(2019-12-25). Medical Opinion, Torture and Julian Assange. counterpunch.org On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in More
(2019-12-25). Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf orders mass arrest of Housing Justice protesters. indybay.org An inspirational day of solidarity with unhoused Oaklanders turned into a traumatic night after mayor Libby Schaaf directed a small army of police and DPW workers to smash a housing rights protest held on the doorstep of City Hall. For daring to challenge the Oakland's never ending war against the homeless — the city's encampment demolitions and evictions, the towing of residential vehicles, and a lack of earnestness and urgency in addressing the housing crisis — twenty-two people were arrested and sent to Santa Rita jail, some for over two days.
(2019-12-25). Basta FridayWeekly Save Chelsea from Torture and Death Vigil&Music. indybay.org Fruitvale &MacArthur oakland 94602…
(2019-12-25). 'Solitary confinement' in own home: Father of Pakistan's atomic bomb petitions high court for 'freedom'. rt.com 
The atomic scientist chiefly responsible for making Pakistan a nuclear power is now asking the country's Supreme Court to set him free, as he has spent almost 15 years under guard in his home, cut off from family and friends. | Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, considered the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, was detained in 2004 after confessing to illegally giving nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. He was first imprisoned by the government of General Pervez Musharraf, who was himself ousted in 2008 and recently convicted in absentia of treason. | Now 83, Khan is petitioning the highest court in the lan…
(2019-12-24). Trump boasts of Democrats' backing for his assault on immigrants. wsws.org With bipartisan support, conditions on the US-Mexico border and in detention centers for immigrants have become increasingly hellish.
(2019-12-24). US Congress Committee to Investigate Death of Detained Migrants. telesurenglish.net The House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Chairman Jamie Raskin announced Monday that they will investigate the deaths of migrant children and adults who were held in U.S. detention centers. | RELATED: | US Awards Migration Detention Contracts Ahead of California Ban | Given that a recent report warned of the existence of a "pattern of negligence and abuse that caused serious damage and the d…
(2019-12-24). Immigration detention centers "rife with abuse," investigation reveals. peoplesdispatch.org An investigation into the detention centers maintained under the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), by USA Today, revealed rampant physical and sexual abuse of migrant detainees. The investigation, published on December 23, analyzed inspection reports since 2015, and identified more than 16,000 reports of violence, apart from hundreds of documents and records of inspections, lawsuits, finance reports and contracts. The investigation also documented 35 first hand accounts from current and former detainees, about the conditions inside the centers. | This is the largest and the most extensive i…
(2019-12-24). Haitian Women Raped by UN Chilean Peacekeepers Seek Justice. telesurenglish.net The Chilean Human Rights Commission (CCHDH) and about a dozen Haitian, women's rights and pro-immigrant organizations said on Monday that they were seeking justice for the women who were sexually abused by Chilean soldiers participating in UN peacekeeping operations in the Caribbean nation. | RELATED: | Hundreds of Haitian Children Fathered, Abandoned by UN Staff | A recent report published on the academic website The Conversation and cited by The New York Times said that Ha…
(2019-12-24). Headlines for December 24, 2019. democracynow.org House Could Bring Additional Articles of Impeachment Against Trump, Boeing Fires CEO Dennis Muilenburg over 737 MAX Jet Controversy, NYT: Pentagon May Withdraw U.S. Troops from West Africa, Syria: Up to 100,000 Civilians Forced to Flee Intensification of Fighting in Idlib, Asian Leaders Urge U.S. & North Korea to Move Toward Peace, Report: Canadian Police Were Prepared to Use Lethal Force Against Indigenous Land Defenders, Trump Met with Accused War Criminal Eddie Gallagher, Nigerian Man Dies in ICE Custody in Maryland, Colorado Governor Pardons Woman Who Took Sanctuary to Fight Her Deportation, Former Black Pant…
(2019-12-24). Court Denies Pre-Trial Detention Request of Cristina Fernandez. telesurenglish.net Federal Oral Court No.8 revoked the request for pre-trial detention of Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez this Tuesday, in one of several open cases against her. | RELATED: | Alberto and Cristina Star in New Oliver Stone's Documentary | The Court, composed of judges Gabriela Lopez Iñiguez, Jose Michilini and Daniel Obligado, ordered the termination of the preventive detention order issued by Claudio Bonadio, a well-known judge opposed to the former president, for all the o…
(2019-12-24). Israel Detains 31 Palestinians Including University Professor and Two Minors. imemc.org Israeli forces detained 31 Palestinians, including a university professor, in multiple incursions across the West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Palestine Prisoners' Society (PPS) confirmed in a press release that Israeli forces detained Ahmad Qatamesh, 68, Monday night, after invading his house in Ramallah city. Qatamesh, …
