(2019-02-19). Financial blockade: Chronology of a strategy to destroy Venezuela. mronline.org 
Sanctions against Venezuela are real and palpable mechanisms of destruction of the State, identity and, with it, of Venezuelan society. | Source
(2019-02-19). Trump's Iran strategy: regime change or regime collapse? uwidata.com 
When Donald Trump took office in January 2017, he made it clear that countering Iran was a top priority on his agenda. Trump ripped up the Iran Nuclear Deal, also known as JCPOA; reimposed pre-JCPOA sanctions and even added new ones that were unprecedented in terms of their scope and scale; and put Iranian citizens, …
(2019-02-19). Cleveland labor gears up for fights on multiple fronts. peoplesworld.org 
CLEVELAND — Like bees preparing to swarm, delegates to the Feb. 13 AFL-CIO meeting in Cleveland gathered to plan actions to support workers rights to organize, strike, hold political office and protect their working conditions. The meeting revealed the wide ranging attack now facing organized labor. "We will be much weaker if we lose these …
(2019-02-19). Voting Rights Act of 1965 may have to be passed again. peoplesworld.org 
(2019-02-19). Organizers Oust Amazon HQ2 From New York. commondreams.org Amazon provides much of the infrastructure for the Department of Homeland Security's immigration databases, the report points out, which means it holds the information that facilitates the mass surveillance, detention, and deportation of immigrants. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-02-19). Trump Hits Venezuela with More Sanctions. zcomm.org US Military Planes Bring 'Aid'
(2019-02-19). Iran Oil Exports Up, Unveils Major National Refinery. telesurenglish.net Iran's crude oil exports were higher than expected in January and have remained between 1.1-1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) this month, according to national and Refinitiv Eikon information. Some Eastern countries have received waivers from President Trump's sanctions to do business with the Islamic Republic. | RELATED: | OPEC: No Agreement to Cut Global Oil Production Yet | Crude shipments from Iran averaged 1.25 million bpd for the first month of 2019, and are staying at about 1.1-1.3…
(2019-02-19). Labor Unrest Is Erupting on Honduran Plantations. truthout.org Long before Hondurans were demonized by Trump for "bringing chaos" to the southern border, U.S. consumers welcomed truckloads of Honduran-grown fruit, which have for years streamed through regional trade networks dominated by multinational agribusiness. At the same time, agribusiness has helped drive the poverty and social turmoil in farmworker communities, worsening the misery that so many are fleeing en masse. | But in the past few months, a surge of political action has erupted in Honduran plantations, as workers battle for union rights and rattle the global agricultural supply chain. | Melon farmworkers ha…
(2019-02-19). Human Rights Organizers Encourage Employees to Blow the Whistle on Unethical Tech. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-02-19). Argentina Stages a 'Green Action Day' for the Right to Abortion. telesurenglish.net Social movements and citizens demonstrated Tuesday for a woman's right to legal, safe and free abortion in Argentina. In Buenos Aires, the National Day of Action for the Abortion Rights includes a march to Congressional Plaza, where green scarfs, the symbol of abortion rights, will commemorate the anniversary of the 'Pañuelazo Verde', a huge mobilization that took place one year ago. | RELATED: | Argentina: 'Green Scarf' Demonstrates Against Femicides | "The green scarf has become an int…
(2019-02-19). A Wisconsin School District Shrugged After High School Coaches Body-Shamed Cheerleaders. aclu.org Parents say staff are subjecting students to pervasive gender discrimination in the Kenosha Unified School District. | The cheerleaders at Tremper High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, looked forward to the annual spring banquet as a time to celebrate their hard work in the company of over 100 friends and family members. What they never expected was for the banquet to become a humiliating exercise in body shaming. | In the banquet hall of a Kenosha restaurant in March 2018, the cheer coaches presented some squad members with…
(2019-02-19). Turkey: Courts being used to strangle media freedom. amnesty.org Responding to the decision of a Turkish first instance appeals court to uphold the conviction of journalists and executives from the Cumhuriyet newspaper, Amnesty International's Turkey Strategy and Research Manager, Andrew Gardner said: | "Today's ruling to send the former Cumhuriyet staff back to prison exposes yet again the way in which politically motivated trials and unsound court decisions are simply rubber stamped by an equally biased appeals process. |
(2019-02-19). The Cost of Civil Rights Violations in Vallejo. indybay.org On February 9, the police in my hometown shot Willie McCoy to death in a Taco Bell drive-through. I hadn't planned to write that when I began this post, which grew out of a dialogue with a neighbor frustrated by the crumbling schools, neglected parks, and casual brutality of this beautiful city.
