Daily Archives: February 21, 2019

2019-02-21: News Headlines

Canadian Peace Congress (2019-02-21). Canadian Peace Congress: Act Now to Defend Venezuela's Sovereignty! No Sanctions! No Coup d'État! No Military Intervention! globalresearch.ca The orchestrated campaign to remove the elected government in Venezuela and replace it with a puppet authority willing to serve U.S. economic and political interests has now reached a critical moment, one which may well end in a bloody civil …

STAFF (2019-02-21). The Triumphant Homecoming of Angela Davis. truthdig.com "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his Letter From Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. King was arrested there for his role in organizing nonviolent protests against segregation, which were being led by the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. "Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States," King also wrote in that famous letter. Civil-rights campaigners were so frequently targeted with bombs by the Ku Klux Klan that the city was often called "Bombingham." Five mon…

Democracy Now! (2019-02-21). Headlines for February 21, 2019. democracynow.org White Supremacist Coast Guard Lt. Had "Hit List" of Democratic Targets, Trump Considering Anti-Science Adviser to Head Climate Change Committee, SCOTUS Limits State and Local Civil Asset Forfeiture, Massive Fire Kills At Least 80 in Bangladesh, Mexico: 2 Radio Journalists Killed in Past Week, U.N. Warns of Oil Company Complicity in South Sudan Mass Atrocities, Egypt Executes 9 Men over 2015 Prosecutor Killing Amid Claims of Torture, Syria: Civilians Evacuated from ISIS Enclave, Trump Says Alabama Woman Who Joined ISIS Should Not Be Allowed Back in U.S., West Virginia Teachers End Strike After Killing Pro-Charter…

Nate Singham (2019-02-21). Trump Is Making a Mockery of 'Humanitarian Aid' in Venezuela. commondreams.org During 2018, the Trump administration continued to strengthen sanctions targeting Venezuela through the issuance of additional executive orders. (@compartycanada) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

amnesty (2019-02-21). Sri Lanka: Amnesty International Secretary General Kumi Naidoo writes to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. amnesty.org OPEN LETTER BY KUMI NAIDOO ON THE DEATH PENALTY | Your Excellency | I am writing to plead for the lives of prisoners who may soon be put to death if executions resume in Sri Lanka. | More than four decades ago, your country stopped the implementation of this ultimate, cruel, in human and degrading punishment, becoming one of the few South Asian countries to do so. The death penalty is now only applied by a shrinking minority of countries around the world. In December 2018, Sri Lanka was among the 121 states that voted in favour of a resolution on the "Moratorium on the use of the death penalty" at the 73rd United…

amnesty (2019-02-21). United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Jordanian Journalist Released: Tayseer Salman al-Najjar. amnesty.org On 12 February 2019, Jordanian journalist and poet, Tayseer Salman al-Najjar was released from al-Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE authorities waived the fine imposed on him and he was flown back to Jordan on the same day. A prisoner of conscience, Tayseer had been due for release on 13 December 2018, having served his three-year prison sentence, but as his family could not pay the fine imposed by the court, his detention was extended…

amnesty (2019-02-21). Leyes concebidas para silenciar: ataques a las organizaciones de la sociedadd civil. amnesty.org En todo el mundo y cada vez más a menudo, las organizaciones de la sociedad civil y los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos que alzan la voz contra las leyes y las prácticas gubernamentales injustas, cuestionan la opinión pública o a quienes están en el poder, y exigen justicia, dignidad y libertad son objeto de ataques. Estos agentes sociales se enfrentan a campañas difamatorias y hostigamiento, y a procesamientos por cargos falsos, detenciones arbitrarias, agresiones físicas e incluso la muerte o desapariciones forzadas sólo por la labor que desarrollan.

Human Rights Watch (2019-02-21). Jordan: 'Fake News' Amendments Need Revision. hrw.org | | Jordanian parliament in session. | © 2016 Sam McNeil/AP Images | (Amman) — Proposed amendments to Jordan's 2015 Electronic Crimes Law would overly restrict freedom of expression by stipulating criminal penalties for posting "fake news" or engaging in "hate speech" online, Human Rights Watch said today. | The amendments maintain criminal penalties for online defamation but, in a positive move, would eliminate pretrial detention for this offense. Au…

amnesty (2019-02-21). Laws designed to silence: The global crackdown on civil society organizations. amnesty.org Civil society organizations and human rights defenders around the world who speak out against unjust laws and government practices, challenge public opinion or those in power, and demand justice, dignity and freedom, are being increasingly targeted. In this context, an alarming global trend has surfaced in which states are introducing and using laws to interfere with the right to freedom of association and to hamper the work of civil society organizations and individuals who participate in them. This report shows how this phenomenon is widespread and increasing in all regions.

amnesty (2019-02-21). Global assault on NGOs reaches crisis point as new laws curb vital human rights work. amnesty.org Governments across the world are increasingly attacking non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by creating laws that subject them and their staff to surveillance, nightmarish bureaucratic hurdles and the ever-present threat of imprisonment, Amnesty International said in a new report released today. | Laws Designed to Silence: The Global Crackdown on Civil Society Organizations reveals the startling number of countries that are using bullying techniques and repressive regulations to prevent NGOs from doing their vital work. The report lists 50…

Fred_F (2019-02-21). Profiteering from misery. greenleft.org.au The Australian Financial Review has revealed that the federal Coalition government awarded a $423 million security and cleaning contract for three Manus Island refugee detention centres to Paladin Group, a company that, at the time, was registered to a Kangaroo Island beach shack. | Incredibly, the minister for cruelty and home affairs Peter Dutton claims he knew nothing about it. However, we now know the home affairs department secretary authorised a "closed tender" fo…

amnesty (2019-02-21). Mexico: Indigenous human rights defenders at risk: Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and Hilario Cornelio Castro. amnesty.org Armed men abducted Mexican Indigenous human rights defenders, Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and Hilario Cornelio Castro on 12 February 2019. Their captors released them on 16 February amidst an increasing national and international outcry over their disappearance. They continue doing their human rights work and continue at risk, while their attackers are at large. Both HRDs are members of the Organization of Indigenous Mepha'a People (OPIM, Organización del Pueblo Indígena Mepha'a). Obtilia Eugenio is also an elected member of the Indigenous Municipal Council of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, in southern Mexico.