(2019-12-24). Trump Administration and Moscow Shoot Down Bipartisan DASKA "Sanctions Bill from Hell" globalresearch.ca In August of 2018, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) first introduced what Graham referred to as a "sanctions bill from hell" targeting Russia and President Vladimir Putin and making it harder for the United States to leave …
(2019-12-24). Piñera Enacts Constitutional Reform For Plebiscite In 2020. telesurenglish.net Chilean President, Sebastián Piñera, enacted this Monday the constitutional reform that enables the plebiscite of April 26th, 2020 to carry out a new constitution in the country. | RELATED: | Chile Human Rights Abuses Worst Since Dictatorship: NHRI Warns | At the "Palacio de la Moneda", Piñera said that the reform "defines" the path to achieve a constit…
(2019-12-24). Fast Fashion May Be Cheap, But It Comes at a Cost. truthout.org Would you believe that something as standard as buying a t-shirt can directly impact someone halfway around the world? That the chemicals used to color your clothes are likely polluting waterways? That with every clothing purchase you make, you are essentially voting for or against the future of the planet? | These might not be the first things that come to mind when you decide where to buy your new pants and sweaters and shoes, but the links between "fast fashion," human rights issues, and the environment are well esta…
(2019-12-24). MI5 Given the Go-ahead to Allow Informants to Commit Crimes. globalresearch.ca Human rights campaigners today vowed to appeal against a "knife-edge" divided tribunal ruling which allowed MI5 to continue authorising informants to commit serious criminal offences. | Privacy International, Reprieve, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and the Pat Finucane …
(2019-12-24). US-EU Interventionism in Latin America and the Klaus Barbie Affair. globalresearch.ca In a comprehensive way, Bolivia's coup leaders reincarnate the most sinister ghosts of Latin America and the Caribbean's imperialist torturers and mass murderers. The religious fanaticism of coup figureheads like Camacho and Añez, abject servants of their US owners, invokes …
(2019-12-24). Tax Amazon: Strike While the Iron is Hot. counterpunch.org The history of American capitalism is full of corporate bullying, threats and even violence against working people when we stand up for our rights. | Yet in spite of Amazon's all-out, attempted hostile corporate takeover of Seattle City Hall this year, working people just beat the richest man in the world by running perhaps the strongest grassroots campaign ever in our city. When we fight, we can win. More
(2019-12-24). The Other Americans: Asylum Seekers Routed to Guatemala. commondreams.org People seeking asylum pictured in front of a migrant refugee center in Jalisco, Mexico in 2018. (Photo: Daniel Arauz) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-12-23). Sanctions: A new generation of warfare. workers.org 
Below is a slightly edited version of a talk by Makasi Motema given at a Dec. 19 Workers World Party meeting in New York City. In the winter of 1941, the people of Leningrad survived on 125 grams of bread per day. Half of that bread was made of sawdust. . . . | Continue reading Sanctions: A new generation of warfare at Workers.org
(2019-12-23). The vanguard of Chavism has a woman's face: A chronicle of their resistance in 2019. mronline.org 
In the middle of the year, we Venezuelans received a visit from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michel Bachelet, on the occasion of meeting with the different political actors in the country to "evaluate" the complex economic and social environment brought about by the White House's decision. | Source
(2019-12-23). German government condemns US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline. wsws.org The temporary halt to construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has dramatically intensified tensions between the United States and the European powers.
(2019-12-23). Behind the U.S. anti-China campaign. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Dec. 18 article from Workers World. | In order to evaluate the claims of massive human rights violations of the Uyghurs, an ethnic and religious minority in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, it is important to know a few facts. | | Xinjiang Province in the far western region of China is an arid, mountainous and still largely underdeveloped region. Xinjiang has significant oil and mineral reserves and is currently China's largest natural-gas-producing region. | It is home to a number of diverse ethnic groups, including Turkic-speaking Muslim Uygh…
(2019-12-23). The End of Human Rights. thenation.com The End of Human Rights…
(2019-12-23). Much work needed to 'target unacceptable levels' of racism in Ecuador: UN experts. news.un.org Ecuador must implement and enforce laws and policies to protect the rights of Afro-Ecuadorians, the UN Working Group on People of African Descent said on Monday, calling for an end to the "discrimination, exclusion and extreme poverty they suffer."