(2019-02-19). Help us by signing this petition to confront the total impunity that prevails in Venezuela. amnesty.org "If we were in a free country my brother would not have been killed…his only 'crime' was thinking different" | This is the fate of thousands of victims of the security forces who, under the command of Nicolás Maduro, have targeted those who took to the streets to demand a change of government in Venezuela. | Instead of seeking solutions and dialogue, the authorities have responded to protests by ordering the military and police onto the streets to repress and punish those who hold different views. In just five days, at least 41 people died during the protests, all from gunshot wounds. More than 900 have been ar…
(2019-02-19). Ireland: Brexit and DUP's opposition to rights put unity referendum firmly on the agenda. greenleft.org.au 
Brexit and DUP's opposition to rights put unity referendum firmly on the agenda | By Rachel Coyle | While the political establishment in Ireland is determined to downplay the need for an Irish unity referendum, it is plainly obvious that the appetite for such a poll is growing by the day. Besides the obvious major constitutional shift that Brexit will cause, the demand for a referendum is being fuelled by the clear lack of social progress in the North, as well as Britain's arrogant disinterest in a region it insists on keeping control of. | In this debate, people talk a lot about identity, but the supposed straig…
(2019-02-19). EQUATORIAL GUINEA: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND ACTIVISTS PAY A HIGH PRICE FOR SPEAKING OUT. amnesty.org This submission was prepared for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Equatorial Guinea in May 2019. In it, Amnesty International evaluates the implementation of recommendations made to Equatorial Guinea in its previous UPR, in particular on those recommendations in relation to situation of human rights defenders. | It also assesses legislation regulating NGO activities and its impact on freedom of association and sets out a number of cases of human rights defenders and activists who have been subjected to harassment, intimidation and arbitrary detention.
(2019-02-19). Iceland: Diverse bodies are not mistakes to be corrected. amnesty.org Individuals born with sex characteristics that vary from female or male "norms" face barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare, risking lifelong physical and psychological damage, Amnesty International said today. In a new report, "No Shame in Diversity", the organization uses case studies in Iceland to show how the lack of rights-based healthcare protocols mean that people born with variations of sex characteristics — who sometimes describe themselves as 'intersex' – face stigma and discrimination and are often subjected to harmful surgery. | A Bill that could help stop this — the Bill on Act on S…
(2019-02-19). Iceland: No shame in diversity. amnesty.org Every year, children are born with sex characteristics (genitals, gonads, hormones, chromosomes or reproductive organs) that vary from the established norms for 'male' and 'female'. In this report, Amnesty International documents the specific human rights violations faced by children with variations of sex characteristics in Iceland, and the lifelong effect of these violations. In particular, the report documents challenges faced by individuals with variations of sex characteristics in accessing appropriate healthcare, and the consequent risks of violations of their right to the highest attainable standard of hea…
(2019-02-19). Egypt: Halt imminent execution of nine prisoners on death row. amnesty.org Egyptian authorities must immediately halt the execution of nine prisoners whom Amnesty International has learned could be put to death as soon as tomorrow morning. The men were convicted after an unfair trial over the 2015 killing of Egypt's former public prosecutor, and have been moved from their prison cells to the appeals prison in preparation for their executions. During the trial some of the defendants said they were forcibly disappeared and tortured to confessing to the crime.
