(2019-05-29). 'Criminalizing Compassion': Trial Begins for Humanitarian Facing 20 Years in Prison for Giving Water to Migrants in Arizona Desert. commondreams.org Human rights advocates accused the U.S. Justice Department of "criminalizing compassion" as a federal trial began in Arizona Wednesday for activist Scott Warren, who faces up to 20 years in prison for providing humanitarian aid to migrants in the desert. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-29). Egypt rejects charges of human rights violations in North Sinai. cgtn.com 
The Egyptian army denounced on Tuesday a report by the Human Rights Watch accusing the army of alleged human rights violations during anti-terror operations in the North Sinai province. | FILE — Egyptian army troops — Reuters | Egyptian military spokesman Tamer al-Refae told the official news agency MENA that some politicized organizations seek to tarnish the image of Egypt and its army through "fabricating" such reports. | Refae said the Egyptian army takes into consideration the international human rights standards on protecting civilians during the operations, by carrying out airstrikes on target…
(2019-05-29). Wikileaks Confirms Assange Moved to Prison Medical Area. telesurenglish.net Wikileaks issued a statement about the "grave health concerns" they have over Julian Assange who is currently being held in Belmarsh prison in the United Kingdom and confirmed that he has been moved to the health ward. | RELATED | US Announces 17 New Charges Against Julian Assange | According to the statement, Assange's health "had already significantly deteriorated after seven years in the Ecuadorean embassy" in London "under conditions that were incompatible with human rights." | The st…
(2019-05-29). Interfaith Activists Push for Reproductive Justice. progressive.org Less visible, but no less vocal than anti-abortion groups, are religiously-grounded defenders of strong and expansive reproductive rights…
(2019-05-29). Prominent Dems introduce anti-forced arbitration bill. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Prominent congressional Democrats, including the chair of the relevant House committee and eight presidential hopefuls, want to negate the Supreme Court's ruling that mandates company-friendly forced arbitration that overrides workers' rights. The Restoring Justice for Workers Act, unveiled by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Va., …
(2019-05-29). Six Children Have Died While in ICE Custody — Why? therealnews.com 
Undocumented immigrants seeking asylum are being separated from their children and detained in prison camps as more restrictive racist policies are being imposed by Trump. We discuss the policy with the Border Rights Center Director of ACLU Texas, Astrid Dominguez…
(2019-05-29). Center for Constitutional Rights Launches Open Records Project. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-05-29). Headlines for May 29, 2019. democracynow.org SCOTUS Makes 2 Key Decisions on Indiana Abortion Laws, Missouri's Last Abortion Clinic May Shut Down This Week, Netflix Considers Georgia Production Boycott After Abortion Ban, Sen. Kamala Harris Announces Plan for Gov't Oversight of New State Abortion Laws, Rights Groups Challenge Rule Allowing Providers to Refuse Healthcare Based on Religious Belief, PA Policy Allowing Students to Choose Bathroom Remains in Place After SCOTUS Declines Challenge, Sen. McConnell Would Confirm a Trump SCOTUS Nominee in 2020, Angela Merkel Warns Against Rise of Nationalism, At Least 20 Civilians Killed in Syria as U.N. Warns of Hum…
(2019-05-29). In San Jose, Protesters Call for Preservation of Abortion Rights. indybay.org "If You're Against Abortions Have a Vasectomy" and other placards at protest in San Jose on May 21. | Photos by: Aria Barajas, ProBonoPhoto. Please credit the author. Non-commercial use only.