Fred_F (2019-02-21). Ex-Pinochet secret police agent Adriana Rivas' extradition case deferred. greenleft.org.au Former secret police agent under dictator General Augusto Pinochet Adriana Rivas will face court again on March 1 to see if she is extradited back to Chile, where she is facing charges relating to alleged torture and kidnapping offences. | While visiting Chile in 2007, Rivas was arrested for the aggravated kidnapping of seven victims in 1976. At the time she was the principal assistant to Manuel Contreras, the former head of Pinochet's National Intelligence Directorate (DINA). | All of the victims subsequently disappeared after undergoing vicious torture sessions. | However, shortly after being charged, Rivas bre…

Human Rights Watch (2019-02-21). Turkey: Drop Bogus Coup Charges. hrw.org | | Osman Kavala. | © 2017 Anadolu Kàºltàºr | (Geneva) — Turkey's president and government should stop making baseless accusations, and the Istanbul prosecutor should drop the new charges against 16 people, including Osman Kavala, that view the Gezi protests as a coup attempt, Human Rights Watch said today. | Turkish media on February 20 reported that an Istanbul prosecutor has prepared a 657-page indictment holding Kavala, a civic leader, an…

amnesty (2019-02-21). Taiwan: Draft law to allow same-sex marriage is a huge step forward for human rights. amnesty.org Responding to the release of a draft law which will act as a legal basis for recognizing same-sex marriage in Taiwan, Annie Huang, Amnesty International Taiwan's Director, said: | "This is a huge step forward for marriage equality in Taiwan. The draft law is the first of its kind in Asia to allow same-sex marriage. It sends a strong message to the Taiwanese people and the world that Taiwan chooses love over hate, and equality over discrimination. |

amnesty (2019-02-21). Creative disruption: How Sudanese protesters have used art to sustain demos. amnesty.org The protests in Sudan are in their third month now. The government's response has been brutal with many protesters killed, and many others arrested, tortured or ill-treated in detention. People's homes have been raided, patients in hospitals attacked with tear gas and live ammunition, among them children and the elderly. But the people have remained resolute in exercising their right to freedom of assembly. | Thousands of people have turned out to protest in different cities and villages every day. While the protests which began on 19 December 2018 were sparked by the deterioration of the living conditions due t…

amnesty (2019-02-21). Malawi: Minister's shameful denial comments fueling attacks against persons with albinism. amnesty.org The Minister of Homeland Security's comments that attacks on persons with albinism have not reached crisis levels will only embolden those perpetrating the assaults and are a disturbing reminder of the government's inaction on the issue, Amnesty International said today. | | Malawi is experiencing a r…

amnesty (2019-02-21). Senegal: Election must be held in a climate free from violence and intimidation. amnesty.org Two killed during campaign rallies : | Journalists caught up in violence : | Pressures on pro-democracy activists: | Authorities in Senegal should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the Presidential election is held in a climate that is free from violence and respects the freedom of all people to express their views, Amnesty International said ahead of Sunday's presidential polls. | On 11 February during campaign rallies, two people were killed in the south eastern town of Tambacounda. Many others, including journalists, were injured following violent clashes between supporters o…

Human Rights Watch (2019-02-21). Mozambique: Media Barred from Insurgent Region. hrw.org | | Mozambican army soldiers patrol the streets of Mocimboa da Praia after security in the area was increased following a two-day attack by suspected Islamist fighters, March 2018. | © 2018 ADRIEN BARBIER/AFP/Getty Images | (Johannesburg) — Mozambique's state security forces are intimidating, detaining, and prosecuting journalists covering the fighting against an armed Islamist group in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. For 13 days in…

Human Rights Watch (2019-02-21). DR Congo: Police Killed, 'Disappeared' 34 Youth. hrw.org

amnesty (2019-02-21). Cameroon: Opposition leader and more than a hundred supporters face the death penalty. amnesty.org Opposition leader Maurice Kamto will today be summoned by a military court on charges which carry the death penalty, as the Cameroonian authorities intensify their post-election crackdown on critics, Amnesty International said today. | Kamto, the president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun-MRC) is the first of a group of 131 people arbitrarily arrested last month and charged by the military court with rebellion, hostility against the homeland, incitement to insurrection, offence against the president of the republic, and destruction of public buildings and goods, to b…

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amnesty (2019-02-21). Des lois conàßues pour museler : La répression mondiale des organisations de la société civile. amnesty.org Partout dans le monde, les organisations de la société civile et les défenseur ∑e ∑s des droits humains qui dénoncent les lois et pratiques gouvernementales injustes, s'opposent à l'opinion publique ou aux personnes au pouvoir ou exigent la justice, la dignité et la liberté sont de plus en plus la cible d'attaques. Dans ce contexte, une tendance mondiale dans le cadre de laquelle des États mettent en place et utilisent des lois pour entraver le droit à la liberté d'association et le travail des organisations de la société civile et des personnes travaillant avec ces organisations a émergé. Ce rapport démo…

ACLU (2019-02-20). A Supreme Court Milestone for Students' Free Speech Rights. aclu.org In 1969, a group of public school students protesting the Vietnam War made First Amendment history that stands strong to this day. | This month marks 50 years since the landmark Supreme Court ruling that cemented students' rights to free speech in public schools, Tinker v. Des Moines. We're inspired to see that students still take advantage of their First Amendment rights and speak out on political issues today. | We grew up in Iowa, where our father was a Methodist minister. Believing that faith s…

Democracy Now! (2019-02-20). Saudi Scholar: My Father Faces the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia for Supporting Human Rights. democracynow.org While the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October sparked international outrage, far less attention has been paid to the ongoing Saudi repression at home. We speak with Abdullah Alaoudh, whose father has been locked up in solitary confinement in Saudi Arabia for his political activism since September 2017. Prior to his arrest, prominent Islamic scholar Salman Alodah had been a vocal critic of the Saudi monarchy who had called for elections with 14 million Twitter followers. But for the past 17 months, Salman Alodah has been silenced. He was one of dozens of rel…