(2019-02-19). Ukraine: Five years after the Maydan protests, justice still not attained for victims. amnesty.org The Ukrainian authorities have failed to attain justice for all victims of police abuses committed during the EuroMaydan protests five years ago, Amnesty International said on the fifth anniversary of the protests' worst day of violence which led to the downfall of then-President Viktor Yanukovych. | "The sheer scope of the human rights violations committed during EuroMaydan was far beyond what the Ukrainian criminal justice system was designed to deal with, to say nothing of its inefficiency. Worse, it has resisted and obstructed justice instead of prosecuting the former and current members of the law enforcemen…
(2019-02-19). Former Pinochet secret police agent Adriana Rivas arrested in Sydney. greenleft.org.au 
The following statement was released by the Australian-based National Campaign for Truth & Justice in Chile on February 19. | *** | After years of eluding justice, notorious Chilean torturer Adriana Rivas has finally been arrested and her extradition request by the Chilean state accepted by Australian authoriti…
(2019-02-19). Nigeria: Police must release #ArewaMeToo activist Maryam Awaisu immediately and unconditionally. amnesty.org Responding to today's arrest of one of the leaders of the #ArewaMeToo movement, Maryam Aiwasu, who is pursuing justice for victims of sexual violence in Nigeria, Osai Ojigho Director Amnesty International said: | "Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Maryam Aiwasu who has done nothing more than speaking up for women's rights. Her arrest appears to be an attempt to intimidate and harass both her and other women supporting #ArewaMeToo — a movement seeking justice for victims of sexual violence in Nigeria. | "While arresting Maryam, the police attempted to gain access to her laptop and mobi…
(2019-02-19). Argentine Protesters, Workers Tell Trump, 'Hands Off Venezuela'. telesurenglish.net Hundreds filed through the streets of Buenos Aires Monday, protesting outside the U.S. embassy to demand President Trump end attempts of interventionism in Venezuela. | RELATED: | Venezuelan Military Head 'Amazed' by Trump 'Celebrating Terrorism' | "Venezuela is not alone," protesters cried, answering the call of the Argentine Committee of Solidarity with Venezuela as part of an international campaign to push the U.S. and its incredible economic sanctions away from the struggl…
(2019-02-19). Israeli occupation and Palestinian rights/Letter to Dutch parliament. indybay.org It's an utter scandal, shame and disgrace, that after 52 years, Israel is still | occupying the Palestinian territories, suppressing and terrorizing the Palestinians, | committing warcrimes and crimes against humanity with impunity without any | serious sanctions of the international community. Therefore I have written | the members of Dutch parliament to take action!!
(2019-02-18). Angela Davis Returns to Birmingham, Reflecting on Palestinian Rights & Fight for Freedom Everywhere. democracynow.org 
Civil rights icon and scholar Angela Davis returned to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, over the weekend. She originally planned the visit to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, but the institute withdrew the award last month, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinst…
(2019-02-18). Birmingham Civil Rights Group Reoffers Award to Angela Davis—But She Says Community Should Decide. democracynow.org 
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute sparked international outrage in January when it rescinded the Fred L. Shuttlesworth award for civil rights icon Angela Davis, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring her due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinstated the award, but Davis has yet to accept it. Democracy Now! spoke with the president and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Andrea Taylor, on Saturday, before an alternate e…
(2019-02-18). Angela Davis Returns to Birmingham, Reflecting on Palestinian Rights & Fight for Freedom Everywhere. counterpunch.org 
…
(2019-02-18). Trump Hits Venezuela with More Sanctions as US Military Planes Bring 'Aid'. venezuelanalysis.com Three USAF planes landed 8km from the Venezuelan border, allegedly carrying "humanitarian aid."
(2019-02-18). Amnesty's report on digital tourism companies evokes threats from Israel. peoplesdispatch.org International human rights organization, Amnesty International, recently published a report called "Destination: Occupation", detailing how international digital tourism companies are churning out profits for themselves by participating in business with the apartheid state of Israel. They do this particularly by offering travel and house rental services in the illegal Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements are considered 'war crimes' and are illegal under international law. The report details how these settlements are being used to encourage and normalize human rights vi…
(2019-02-18). Racial Equity Groups Mobilize In Support of Voting Rights Act Hearings. naacp.org Atlanta Event 2nd in Series of National Hearings to Restore Voting Rights ATLANTA (February 18, 2019) — On Tuesday, February 19, all eyes will be on Georgia when the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration holds its "Field Hearing on Voting Rights and Election Administration in Georgia." Scheduled for 9: 30 AM EST …
(2019-02-18). Saudi Arabia: Clarify Status of 'Corruption' Detainees. hrw.org (Beirut) — Saudi Arabia announced an end to its high-profile anti-corruption campaign on January 31, 2019, but some of those rounded up remain in detention without a clear legal basis, Human Rights Watch said today. Saudi Arabia carried out the mass arrests, including of princes, current and former government officials, and prominent businessmen, on November 4, 2017, holding some for months at Riyadh's five-star Ritz Carlton Hotel and forcing them to turn over assets in exchange for their freedom outside of any legal process. | Those who re…
(2019-02-18). Open letter to Novalpina Capital, CC: NSO Group, Francisco Partners. amnesty.org We, the undersigned organizations, release this open letter to Novalpina Capital regarding the recent announcement of the buyout of NSO Group from Francisco Partners. We call on Novalpina to publicly address our serious concerns regarding accountability for NSO Group's involvement in previously documented spyware abuses, Novalpina's current approach to addressing human rights impacts associated with NSO Group's products and services, and the future trajectory of the company.