(2019-12-23). Another kind of war: Unilateral economic sanctions damage Syria. workers.org 
First published in the German daily newspaper Junge Welt on Dec. 16. Translation by John Catalinotto. At the beginning of December, the Conference of Germany's State Interior Ministers extended the ban on deportations to Syria without restrictions until at least June 2020. Originally, the interior ministers at their autumn meeting . . . | Continue reading Another kind of war: Unilateral economic sanctions damage Syria at Workers.org
(2019-12-21). Medical Opinion, Torture, and Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org 
On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in …
(2019-12-21). China detaining millions of Uyghurs? Serious problems with claims by US-backed NGO and far-right researcher 'led by God' against Beijing. thegrayzone.com Claims that China has detained millions of Uyghur Muslims are based largely on two studies. A closer look at these…
(2019-12-21). CIA torture is 'snow secret': Edward Snowden roasts CIA's feelgood holiday tweet. rt.com 
Every now and again the CIA does its best to appear relatable, and every time the agency gets put back in its place. Now, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden hijacked a festive tweet to slam the CIA's torture practices. | "It's *snow secret* that we love winter," the clandestine agency tweeted on Saturday, marking the first day of winter in the US. | Snowden was acerbic in his response. "It's *snow secret* that you tortured Gul Rahman for weeks at a black site, then chained him naked to a concrete floor until he died in the near-winter cold," he tweeted. | It's *snow secret* you tortured Gul Rahman for weeks at a…
(2019-12-20). Media, Human Rights Groups Silent Over Politically-Motivated Murder of Journalist in Bolivia. mintpressnews.com 
Sebastian Moro's last known words before he was found were denouncing the kidnappings of government officials and mob attacks on journalists and media outlets.
(2019-12-20). 'Silent plight' carolers show solidarity with county jail inmates. workers.org 
Cleveland Question: Where are holiday carolers unwelcome this time of year? Answer: In the Cuyahoga County "Justice Center," when they represent the Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail, and they have changed the words "Silent night, holy night" to "Silent plight, violated rights." Singing rewritten . . . | Continue reading 'Silent plight' carolers show solidarity with county jail inmates at Workers.org
(2019-12-20). Activists Demand a Migrant Justice Platform as Democratic Candidates Discuss Immigration in Debate. democracynow.org 
Protesters for immigrant rights demonstrated outside the Democratic debate Thursday in Los Angeles, displaying a banner that read "Migrant Justice on Day One" and demanding a moratorium on deportations and immigrant worker protections. We look at how the candidates responded, with Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. "I'm really happy that immigration came up this time around," she notes. "In the past few debates, the issue didn't even come up."
(2019-12-20). UN independent experts 'deeply disturbed' by alleged mistreatment of detained Iranian protesters. news.un.org Sixteen independent UN human rights experts called on Friday for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters in Iran who have allegedly been abused while in custody.
(2019-12-20). BDS movement defiant after Tories announce anti-boycott measures and threaten international solidarity. thecanary.co Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have responded defiantly to Tory plans to pass an anti-BDS law. | The law is a threat to any international solidarity campaign which seeks to boycott companies or products because of the state policies of another country. As such, it presents a threat to international solidarity efforts as a whole. | Boycotting Israeli apartheid: | BDS is an international movement calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. It also calls for grassroots groups to initiate boycott campaigns against companies complicit in Israel…
(2019-12-20). One appalling detail in the Queen's Speech shows voting Tory was a vote to ruin your children's future. thecanary.co The Queen's Speech on 19 December unveiled Boris Johnson's plans for Britain. | It confirmed that the pledge he made during the election campaign for a £10.50 living wage was, frankly, nonsense — as was the promise not to further weaken workers' rights. And i…
(2019-12-20). Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year. aclu.org 
It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories—from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead—what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…
(2019-12-20). Expert Q&A: Trump's executive order on campus antisemitism. mronline.org 
Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to use a definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism when investigating civil rights complaints alleging antisemitism on campus. | Source
(2019-12-19). From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's West Bank Colonization. mintpressnews.com UN Resolution 2334, although externally supportive of Palestinian rights, turned out to be one of the most costly decisions ever made by the international institution.