(2019-05-29). London: Diaspora Ugandans Protest Deadly Lawless Land-grabs By Country's Dictator Gen. Museveni For "Investors" blackstarnews.com 
Ugandan Diaspora in U.K. protest the deadly lawless regime land-grabs for foreign investors in their homeland. | [Comment: Open Letter] | Statement by Ugandans in the United Kingdom Demanding End to Land Grabs and Evictions. | 28 May 2019, London | | Ugandans in Britain held a demonstration at the Uganda High Commission in central London on 28 May 2019 and called for rights to land and against seizures. | The protest followed high profile cases of evictions by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, including Uganda police and military, known as the UPDF (Uganda Peoples Defense Force) killings, shooting and arrests of…
(2019-05-29). Ban on Gay Dating App Grindr a Blow for Sexual Rights and Freedom in Lebanon. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-05-29). Raising Some Issues at Oral Communications. indybay.org Continued delay and inaction on providing homeless shelter and services (to say nothing of civil rights) for homeless folks was the silent part of yesterday's Santa Cruz City Council agenda. Several of us raised issues at Oral Communications…
(2019-05-29). National Civil Rights Group Condemns Senator McConnell's Statement Regarding the Filling of a Supreme Court Vacancy in the 2020 Election Cycle. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-05-29). ACLU Lawyer: "Abortion Today Is Still Legal in All 50 States" Despite Draconian Anti-Choice Bills. democracynow.org 
As states around the country ramp up their attacks on reproductive rights, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to rule on an Indiana law that would bar abortions based on the sex, race or disability of the fetus. The decision will keep in place a lower court's injunction on the measure. However, the Supreme Court decided to allow Indiana's so-called fetal burial law to go into effect, which stipulates that abortion clinics must dispose of fetal remains either through burial or cremation. The measure was signed into law by then-Governor Mike Pence in 2016. We speak with Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, senior staff attorney…
(2019-05-29). The Government Needs to Get a Warrant if It Wants Access to Our Private Health Information. aclu.org Choosing between obtaining health care and giving up one's privacy rights is no choice at all. | The Drug Enforcement Administration is once again trying to access private prescription records of patients — this time in New Hampshire — without a warrant, despite a state law to the contrary. Today the ACLU filed a brief in support of the state of New Hampshire's fight to defend the privacy of our sensitive medical information against unwarranted searches by law enforcement. | New Hampshire — like 48 other states, the…
(2019-05-29). Trump Administration Separates Some Migrant Mothers From Their Newborns. truthout.org This is the third article in a Rewire.News series on the treatment of pregnant migrants under the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy. Read the first article here, and the second article here.It has been almost a year since President Donald Trump signed the executive order purporting to end his policy of separating parents and children at the U.S.-Mexico bor…
(2019-05-29). Egypt receives most wanted terrorist from Libya. cgtn.com 
Egypt has secured the transfer of Hisham al-Ashmawi, one of Egypt's most wanted terrorists, from Libya where he was detained by the Libyan National Army (LNA), to Egyptian intelligence agency, local media reported Wednesday. | The Egyptian state TV showed footage of masked Egyptian army personnel leading al-Ashmawi, who was captured in eastern Libyan city of Derna last year, to an Egyptian plane. | Another wanted terrorist was also handed over by the LNA to the Egyptian authorities, the TV reported. | Al-Ashmawi, who is also known as Abu Omar El-Mohager, is considered among the most dangerous terrorists linked…
(2019-05-29). More than 120,000 Missing People in Colombia. plenglish.com Bogota, May 29 (Prensa Latina) In the framework of the world commemoration of the Week of Detained-Missing People, the need to make progress in Colombia to search for more than 120,000 missing people was brought forth.
(2019-05-29). US Sanctions Hinder Sowing Plan in Venezuela. plenglish.com Caracas, May 29 (Prensa Latina) The blockade imposed by the United States and the economic war hinder the 2019 sowing plan in Venezuela, causing a decrease in the number of hectares planned for cultivation, denounced Wednesday the constituent congressman Braulio Alvarez.
(2019-05-29). The Crimes of US Blockade Against Venezuela. telesurenglish.net teleSUR provides comprehensive coverage of the brutal impacts of half a decade of U.S. sanctions.
(2019-05-29). The Ever Dependable Bully on Embassy Row. counterpunch.org Embassy raided; citizens starved by sanctions; coveted oil resources targeted—again. The United States is still punishing Iran for the 1979 takeover of its 'sacred' premises, its embassy in Tehran. By contrast, when American authorities occupy another nation's embassy there's nothing but approval from its citizens and silent acquiescence by others. I don't know about you, More
(2019-05-29). Sabotage to Ten Cargo Ships Preventing Them from Arriving in Venezuela. globalresearch.ca The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, on Monday announced that ten boats with gasoline heading to the South American country were the object of sabotage, as part of the "persecution" resulting from the sanctions imposed by the US, against …
(2019-05-29). US Hints at Sanctions Against Venezuela CLAP Food Programme as Maduro Incorporates Militia. venezuelanalysis.com The Venezuelan President looks to combat corruption and improve the programme which benefits 6 million Venezuelan families.
(2019-05-28). North Koreans trapped in 'vicious cycle of deprivation, corruption, repression' and endemic bribery: UN human rights office. un.org Bribery is the main way people in North Korea get food, healthcare, shelter and work, a new UN human rights office report said on Tuesday.
(2019-05-28). Tuesday's Daily Brief: violence surges in Nigeria, anti-Semitism on the march, taxing pollution to tackle climate crisis, and more. un.org Tuesday's main stories include: thousands fleeing into Niger as violence surges in Nigeria; UN rights office condemns rise in anti-Semitic incidents; UN chief says tax pollution, not people for climate's sake; North Koreans trapped in vicious cycle of corruption and bribery; Ebola latest from DR Congo.
(2019-05-28). Lawmakers From 11 States Have a Plan to Tackle Suicide and Other Issues Veterans Face. theintercept.com "When you look at the interest for this in red, blue, and purple states, that is a great mandate for the federal government to do something."