STAFF (2019-02-20). Muslim Group Seeks Congressional Probe on Terror Watchlist. truthdig.com FALLS CHURCH, Va.—A Muslim civil rights group called for a congressional investigation Wednesday after its lawsuit revealed that the U.S. government has shared its terrorist watchlist with more than 1,400 private entities, including hospitals and universities. | The Council on American-Islamic Relations said Congress should look into why the FBI has given such wide access to the list, which CAIR believes is riddled with errors. Broad dissemination of the names makes life more difficult for those who are wrongly included, CAIR says. Many on the list are believed to be Muslim. | "This is a wholesale profiling…

splcenter (2019-02-20). Civil rights groups sue New Orleans for map of surveillance camera locations. splcenter.org Representing a Louisiana public defender, the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed suit against the City of New Orleans over its refusal to provide a map of the city's 400 real-time surveillance cameras. Though the cameras themselves are publicly visible, the City of New Orleans has refused to comply with a public records request for a map of their locations.

Human Rights Watch (2019-02-20). Mexico Shouldn't Eliminate Key Disability Rights Agency. hrw.org | | Then-president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets supporters during a rally in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. | © 2018 Cesar Rodriguez/Bloomberg via Getty Images | On February 18, Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, suggested he would dissolve the country's National Council for People with Disabilities, claiming it only fulfills administrative functions. He did no…

Human Rights Watch (2019-02-20). Residents Caught in Outbreak of Violence in Cameroon. hrw.org | | A school classroom in the Anglophone region of Cameroon. | © 2018 Bede Sheppard/Human Rights Watch | On February 16, 170 students, mostly girls under 18, were abducted by a group of armed separatists from a boarding school in Kumbo, in the North-West region of Cameroon. The separatists, who stormed the building in the early hours, also abducted a teacher and two guards. Everyone was released the following day amid rumours of ransoms being paid. The school remains closed. | Human Rights Watch has interviewed numerou…

Jason Ditz (2019-02-20). 'Irritated' by Russia, US Admiral Sends Warship to Black Sea. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — In November, a maritime incident saw Ukrainian boats enter Russian territorial waters without permission, leading to their capture and detention of their crew. US Admiral James Foggo says he is 'irritated' by that To that end, the admiral has ordered the USS Donald Cook, a destroyer, to enter the Black Sea and conduct naval exercises with Ukraine to …

Human Rights Watch (2019-02-20). Somaliland: Free Poet Detained for Critical Poems. hrw.org | | Abdirahman Abees. | © 2019 Private | (Nairobi, February 19, 2019) — Somaliland authorities should immediately and unconditionally release from arbitrary detention Abdirahman Ibrahim Adan, a poet known as "Abdirahman Abees," Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said today. Abdirahman, a popular Somaliland poet and British dual citizen, has been held at the central prison in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, for over a month, solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.

amnesty (2019-02-20). Turkey: Outlandish charges against Osman Kavala and 15 others must be dropped. amnesty.org In response to news that an indictment has been sent to the court setting out the case against Osman Kavala and 15 civil society figures for "attempting to overthrow the government", Amnesty International's Andrew Gardner said: | "These outlandish allegations are an attempt to rewrite history and to silence some of Turkey's most prominent civil society figures who now face the prospect of being tried by Turkey's deeply flawed justice system." |

amnesty (2019-02-20). Nauru: Deterring essential medical transfers risks deadly consequences. amnesty.org Responding to news that the government of Nauru has passed a law severely restricting medical transfers to Australia for refugees and asylum seekers, Meghna Abraham, Director of Global Thematic Issues at Amnesty International, said: | "This move by the Nauru government is a dangerous and callous act that could have deadly consequences for the women, men and children whom Australia has exiled there. | "Nauru has failed to provide refugees with the health care they desperately need. Denying them medical transfers is yet another blow and demonstrates just how far the human rights of refugees have slipped down Nauru…

amnesty (2019-02-20). Thailand: Further Information: Released Bahraini Returns To Australia: Hakeem Ali al-Araibi. amnesty.org On 11 February 2019, Hakeem Ali al-Araibi was released from Bangkok's remand prison after the Bahraini authorities dropped their extradition request. He flew back to Australia the same day. Hakeem was arrested on 27 November 2018, by the Thai authorities upon arrival at Bangkok's international airport, based on an Interpol red notice requesting his extradition to Bahrain. He was expected to serve an unfair 10-year prison sentence there, and would have been at risk of torture and other ill-treatment in detention. Upon his return to Australia, Hakeem thanked the human rights organizations that had acted on his beha…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-02-20). With Trump Beating War Drums, Coalition Calls on Congress to Oppose Sanctions, Back Diplomacy With Iran. commondreams.org Amid rampant warnings that "the drums of war are beating" since President Donald Trump ditched the Iran nuclear deal last year, more than 50 pro-democracy groups representing millions of Americans are calling on members of Congress to rein in the Trump administration's hawkish policy toward Iran—which has included crippling economic sanctions—and instead push for diplomacy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

amnesty (2019-02-20). Saudi Arabia: Saudi Activist Held in Solitary Confinement: Nassima al-Sada. amnesty.org Woman human rights defender, Nassima al-Sada, was placed in solitary confinement since early February 2019, in al-Mabahith Prison in Dammam. Nassima has been detained since July 2018 without charge or trial. Nassima's detention was part of a recent wave of arrests that targeted Saudi human rights activists. Since May 2018, at least 15 human rights activists, including several women human rights defenders have been detained without charge in Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International calls on the Saudi authorities to release Nassima al-Sada and all other human rights activists immediately and unconditionally.

amnesty (2019-02-20). Venezuela: Hunger, punishment and fear, the formula for repression used by authorities under Nicolás Maduro. amnesty.org Venezuelan security forces under the command of Nicolás Maduro executed and used excessive force against people, and arbitrarily detained hundreds of others, including teenagers, in an escalation of their policy of repression as a means of controlling the people of Venezuela and particularly to punish residents of impoverished neighborhoods that decided to protest between 21 and 25 January 2019.