(2019-02-18). NGOs CALL FOR AN INCLUSIVE REVIEW PROCESS ON TREATY BODY STRENGTHENING. amnesty.org National, regional and international NGOs play a critical role in the work of the treaty bodies through monitoring the implementation of the treaties at the national level, providing information to the treaty bodies, and encouraging states to give effect to the treaty bodies' recommendations. This document conatain a call from NGOs for an inclusive review process on treaty body strengthening.
(2019-02-18). 10 things you need to know about Venezuela's human rights crisis. amnesty.org The human rights crisis that has engulfed Venezuela for the past few years has shattered the lives of millions of people. Here's what you need to know: | 1 – Excessive use of force: | Much of the current unrest in Venezuela can be traced back to 29 March 2017, when the Supreme Court of Justice – backed by President Nicolás Maduro – moved to take over the National Assembly, where the opposition holds a majority. This triggered protests that were repressed by the Maduro administration with the unlawful and disproportionate use of force. Between April and July 2017, more than 120 people were killed, around 1…
(2019-02-18). Haiti: Authorities must protect protesters' right to life and deal with underlying causes of the crisis. amnesty.org In response to reports of several deaths during recent days in the context of anti-corruption protests that began earlier this month in Haiti, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said: | "The situation in Haiti is a recipe for disaster, with a stream of reported fatalities during the ongoing protests, hospitals running out of supplies, and people unable to access essential services in the poorest country in the Americas." | "The Haitian authorities must not only ensure that people are able to peacefully protest and guarantee the life and physical integrity of those who choose to demon…
(2019-02-18). Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa's threats 'deeply troubling'. amnesty.org In response to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's statement that the government will deal with those suspected to be behind the national 'stay-away' protests, including non-governmental organizations, trade union leaders, opposition leaders, doctors and lawyers, Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa said: | | "President Emmerson…
(2019-02-18). Spyware firm buyout reaffirms urgent need for justice for targeted activists. amnesty.org Novalpina Capital, the private equity firm that has supported NSO Group management to acquire the company from Francisco Partners, must immediately disclose how it plans to prevent further human rights abuses by NSO Group, which has been linked to several chilling attacks on human rights defenders, Amnesty International said today. | In an open letter released today, the organization and six other NGOs urged Novalpina to publicly commit to accountability for NSO Group's past spyware…
(2019-02-18). Brazil: Keep Sniper Probe Independent. hrw.org 
| | Victim shows patch over his wounded ribs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, January 2019. | © Defensoria Pública do Estado do Rio de Janeiro | Brazil should conduct an independent and thorough investigation into allegations that one or more police snipers killed at least two people in a poor neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro in late January, 2019, Human Rights Watch said today. | Witnesses said that the shots came from a tower within the main complex of the Rio de Janeiro civil po…
(2019-02-16). NAACP Restructures to Advance Advocacy Strategy. naacp.org New York (February 16, 2019)—The nation's most prominent civil rights organization announced today during its annual national board meeting in New York, a strategic restructuring which better positions the organization to lead the critical policy advocacy and social justice work needed to ensure the rights of all people. The group also signed memoranda of understanding …
(2019-02-16). The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and NAACP to Sign Historic Memorandum of Understanding During Annual Board Meeting. naacp.org The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men, and the nation's oldest and largest grassroots civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) share common priorities and interests in ensuring the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons …
(2019-02-16). Locked Inside a Freezing Federal Jail, They United to Protest Their Conditions — Only to Face Reprisals. theintercept.com 
In some units where incarcerated people protested, the toilets were shut off — leaving them sleeping next to their own feces.
(2019-02-16). Egipto: Detención preventiva de defensor de los derechos humanos. amnesty.org El 9 de febrero, un juez ordenó la detención preventiva del defensor de los derechos humanos y abogado Ezzat Ghoniem durante 45 días, mientras se lleva a cabo una investigación. Ezzat Ghoniem y Azzoz Mahgoub fueron detenidos el 1 de marzo de 2018. El tribunal ordenó dejarlos en libertad provisional el 4 de septiembre de 2018, con la condición de presentarse en una comisaría de policía dos veces a la semana. Jamás quedaron en libertad, y el 14 de septiembre fueron sometidos por las autoridades a desaparición forzada.
(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). 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). 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). 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). Immigrants Are Fighting for Their Rights Even Behind Bars. thenation.com Immigrants Are Fighting for Their Rights Even Behind Bars…
(2019-02-15). Egypt: 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). Equatorial Guinea: Rights Lawyer Faces Bogus Charges. hrw.org 
| | William Bourdon | © Private | (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." | Nam…
(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…