(2019-05-28). In a Painful Setback, Kenya's High Court Upholds Antigay Laws. thenation.com In a Painful Setback, Kenya's High Court Upholds Antigay Laws…
(2019-05-28). Video: US Sanctions Leave Millions of Venezuelans Without Water. theantimedia.com "You can't blame the Maduro government, but as for the United States, this Donald Trump is mean. He's mean and he's blocked a lot of things. We have to support each other and this U.S. blockade has to end." — Yolimar Contreras Transcript: Yolimar Contreras lives in a poor barrio, on the hillsides of Caracas, with …
(2019-05-27). Philippines: Left prepares for 'long fight' against Duterte following stolen election. greenleft.org.au 
The election of 12 new senators was proclaimed on May 22 by the Philippines electoral commission (COMELEC) following mid-term elections on May 13. All were from the grouping endorsed by authoritarian President Rodrigo Duterte. | Duterte is best known internationally for his "war on drugs". In reality this is a war on the country's poor majority, a turf war by drug traffickers (who are Duterte's cronies) and a human rights catastrophe that has killed thousands — some estimate more than 20,000. | The unlikely clean sweep by his candidates for the Senate is just part of the evidence for electoral fra…
(2019-05-27). Disaster capitalism, national liberation and the Philippines election. greenleft.org.au 
Left-wing parties ran a separate Senate campaign in the May 13 Philippines elections to the mainstream opposition parties, which ran as part of the Otso Diretso electoral alliance. | Centred round the Liberal Party of former President Ninoy Aquino, these opposition parties have a better record on human rights and respect for the rule of law than psychotic incumbent, President Rodrigo Duterte, but are still dominated by corrupt trapos — traditional politicians from the political dynasties of the ruling oligarchy. | However, one Otso Diretso candidate endorsed by the left-wing Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) was…
(2019-05-26). NYC: 1,000 rally to defend abortion rights. liberationnews.org 
"Without this basic right women can't be free, abortion on demand and without apology," chanted the multi-generational crowd.
(2019-05-26). Thousands in Chicago rally for abortion rights. liberationnews.org 
"We won't go back!"
(2019-05-26). 'Time for some statue removals?' Twitter reacts to MLK sex life claims, rape comments. rt.com 
US civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. allegedly "looked on and laughed" as a Baptist minister friend raped a woman, according to FBI records accessed by an American historian.
(2019-05-26). The Indian Government Has Systematically Used Torture to Crush Opposition in Kashmir, New Report Finds. theintercept.com 
A landmark report has accused the Indian government of "systematically and indiscriminately" using torture as a tool to crush an independence movement in the northern state of Kashmir. | The roughly 550-page report, issued last week, documents hundreds of individual cases of torture perpetrated by the Indian military over the last four decades — and not a single prosecution to hold the perpetrators accountable. The conflict in Kashmir dates back to the 1…
(2019-05-26). UN Mission in Afghanistan gravely concerned about ill-treatment of prisoners by Taliban, following first-hand testimony. un.org The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed "grave concern" on Sunday over "credible accounts" it has been given that Taliban militants have been mistreating prisoners, which in some cases "may amount to torture".
(2019-05-26). US Sanctions Leave Millions of Venezuelans Without Water. therealnews.com 
"You can't blame the Maduro government, but as for the United States, this Donald Trump is mean. He's mean and he's blocked a lot of things. We have to support each other and this U.S. blockade has to end." — Yolimar Contreras…
(2019-05-26). Iran Economic Sanctions Cost Lives. therealnews.com 
The Trump administration's illegal economic sanctions against Iran reduce access to essential medicines, according to UN experts and interview with CEPR's Mark Weisbrot…
(2019-05-25). Virginia Prisons Putting Up Obstacles to Ramadan Observance. theintercept.com For the last three weeks, Muslims around the world have been observing the month of Ramadan by fasting from food and drink from dawn to sunset — a period of about 16 to 18 hours in the United States. The six to eight non-fasting hours, then, are an important time to recharge and rehydrate. Yet in at least two Virginia state prisons, according to civil rights groups, Muslims are being denied basic rights, despite constitutional protections and federal laws around religious freedom. | In one Virginia prison, Muslims known to be fasting are not being served breakfast before sunrise, while at another prison, Mu…
(2019-05-25). One Night, Two Executions, and More Questions About Torture. theintercept.com 
As the sun began to set over the prayer vigil outside Tennessee's Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, where 68-year-old Don Johnson was about to die, another execution was underway some 400 miles south of Nashville. "I would like to thank Jesus for everything he's done for me," Michael Brandon Samra said as he lay on the gurney in Atmore, Alabama. "I want to thank Jesus for shedding his blood for my sins. Thank you for your grace, Jesus. Amen." | Samra was strapped down and wrapped in a tight white blanket covering his feet. His execution had been scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 16, but for reasons no one explain…