Human Rights Watch (2019-02-20). Tunisia: Emergency Powers Bill Threatens Rights. hrw.org | | Riot police patrols the district of Intilaka, north of Tunis, Tunisia, Thursday Jan. 11, 2018. | © 2018 Amine Landoulsi/AP Images | (Tunis) — Tunisia's Parliament should abandon or substantially revise a bill that would give the government sweeping powers to restrict rights during declared states of emergency, Human Rights Watch said today. | The legislation would allow the executive to prohibit any strike or demonstration deemed to threaten publ…

amnesty (2019-02-20). Somaliland: Free poet detained for critical poems. amnesty.org Somaliland authorities should immediately and unconditionally release from arbitrary detention Abdirahman Ibrahim Adan, a poet also known as Abdirahman Abees, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. | Abdirahman Abees, a popular poet with British dual citizenship, has been held at the central prison in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, for over a month, solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression. |

amnesty (2019-02-20). United Arab Emirates: Baloch Activist Held Incommunicado: Rashid Hussain Brohi. amnesty.org On 26 December 2018, Emirati security forces detained Pakistani national Rashid Hussain Brohi without an arrest warrant. He has been held incommunicado since then. Emirati authorities have not disclosed his location, any cause for arrest, or any charges being raised against him. There are strong indications that Emirati officials are preparing to deport or extrajudicially render Rashid Hussain to Pakistan, where he was involved in Baloch activism prior to moving to the Emirates. There is reason to fear his life would be in danger if he were forcibly returned to Pakistan.

amnesty (2019-02-20). ThaàØlande: Un bahreàØnite libéré retourne en Australie. amnesty.org Hakeem Ali al Araibi a été libéré du centre de détention provisoire de Bangkok le 11 février 2019, après que les autorités bahreàØnites eurent renoncé à leur demande d'extradition. Il est reparti en Australie le jour même. Hakeem Ali al Araibi a été arrêté le 27 novembre 2018 par les autorités thaàØlandaises à son arrivée à l'aéroport international de Bangkok, sur la base d'une notice rouge diffusée par Interpol demandant son extradition vers BahreàØn. Il devait y purger une peine injuste de 10 ans d'emprisonnement, et risquait d'être victime de torture et d'autres mauvais traitements en déte…

amnesty (2019-02-20). Egypt: Execution of nine men after an unfair trial a monumental disgrace. amnesty.org Responding to the news that Egyptian authorities have today executed nine men convicted after a grossly unfair trial for the 2015 killing of the country's former Public Prosecutor, Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director said: | "By carrying out the executions of these nine men today Egypt has demonstrated an absolute disregard for the right to life. | "Those responsible for the attack that killed Egypt's former public prosecutor deserve to be punished but executing men who were convicted in trials marred by torture allegations is not justice but a testament to the magnitude of i…

amnesty (2019-02-20). Argentina: The ignored law of Sexual Education. amnesty.org Even though the implementation of Sexual Education has been mandatory in all schools in Argentina since 2006, many young people around the country still have no access to basic knowledge of their sexual rights.: | We finish our look into the fight for Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Argentina by looking at how two different communities, in La Plata and Tucuman, address the lack of Sexual Education available to young people. | For young people, having Sexual Education classes is key to learning about their changing bodies, desires and relationships. But, equally important, these classes are necessary for…

amnesty (2019-02-20). Tailandia: Bahreiní regresa a Australia tras quedar en libertad. amnesty.org El 11 de febrero de 2019, Hakeem Ali al Araibi salió en libertad del centro de presos preventivos de Bangkok tras retirar las autoridades de Bahréin su petición de extradición. Ese mismo día embarcó en un vuelo en dirección a Australia. Hakeem había sido detenido por las autoridades tailandesas a su llegada al aeropuerto internacional de Bangkok, el 27 de noviembre de 2018, por una notificación roja de la Interpol en la que se solicitaba su extradición a Bahréin, donde se suponía que debería cumplir una condena injusta de 10 años y habría corrido peligro de tortura y otros malos tratos bajo custodia. A su llegada…

amnesty (2019-02-20). The hidden victims of repression — how activists and reporters can protect themselves from secondary trauma. amnesty.org Peaceful protest has long been a way for ordinary people to take a stand against hate, injustice, and corruption. The contentious issues — and types of repression meted out — may change with the times, but the violence itself remains a constant. | Sweeping crackdowns on protest in Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela in recent weeks serve as a reminder of the violence people face when they dare to speak out. Governments continue to unleash an arsenal of tools to suppress dissidents, from batons and pipes, to tear gas and even live bullets. As the death tolls in these countries mount, so does a growing sense…

unitedEditor (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, …

ACLU (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…

susan_p (2019-02-19). Ireland: Brexit and DUP's opposition to rights put unity referendum firmly on the agenda. greenleft.org.au 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 straightjackets of unionism and nationalism are becoming less relevant. Yes, we have seen more polarised e…

Fred_F (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…

Democracy Now! (2019-02-18). Jewish Activists Hold Solidarity Shabbat Defending Angela Davis in Birmingham & Across U.S. democracynow.org Jewish supporters of Angela Davis across the nation held solidarity Shabbat on Friday evening, the night before the civil rights icon had been expected to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The institute rescinded the honor in January due to Davis' support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. The institute later reversed this decision after international outcry, but Davis has yet to accept the award. Democracy Now! was in Birmingham on Friday and attended a Shabbat in support of An…

2019-02-21: Social Media Postees

Canadian Peace Congress: Act Now to Defend Venezuela's Sovereignty! No Sanctions! No Coup d'État! No Military Intervention!
Canadian Peace Congress | globalresearch.ca | 2019-02-21
The orchestrated campaign to remove the elected government in Venezuela and replace it with a puppet authority willing to serve U.S. economic and political interests has now reached a critical moment, one which may well end in a bloody civil …
globalresearch.ca/canadian-peace-congress-act-now-to-defend-venezuelas-sovereignty-no-sanctions-no-coup-detat-no-military-intervention/5669252