(2019-12-19). On the picket line. workers.org 
New Illinois labor law seeks to counter Janus decision The Dec. 2 Labor Tribune reported that a bill to uphold rights of public sector unions, which are threatened by the Supreme Court's 2018 Janus decision, was passed by the Illinois Legislature on Nov. 13. Ill. Gov. Pritzker promises to sign . . . | Continue reading On the picket line at Workers.org
(2019-12-19). 10 LGBTQ Moments that Defined 2019. aclu.org 
1. Aimee Stephens goes to the Supreme Court: | In October, the Supreme Court heard its first trans civil rights case ever. The case was brought by our client Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home solely for being transgender. That's sex discrimination and it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. , | We have yet to see whether the Supreme Court will uphold the civil rights of trans people. But no matter what, history has already been made. , | "I'll never forget the feeling of coming out of the Supreme Court and seeing a crowd of trans people and allies chanting to…
(2019-12-18). Activists Cheer Approval of Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants in New York, New Jersey. democracynow.org 
People in New York and New Jersey are celebrating two victories for immigrants' rights. In New York, thousands of undocumented people waited in line for hours at Departments of Motor Vehicles on Monday to apply for a driver's license, as the "Green Light Law" went into effect six months after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it. The law allows undocumented people to apply for a driver's license using alternative forms of identification instead of providing a Social Security Number. Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of New Jersey, state lawmakers also passed a bill Monday to allow undocumented people to app…
(2019-12-18). A Secret CBP Team is Targeting and Detaining Innocent Travelers. We're Suing. aclu.org U.S. Customs and Border Protection is deploying secret teams that target, detain, and interrogate innocent travelers. We're suing to expose their activities. | In November 2018, three CBP officers detained Andreas | Gal, a former chief | technology officer at Mozilla Corporation and current Apple employee, at San | Francisco International Airport after he landed from a business trip to Sweden. | Andr…
(2019-12-18). A Tennessee City Banned Surgical Abortion Within the City Limits. We're Taking Them to Court. aclu.org For 30 years, I have | worked in reproductive health care. In my current role as Chief Operating | Officer of carafem, a nonprofit with a national network of health centers, I | know the difference compassionate and comprehensive reproductive health care | makes in the lives of our clients. I have witnessed the personal impact when | people who have the legal right to have a child or to have an abortion are denied | those rights due to outrageous societal barriers. Abortion providers are used | to opposition, but we've never experienced the kind of explicit targeting we | received from politicians in the city…
(2019-12-17). Democratic Candidates Focus on Public Education at Historic Forum with Civil Rights & Labor Groups. democracynow.org 
Ahead of the last Democratic presidential debate of the year this Thursday, seven candidates appeared Saturday at the historic Democratic Presidential Forum on Public Education in Pittsburgh, an event organized by public education organizations, unions, civil rights organizations and community groups. We play highlights from the forum and get response from Keron Blair, director of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools in Atlanta; Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance; and Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education Action. She recently authored a report titled "S…
(2019-12-17). For Many of the World's Children, Education Proves Elusive. progressive.org Especially in countries with widespread human rights abuses, kids—especially girls—don't get the chance to go to school.
(2019-12-13). COP25 Was Moved to Spain to Conceal Chilean Government's Human Rights Violations. therealnews.com 
The concept of "loss and damage" and carbon markets are a sticking point at the UN's climate summit, and protests are continuing in Chile, the original site of the talks. Oxfam's Nafkote Dabi and Gary Hughes of Biofuelwatch discuss the realities of COP25.
(2019-12-13). UN Counters US Claims Of "Proof" Iran Attacked Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu Impunity & Turkey Sanctions. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/12/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
(2019-12-12). Perth Pride: LGBTI community challenges corporatisation. greenleft.org.au 
LGBTIQ rights Petrina HarleyIssue 1248 Australia Rainbow Rebellion PerthDecember 12, 2019Perth Pride assembled its biggest parade to date on November 30, with 115 floats. But many in the LGBTIQ comm…
(2019-12-11). The Fight Inside the NLRB for Union Rights. progressive.org The NLRB unions argue that a recent set of executive orders from the board prevent them from undertaking basic union functions.
(2019-12-10). Aboriginal leader Sam Watson's farewell draws big numbers. greenleft.org.au 
Aboriginal rights Jim McIlroyIssue 1248 Australia BrisbaneDecember 11, 2019More than 1000 people attended the funeral for Wangerriburra and Birri Gubba leader Sam Watson in Musgrave Park on December 6. | Watson passed away on November 26, just two weeks after his 67t…
(2019-12-09). On Human Rights Day, Let's Abolish Nuclear Weapons. progressive.org A nuclear war would create one of the worst humanitarian crises imaginable, one for which no nation would have an adequate emergency or health response.