014 with my husband and our two young children. Home to around 10,000 people, I've always found Havre to be a friendly town, one where I felt good about raising my kids. But that all changed last May when my friend and I were illegally targeted and detained by a Customs and Border Protection agent, just for speaking Spanish to each other in a convenience store. | I didn't think it was possible for one incident to change our liv…
(2019-02-14). Rapper, 21 Savage, released after being held by ICE. peoplesworld.org 
After spending more than a week in immigration customs detention, rapper 21 Savage was released on bail Wednesday. The 26-year-old rapper was arrested Feb. 3 by immigration officials after allegedly overstaying his visa. The musician, whose real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was brought to the United States at the age of seven and …
(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). Ilhan Omar Grills Trump's Venezuela Envoy Elliott Abrams on His Role in US-Backed Genocide in 1980s. democracynow.org 
The new U.S. special envoy to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, testified on Capitol Hill Wednesday on U.S. efforts to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Abrams spoke three weeks after the U.S. recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's new president. Since then, the U.S. has placed sweeping sanctions on Venezuela's state-run oil company and rejected calls for an international dialogue to resolve the crisis. Elliott Abrams is a right-wing hawk who was convicted in 1991 for lying to Congress during the Iran-Contra scandal, but he was later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. Abrams defended Guatem…
(2019-02-14). New Hampshire Is Trying to Stop College Students From Registering to Vote. aclu.org Voting is my right. I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to exercise it. | Growing up, my parents taught me that voting is not only a right, but a privilege. They voted in every local, midterm, and presidential election, and every time they did so they were sure to show me their "I voted" sticker. | As I grew older, they discussed propositions or candidates with me, asking me what I thought and even providing me with sample ballots. My dad and I would talk about why our opinions were the same or different, and what information we were basing those votes on. When 2016 rolled around, I still wasn't old enough to…
(2019-02-14). Venezuelan Foreign Minister Announces Group to Protect UN Charter's Principles. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza announced Thursday that a group of countries have decided to form a diplomatic team at the United Nations (U.N.) to defend human rights and the fundamental charter of the international organization. | RELATED | Cuba: US Planes Fly to Strategic Areas to Pressure Venezuela | "We are beginning a collective work in all instances and agencies of the United Nations. We are going to organize a strategy not only for the defense of Venezuela, but a…
(2019-02-14). Trump Administration Is Illegally Forcing Asylum Seekers Out of the United States. aclu.org The administration is once again breaking the law in order to shut the door on immigrants. | Last September, Bianca* was forced to flee Honduras because her partner's father threatened to kill her for being a lesbian. Bianca could not go to the police in Honduras because they do not protect LGBTQ people from harm. So she left home to save her life. | After traveling through Guatemala and Mexico, Bianca reached Tijuana, where she got in line to enter the United States through the border station and ask for asylum.
(2019-02-14). Bolivia Asks Chile to Negotiate a Temporary Pacific Port. telesurenglish.net Remembering the loss of Bolivia's maritime rights exactly 140 years ago following the end of the Pacific War, the nation is requesting that Chile reconsider negotiating temporary access to a Pacific port. | RELATED: | Bolivia's Maritime Claim: Battle to Undo 139-Year-Old Conquest | "It will be at this time, in the short or medium term, but the dialogu…
(2019-02-14). Turkey Calls Out China's Repression of Uyghurs. hrw.org 
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(2019-02-14). DR Congo: Post-Election Killings Test New President. hrw.org 
| | Police charge supporters of opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu who had gathered outside the constitutional court in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, January 12, 2019. | © 2019 Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty Images) | (Kinshasa) — The Democratic Republic of Congo's new administration should demonstrate its human rights commitment by impartially investigating and prosecuting the killing of at least 10 people by security forces during…
(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…
(2019-02-14). Thailand: New lawsuits brought by Thammakaset Company Limited against Human Rights Defenders. amnesty.org The 89 undersigned organizations write to express our deep concern regarding recent spurious complaints brought by Thammakaset Company Limited against several human rights defenders in Thailand. We respectfully urge the Thai government to take immediate action to oppose and seek the dismissal of cases filed by Thammakaset that run counter to your government's proclaimed policy to support business and human rights as well as Thailand's interests, legal obligations, and international human rights law commitments.
(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). "I don't need a Prince Charming to find love" amnesty.org 
Teacher, model and romantic, Alan Costa is a performance artist blazing a unique trail across Salvador, Brazil. Together with his collective Afrobapho, the 28-year-old human rights activist is using fashion, photography and art to spark conversations about what it means to be LGBTI and black in Brazil. | I've never been in love. I've never received love. In fact, I've never experienced a non-abusive relationship. | I used to believe in romantic relationships, but it just hasn't happened for me. As a black, queer man, my body is seen as some kind of masculine ideal, yet there's a distance around the way people thi…
(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…