The Triumphant Homecoming of Angela Davis
STAFF | truthdig.com | 2019-02-21
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his Letter From Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. King was arrested there for his role in organizing nonviolent protests against segregation, which were being led by the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. "Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States," King also wrote in that famous letter. Civil-rights campaigners were so frequently targeted with bombs by the Ku Klux Klan that the city was often called "Bombingham." Five mon…
truthdig.com/articles/the-triumphant-homecoming-of-angela-davis/

Trump Is Making a Mockery of 'Humanitarian Aid' in Venezuela
Nate Singham | commondreams.org | 2019-02-21
During 2018, the Trump administration continued to strengthen sanctions targeting Venezuela through the issuance of additional executive orders. (@compartycanada) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2019/02/21/trump-making-mockery-humanitarian-aid-venezuela?cd-origin=rss

Global assault on NGOs reaches crisis point as new laws curb vital human rights work
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
Governments across the world are increasingly attacking non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by creating laws that subject them and their staff to surveillance, nightmarish bureaucratic hurdles and the ever-present threat of imprisonment, Amnesty International said in a new report released today. | Laws Designed to Silence: The Global Crackdown on Civil Society Organizations reveals the startling number of countries that are using bullying techniques and repressive regulations to prevent NGOs from doing their vital work. The report lists 50…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/global-assault-on-ngos-reaches-crisis-point/

Mexico: Indigenous human rights defenders at risk: Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and Hilario Cornelio Castro
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
Armed men abducted Mexican Indigenous human rights defenders, Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and Hilario Cornelio Castro on 12 February 2019. Their captors released them on 16 February amidst an increasing national and international outcry over their disappearance. They continue doing their human rights work and continue at risk, while their attackers are at large. Both HRDs are members of the Organization of Indigenous Mepha'a People (OPIM, Organización del Pueblo Indígena Mepha'a). Obtilia Eugenio is also an elected member of the Indigenous Municipal Council of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, in southern Mexico.
amnesty.org/en/documents/amr41/9879/2019/en/

Senegal: Election must be held in a climate free from violence and intimidation
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
Two killed during campaign rallies : | Journalists caught up in violence : | Pressures on pro-democracy activists: | Authorities in Senegal should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the Presidential election is held in a climate that is free from violence and respects the freedom of all people to express their views, Amnesty International said ahead of Sunday's presidential polls. | On 11 February during campaign rallies, two people were killed in the south eastern town of Tambacounda. Many others, including journalists, were injured following violent clashes between supporters o…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/senegal-election-must-be-held-in-a-climate-free-from-violence/

Laws designed to silence: The global crackdown on civil society organizations
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
Civil society organizations and human rights defenders around the world who speak out against unjust laws and government practices, challenge public opinion or those in power, and demand justice, dignity and freedom, are being increasingly targeted. In this context, an alarming global trend has surfaced in which states are introducing and using laws to interfere with the right to freedom of association and to hamper the work of civil society organizations and individuals who participate in them. This report shows how this phenomenon is widespread and increasing in all regions.
amnesty.org/en/documents/act30/9647/2019/en/

United Arab Emirates: Further Information: Jordanian Journalist Released: Tayseer Salman al-Najjar
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
On 12 February 2019, Jordanian journalist and poet, Tayseer Salman al-Najjar was released from al-Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE authorities waived the fine imposed on him and he was flown back to Jordan on the same day. A prisoner of conscience, Tayseer had been due for release on 13 December 2018, having served his three-year prison sentence, but as his family could not pay the fine imposed by the court, his detention was extended…
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/9888/2019/en/

القوانين الرامية لتكميم الأفواه: القمع العالمي لمنظمات المجتمع المدني
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
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amnesty.org/en/documents/act30/9647/2019/ar/

Cameroon: Opposition leader and more than a hundred supporters face the death penalty
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
Opposition leader Maurice Kamto will today be summoned by a military court on charges which carry the death penalty, as the Cameroonian authorities intensify their post-election crackdown on critics, Amnesty International said today. | Kamto, the president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun-MRC) is the first of a group of 131 people arbitrarily arrested last month and charged by the military court with rebellion, hostility against the homeland, incitement to insurrection, offence against the president of the republic, and destruction of public buildings and goods, to b…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/cameroon-opposition-leader-and-more-than-a-hundred-supporters-face-the-death-penalty/

Turkey: Drop Bogus Coup Charges
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-21
Osman Kavala. | © 2017 Anadolu Kàºltàºr | (Geneva) — Turkey's president and government should stop making baseless accusations, and the Istanbul prosecutor should drop the new charges against 16 people, including Osman Kavala, that view the Gezi protests as a coup attempt, Human Rights Watch said today. | Turkish media on February 20 reported that an Istanbul prosecutor has prepared a 657-page indictment holding Kavala, a civic leader, an…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/21/turkey-drop-bogus-coup-charges

Profiteering from misery
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-02-21
The Australian Financial Review has revealed that the federal Coalition government awarded a $423 million security and cleaning contract for three Manus Island refugee detention centres to Paladin Group, a company that, at the time, was registered to a Kangaroo Island beach shack. | Incredibly, the minister for cruelty and home affairs Peter Dutton claims he knew nothing about it. However, we now know the home affairs department secretary authorised a "closed tender" fo…
greenleft.org.au/content/profiteering-misery

Leyes concebidas para silenciar: ataques a las organizaciones de la sociedadd civil
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
En todo el mundo y cada vez más a menudo, las organizaciones de la sociedad civil y los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos que alzan la voz contra las leyes y las prácticas gubernamentales injustas, cuestionan la opinión pública o a quienes están en el poder, y exigen justicia, dignidad y libertad son objeto de ataques. Estos agentes sociales se enfrentan a campañas difamatorias y hostigamiento, y a procesamientos por cargos falsos, detenciones arbitrarias, agresiones físicas e incluso la muerte o desapariciones forzadas sólo por la labor que desarrollan.
amnesty.org/en/documents/act30/9647/2019/es/