(2019-05-24). Trump's charges against Assange are historic attack on press freedoms. Media and Obama helped set the stage. thegrayzone.com It is not just Trump, but the media, Obama, Bush, mainstream "human rights" organizations, Republicans and Democrats alike that put…
(2019-05-24). US abortion rights attacks escalate. greenleft.org.au 
Legislative attacks on abortion rights in the US have escalated this year, as social conservatives have shifted tactics with an unprecedented wave of state abortion bans adopted. | The most restrictive legislation was signed into law by Alabama's governor on May 15. It bans abortion altogether, except for cases of medical emergency. Pregnancy resulting from sexual assault is no exception and doctors performing abortions are criminalised with penalties of up to 99 years in jail. | On May 7, Georgia became the fourth state this year (after Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio) to sign into law an abortion ban from t…
(2019-05-24). Friday's Daily Brief: Honouring fallen peacekeepers, action against gender-based violence; LGBT rights in Kenya, Rohingya water crisis. un.org Friday's main stories include: Honouring UN peacekeepers; landmark conference to combat sexual and gender-based violence in crises; Kenya upholds LGBT ban; UNICEF's plea for Afghani children; Brazil's bid to compensate tobacco smokers; Water shortages in Bangladesh…
(2019-05-24). DHS Is Locking Immigrants in Solitary Confinement. aclu.org As ICE detention numbers reach record high, new reports are extremely troubling. | In 2012, I visited the federal supermax prison ADX Florence in Colorado and spoke with men living in solitary confinement. I listened closely to their stories of anguish, but I could not understand how they survived it. They told me of the horror of being trapped in a small room, without access to fresh air or sunlight, for at least 22 hours a day — alone, afraid, and not knowing when it would end. I learned that people in solitary confinement talk to the walls, to themselves, to no one — sometimes they stop talking alt…
(2019-05-24). Alabama Is Trying to Ban Abortion. Today We Filed Suit to Stop Them. aclu.org Abortion is a right and this attack on abortion rights won't succeed. | Last week, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation banning nearly all abortions. The law, which threatens doctors with up to 99 years in prison for performing abortions, is the anti-abortion opposition's true agenda on display: ban abortion, jail doctors, and push this essential health care out of reach. | These are undoubtedly dark times in the fight for reproductive freedom as Alabama and states across the South and Midwest aggressively push to place such onerous restrictions on abortion so that the procedure is all but rendered inaccessib…
(2019-05-24). As the far right grows, its mask comes off. greenleft.org.au 
The brutal face of hard right and fascist reaction has been on vivid display on the issues of women's rights and the climate crisis in the past few weeks. | In Germany the AfD (Alliance for Germany) launched a vicious attack on inspirational teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, portraying her as an extremist and suggesting she needs treatment for her "psychosis" — a shabby reference to her autism. | Rejecting near-unanimous scientific opinion, the AfD said that the climate justice movement is scare mongering about levels of carbon dioxide emissions, asserting that the gas is a beneficial plant nutrient.
(2019-05-23). "India Loses Again, and the World Loses with It": Siddhartha Deb on Modi's Landslide Re-election. democracynow.org 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears set to enter a second term in a landslide victory. Election results show Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP party leading in 325 of the 543 seats in Parliament. At this rate, these numbers will give him an even greater majority than in 2014, when his party claimed the first outright majority in decades. Most analysts had predicted Modi's BJP party would lose seats in this election. Modi's government has been criticized for a crackdown on civil society, targeting political opponents, journalists, human rights activists, lawyers and writers. Human rights groups have also raised…
(2019-05-23). For Afro-Colombians, the 2016 Peace Treaty Brought No Peace. thenation.com For Afro-Colombians, the 2016 Peace Treaty Brought No Peace…
(2019-05-23). Palestinians overwhelmingly condemn German Parliament's anti-Palestinian resolution. bdsmovement.net 
Palestinians overwhelmingly condemn German Parliament's anti-Palestinian resolution: Open LetterPalestinian civil society coalitions, human rights organizations, labor unions, and representatives of the Palestinian people, condemn in the strongest terms the German Parliament's resolution which is based on outright lies and equates the nonviolent BDS movement for Palestinian right…
(2019-05-21). 'We're Still Going to Be Making Sure People Have Access to Abortions They Want and Need' – CounterSpin interview with Jill Heaviside and Oriaku Njoku on reproductive rights assaults. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Jill Heaviside and Oriaku Njoku about resisting assaults on reproductive rights for the May 17, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2019-05-21). Taking Action to #StopTheBans. progressive.org Across the country this week, advocates for reproductive justice and women's rights are rallying to put a stop to the onslaught of restrictive abortion laws.