Ex-Pinochet secret police agent Adriana Rivas' extradition case deferred
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-02-21
Former secret police agent under dictator General Augusto Pinochet Adriana Rivas will face court again on March 1 to see if she is extradited back to Chile, where she is facing charges relating to alleged torture and kidnapping offences. | While visiting Chile in 2007, Rivas was arrested for the aggravated kidnapping of seven victims in 1976. At the time she was the principal assistant to Manuel Contreras, the former head of Pinochet's National Intelligence Directorate (DINA). | All of the victims subsequently disappeared after undergoing vicious torture sessions. | However, shortly after being charged, Rivas bre…
greenleft.org.au/content/ex-pinochet-secret-police-agent-adriana-rivas-extradition-case-deferred

Des lois conàßues pour museler : La répression mondiale des organisations de la société civile
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
Partout dans le monde, les organisations de la société civile et les défenseur ∑e ∑s des droits humains qui dénoncent les lois et pratiques gouvernementales injustes, s'opposent à l'opinion publique ou aux personnes au pouvoir ou exigent la justice, la dignité et la liberté sont de plus en plus la cible d'attaques. Dans ce contexte, une tendance mondiale dans le cadre de laquelle des États mettent en place et utilisent des lois pour entraver le droit à la liberté d'association et le travail des organisations de la société civile et des personnes travaillant avec ces organisations a émergé. Ce rapport démo…
amnesty.org/en/documents/act30/9647/2019/fr/

Jordan: 'Fake News' Amendments Need Revision
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-21
Jordanian parliament in session. | © 2016 Sam McNeil/AP Images | (Amman) — Proposed amendments to Jordan's 2015 Electronic Crimes Law would overly restrict freedom of expression by stipulating criminal penalties for posting "fake news" or engaging in "hate speech" online, Human Rights Watch said today. | The amendments maintain criminal penalties for online defamation but, in a positive move, would eliminate pretrial detention for this offense. Au…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/21/jordan-fake-news-amendments-need-revision

Malawi: Minister's shameful denial comments fueling attacks against persons with albinism
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
The Minister of Homeland Security's comments that attacks on persons with albinism have not reached crisis levels will only embolden those perpetrating the assaults and are a disturbing reminder of the government's inaction on the issue, Amnesty International said today. | | Malawi is experiencing a r…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/malawi-minister-shameful-denial-comments-fueling-attacks-against-persons-with-albinism/

DR Congo: Police Killed, 'Disappeared' 34 Youth
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-21

| February 20, 2019 Video | Video: Police Abduct, Strangle, Disappear Young Men and Boys in Congo: | Security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo summarily killed at least 27 young men and boys and forcibly disappeared 7 others during an anti-crime campaign between May and September 2018. The campaign, known among the police as "Operation Likofi IV," targeted alleged gang membe…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/21/dr-congo-police-killed-disappeared-34-youth

Mozambique: Media Barred from Insurgent Region
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-21
Mozambican army soldiers patrol the streets of Mocimboa da Praia after security in the area was increased following a two-day attack by suspected Islamist fighters, March 2018. | © 2018 ADRIEN BARBIER/AFP/Getty Images | (Johannesburg) — Mozambique's state security forces are intimidating, detaining, and prosecuting journalists covering the fighting against an armed Islamist group in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. For 13 days in…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/21/mozambique-media-barred-insurgent-region

Creative disruption: How Sudanese protesters have used art to sustain demos
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
The protests in Sudan are in their third month now. The government's response has been brutal with many protesters killed, and many others arrested, tortured or ill-treated in detention. People's homes have been raided, patients in hospitals attacked with tear gas and live ammunition, among them children and the elderly. But the people have remained resolute in exercising their right to freedom of assembly. | Thousands of people have turned out to protest in different cities and villages every day. While the protests which began on 19 December 2018 were sparked by the deterioration of the living conditions due t…
amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2019/02/creative-disruption-how-sudanese-protesters-have-used-art-to-sustain-demos/

Sri Lanka: Amnesty International Secretary General Kumi Naidoo writes to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-21
OPEN LETTER BY KUMI NAIDOO ON THE DEATH PENALTY | Your Excellency | I am writing to plead for the lives of prisoners who may soon be put to death if executions resume in Sri Lanka. | More than four decades ago, your country stopped the implementation of this ultimate, cruel, in human and degrading punishment, becoming one of the few South Asian countries to do so. The death penalty is now only applied by a shrinking minority of countries around the world. In December 2018, Sri Lanka was among the 121 states that voted in favour of a resolution on the "Moratorium on the use of the death penalty" at the 73rd United…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/sri-lanka-open-letter-by-kumi-naidoo-on-the-death-penalty/

A Supreme Court Milestone for Students' Free Speech Rights
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-20
In 1969, a group of public school students protesting the Vietnam War made First Amendment history that stands strong to this day. | This month marks 50 years since the landmark Supreme Court ruling that cemented students' rights to free speech in public schools, Tinker v. Des Moines. We're inspired to see that students still take advantage of their First Amendment rights and speak out on political issues today. | We grew up in Iowa, where our father was a Methodist minister. Believing that faith s…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/student-speech-and-privacy/supreme-court-milestone-students-free-speech-rights

Saudi Scholar: My Father Faces the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia for Supporting Human Rights
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-20
While the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October sparked international outrage, far less attention has been paid to the ongoing Saudi repression at home. We speak with Abdullah Alaoudh, whose father has been locked up in solitary confinement in Saudi Arabia for his political activism since September 2017. Prior to his arrest, prominent Islamic scholar Salman Alodah had been a vocal critic of the Saudi monarchy who had called for elections with 14 million Twitter followers. But for the past 17 months, Salman Alodah has been silenced. He was one of dozens of rel…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/20/saudi_sch…

Muslim Group Seeks Congressional Probe on Terror Watchlist
STAFF | truthdig.com | 2019-02-20
FALLS CHURCH, Va.–A Muslim civil rights group called for a congressional investigation Wednesday after its lawsuit revealed that the U.S. government has shared its terrorist watchlist with more than 1,400 private entities, including hospitals and universities. | The Council on American-Islamic Relations said Congress should look into why the FBI has given such wide access to the list, which CAIR believes is riddled with errors. Broad dissemination of the names makes life more difficult for those who are wrongly included, CAIR says. Many on the list are believed to be Muslim. | "This is a wholesale profiling…
truthdig.com/articles/muslim-group-seeks-congressional-probe-on-terror-watchlist/

Civil rights groups sue New Orleans for map of surveillance camera locations
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-02-20
Representing a Louisiana public defender, the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed suit against the City of New Orleans over its refusal to provide a map of the city's 400 real-time surveillance cameras. Though the cameras themselves are publicly visible, the City of New Orleans has refused to comply with a public records request for a map of their locations.
splcenter.org/news/2019/02/20/civil-rights-groups-sue-new-orleans-map-surveillance-camera-locations

Thailand: Further Information: Released Bahraini Returns To Australia: Hakeem Ali al-Araibi
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
On 11 February 2019, Hakeem Ali al-Araibi was released from Bangkok's remand prison after the Bahraini authorities dropped their extradition request. He flew back to Australia the same day. Hakeem was arrested on 27 November 2018, by the Thai authorities upon arrival at Bangkok's international airport, based on an Interpol red notice requesting his extradition to Bahrain. He was expected to serve an unfair 10-year prison sentence there, and would have been at risk of torture and other ill-treatment in detention. Upon his return to Australia, Hakeem thanked the human rights organizations that had acted on his beha…
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa39/9883/2019/en/

'Irritated' by Russia, US Admiral Sends Warship to Black Sea
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2019-02-20
(ANTIWAR.COM) — In November, a maritime incident saw Ukrainian boats enter Russian territorial waters without permission, leading to their capture and detention of their crew. US Admiral James Foggo says he is 'irritated' by that To that end, the admiral has ordered the USS Donald Cook, a destroyer, to enter the Black Sea and conduct naval exercises with Ukraine to …
theantimedia.com/us-admiral-sends-warshi…

ThaàØlande: Un bahreàØnite libéré retourne en Australie
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Hakeem Ali al Araibi a été libéré du centre de détention provisoire de Bangkok le 11 février 2019, après que les autorités bahreàØnites eurent renoncé à leur demande d'extradition. Il est reparti en Australie le jour même. Hakeem Ali al Araibi a été arrêté le 27 novembre 2018 par les autorités thaàØlandaises à son arrivée à l'aéroport international de Bangkok, sur la base d'une notice rouge diffusée par Interpol demandant son extradition vers BahreàØn. Il devait y purger une peine injuste de 10 ans d'emprisonnement, et risquait d'être victime de torture et d'autres mauvais traitements en déte…
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa39/9883/2019/fr/

Argentina: The ignored law of Sexual Education
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Even though the implementation of Sexual Education has been mandatory in all schools in Argentina since 2006, many young people around the country still have no access to basic knowledge of their sexual rights.: | We finish our look into the fight for Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Argentina by looking at how two different communities, in La Plata and Tucuman, address the lack of Sexual Education available to young people. | For young people, having Sexual Education classes is key to learning about their changing bodies, desires and relationships. But, equally important, these classes are necessary for…
amnesty.org/en/latest/education/2019/02/argentina-fighting-for-sexual-education/

Egypt: Execution of nine men after an unfair trial a monumental disgrace
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Responding to the news that Egyptian authorities have today executed nine men convicted after a grossly unfair trial for the 2015 killing of the country's former Public Prosecutor, Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director said: | "By carrying out the executions of these nine men today Egypt has demonstrated an absolute disregard for the right to life. | "Those responsible for the attack that killed Egypt's former public prosecutor deserve to be punished but executing men who were convicted in trials marred by torture allegations is not justice but a testament to the magnitude of i…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/egypt-execution-of-nine-men-after-an-unfair-trial-a-monumental-disgrace/

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Activist Held in Solitary Confinement: Nassima al-Sada
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Woman human rights defender, Nassima al-Sada, was placed in solitary confinement since early February 2019, in al-Mabahith Prison in Dammam. Nassima has been detained since July 2018 without charge or trial. Nassima's detention was part of a recent wave of arrests that targeted Saudi human rights activists. Since May 2018, at least 15 human rights activists, including several women human rights defenders have been detained without charge in Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International calls on the Saudi authorities to release Nassima al-Sada and all other human rights activists immediately and unconditionally.
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde23/9874/2019/en/

Tunisia: Emergency Powers Bill Threatens Rights
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-20
Riot police patrols the district of Intilaka, north of Tunis, Tunisia, Thursday Jan. 11, 2018. | © 2018 Amine Landoulsi/AP Images | (Tunis) — Tunisia's Parliament should abandon or substantially revise a bill that would give the government sweeping powers to restrict rights during declared states of emergency, Human Rights Watch said today. | The legislation would allow the executive to prohibit any strike or demonstration deemed to threaten publ…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/tunisia-emergency-powers-bill-threatens-rights

With Trump Beating War Drums, Coalition Calls on Congress to Oppose Sanctions, Back Diplomacy With Iran
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-02-20
Amid rampant warnings that "the drums of war are beating" since President Donald Trump ditched the Iran nuclear deal last year, more than 50 pro-democracy groups representing millions of Americans are calling on members of Congress to rein in the Trump administration's hawkish policy toward Iran—which has included crippling economic sanctions—and instead push for diplomacy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/news/2019/02/20/trump-beating-war-drums-coalition-calls-congress-oppose-sanctions-back-diplomacy?cd-origin=rss

Nauru: Deterring essential medical transfers risks deadly consequences
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Responding to news that the government of Nauru has passed a law severely restricting medical transfers to Australia for refugees and asylum seekers, Meghna Abraham, Director of Global Thematic Issues at Amnesty International, said: | "This move by the Nauru government is a dangerous and callous act that could have deadly consequences for the women, men and children whom Australia has exiled there. | "Nauru has failed to provide refugees with the health care they desperately need. Denying them medical transfers is yet another blow and demonstrates just how far the human rights of refugees have slipped down Nauru…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/naurudeterring-essential-medical-transfers-risks-deadly-consequences/

Mexico Shouldn't Eliminate Key Disability Rights Agency
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-20
Then-president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets supporters during a rally in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. | © 2018 Cesar Rodriguez/Bloomberg via Getty Images | On February 18, Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, suggested he would dissolve the country's National Council for People with Disabilities, claiming it only fulfills administrative functions. He did no…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/mexico-shouldnt-eliminate-key-disability-rights-agency

Tailandia: Bahreiní regresa a Australia tras quedar en libertad
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
El 11 de febrero de 2019, Hakeem Ali al Araibi salió en libertad del centro de presos preventivos de Bangkok tras retirar las autoridades de Bahréin su petición de extradición. Ese mismo día embarcó en un vuelo en dirección a Australia. Hakeem había sido detenido por las autoridades tailandesas a su llegada al aeropuerto internacional de Bangkok, el 27 de noviembre de 2018, por una notificación roja de la Interpol en la que se solicitaba su extradición a Bahréin, donde se suponía que debería cumplir una condena injusta de 10 años y habría corrido peligro de tortura y otros malos tratos bajo custodia. A su llegada…
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa39/9883/2019/es/

Residents Caught in Outbreak of Violence in Cameroon
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-20
A school classroom in the Anglophone region of Cameroon. | © 2018 Bede Sheppard/Human Rights Watch | On February 16, 170 students, mostly girls under 18, were abducted by a group of armed separatists from a boarding school in Kumbo, in the North-West region of Cameroon. The separatists, who stormed the building in the early hours, also abducted a teacher and two guards. Everyone was released the following day amid rumours of ransoms being paid. The school remains closed. | Human Rights Watch has interviewed numerou…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/residents-caught-outbreak-violence-cameroon

Venezuela: Hunger, punishment and fear, the formula for repression used by authorities under Nicolás Maduro
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Venezuelan security forces under the command of Nicolás Maduro executed and used excessive force against people, and arbitrarily detained hundreds of others, including teenagers, in an escalation of their policy of repression as a means of controlling the people of Venezuela and particularly to punish residents of impoverished neighborhoods that decided to protest between 21 and 25 January 2019.
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/venezuela-hunger-punishment-and-fear-the-formula-for-repression-used-by-authorities-under-nicolas-maduro/

The hidden victims of repression — how activists and reporters can protect themselves from secondary trauma
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Peaceful protest has long been a way for ordinary people to take a stand against hate, injustice, and corruption. The contentious issues — and types of repression meted out — may change with the times, but the violence itself remains a constant. | Sweeping crackdowns on protest in Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela in recent weeks serve as a reminder of the violence people face when they dare to speak out. Governments continue to unleash an arsenal of tools to suppress dissidents, from batons and pipes, to tear gas and even live bullets. As the death tolls in these countries mount, so does a growing sense…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/how-activists-and-reporters-can-protect-themselves-from-secondary-trauma/

United Arab Emirates: Baloch Activist Held Incommunicado: Rashid Hussain Brohi
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
On 26 December 2018, Emirati security forces detained Pakistani national Rashid Hussain Brohi without an arrest warrant. He has been held incommunicado since then. Emirati authorities have not disclosed his location, any cause for arrest, or any charges being raised against him. There are strong indications that Emirati officials are preparing to deport or extrajudicially render Rashid Hussain to Pakistan, where he was involved in Baloch activism prior to moving to the Emirates. There is reason to fear his life would be in danger if he were forcibly returned to Pakistan.
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/9880/2019/en/

Somaliland: Free Poet Detained for Critical Poems
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-20
Abdirahman Abees. | © 2019 Private | (Nairobi, February 19, 2019) — Somaliland authorities should immediately and unconditionally release from arbitrary detention Abdirahman Ibrahim Adan, a poet known as "Abdirahman Abees," Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said today. Abdirahman, a popular Somaliland poet and British dual citizen, has been held at the central prison in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, for over a month, solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.
hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/somaliland-free-poet-detained-critical-poems

A Wisconsin School District Shrugged After High School Coaches Body-Shamed Cheerleaders
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-19
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…
aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/womens-rights-education/wisconsin-school-district-shrugged-after-high-school

Trump's Iran strategy: regime change or regime collapse?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-02-19
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, …
uwidata.com/2271-trumps-iran-strategy-regime-change-or-regime-collapse/

Ireland: Brexit and DUP's opposition to rights put unity referendum firmly on the agenda
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-02-19
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 straightjackets of unionism and nationalism are becoming less relevant. Yes, we have seen more polarised e…
greenleft.org.au/content/ireland-brexit-and-dup%E2%80%99s-opposition-rights-put-unity-referendum-firmly-agenda

Former Pinochet secret police agent Adriana Rivas arrested in Sydney
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-02-19
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…
greenleft.org.au/content/former-pinochet-secret-police-agent-adriana-rivas-arrested-sydney

Jewish Activists Hold Solidarity Shabbat Defending Angela Davis in Birmingham & Across U.S
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-18
Jewish supporters of Angela Davis across the nation held solidarity Shabbat on Friday evening, the night before the civil rights icon had been expected to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The institute rescinded the honor in January due to Davis' support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. The institute later reversed this decision after international outcry, but Davis has yet to accept the award. Democracy Now! was in Birmingham on Friday and attended a Shabbat in support of An…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/18/jewish_ac…

Angela Davis Returns to Birmingham, Reflecting on Palestinian Rights & Fight for Freedom Everywhere
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-18
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/18/angela_da…

Racial Equity Groups Mobilize In Support of Voting Rights Act Hearings
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2019-02-18
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 …
naacp.org/latest/racial-equity-groups-mobilize-support-voting-rights-act-hearings/

Birmingham Civil Rights Group Reoffers Award to Angela Davis–But She Says Community Should Decide
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-18
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/18/birmingha…

Trump Hits Venezuela with More Sanctions as US Military Planes Bring 'Aid'
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-02-18
Three USAF planes landed 8km from the Venezuelan border, allegedly carrying "humanitarian aid."
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14332