(2020-01-16). 1 killed, 1 injured after gunman opens fire inside magistrates' court in Russia's Siberia. rt.com 
One man died and a woman was seriously injured when a gunman opened fire inside a courthouse in the city of Novokuznetsk in southwestern Siberia. The suspect, who was armed with a rifle, has been apprehended. | The prosecutor's office in Kemerovo Region, where the magistrates' court is located, has launched a probe into the attempted murder. | The attack unfolded at around 9: 20am local time on Thursday. The assailant was detained at the scene and taken into custody. | A male court officer suffered a gunshot wound to his stomach in the attack and died in an ambulance en route to hospital. | A woman, who was att…
(2020-01-16). Equal Rights Advocates Contingents at Women's March SF & Oakland. indybay.org Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), 1170 Market, Suite 700 @ 11: 30 AM before Women's March San Francisco | Oscar Grant/Frank Ogawa Plaza, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612 @ 10 AM before Women's March Oakland…
(2020-01-16). Iranian Opposition—1970s to 2020. zcomm.org As residents of those nations working to return Iran back to its previous status as a client of imperialism, our task is to oppose the sanctions demanded by the United States and the war moves accompanying those sanctions…
(2020-01-16). Trump Dooms the Future by Gutting the National Environmental Policy Act. counterpunch.org The National Environmental Policy Act, better known as NEPA, has served the nation well for 50 years. But last Friday the Trump administration decided to gut the law via administrative rules changes that will allow virtually unhindered development, resource extraction and pollution. It's one thing for the Trump cultists to support certain policies, tariffs, sanctions and war-mongering. More
(2020-01-16). Egypt Rejects Turkey's Criticism Over Detention of Anadolu Reporters – Foreign Ministry. sputniknews.com CAIRO (Sputnik) — Egypt rejects Ankara's criticism over the arrest of Anadolu Agency workers in Cairo on suspicion of distorting Egypt's international image, as all measures that were taken fell within the confines of the law, the Foreign Ministry said.
(2020-01-16). Erdogan says Turkey to reach new heights in 2020. yenisafak.com Turkey is all set to reach new heights in 2020 by protecting its rights, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday."Through strengthening production, export and employment rate and protecting our rights on the international front, especially in the Mediterranean region, we are opening doors of a new rising period," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the Annual Evaluation Meeting for 2019 at Bestepe National Congress and Culture Center in Ankara.Erdogan stressed that this year Turkey will demonstrate its historic achievements for its freedom and future regardless of the circum…
(2020-01-16). Cairo should release Anadolu Agency staff: Rights group. yenisafak.com The Stockholm-based human rights foundation, Skyline International, condemned Thursday the Egyptian security forces storming the Anadolu Agency office in Cairo, and arresting a number of its journalists.Moath Hamid, head of Middle East and North Africa in the NGO, said in a statement that the arrest of journalists shows the Egyptian authorities continue targeting journalistic work and freedom of the press.On Tuesday, Egyptian police raided Anadolu Agency's Cairo office and detained four staff members.The detainees, including a Turkish citizen, were taken to an unknown destination."This is totally illegal," said H…
(2020-01-16). At least 313 civilians killed in Idlib since Nov. 2019 in Syria. yenisafak.com More and more civilians are losing their lives or getting displaced in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib as the regime, Iran-backed groups and Russia intensify airstrikes. | A total of 313 civilians, including 100 children, were killed, 1,843 others injured and 382,466 Syrians were forced to flee their homes since November 2019, according to data provided by the Coordinators of Interventions in Syria, a local rights group. | The strikes also targeted many civilian buildings including 48 mosques, three civil defense centers, one ambulance, nine health teams, 15 health facilities, 11 tent cities, eight water s…
(2020-01-16). Indonesian journalists condemn Egypt's raid on Anadolu Agency. yenisafak.com Journalists across Indonesia condemned Thursday a police raid on Anadolu Agency's office in Cairo and the detention of its employees.Abdul Manan, chairman of Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), said, Egypt, a country bound by international law, has to respect the freedom of the press as well as the rights of journalists to do their job."These raids and arrests could set a bad precedent for the media if the international community let them be," Manan told Anadolu Agency."Moreover, the trend of violence against global journalists is still high," he added.The senior journalist said if the government of any st…
(2020-01-16). Iran accuses Europe of yielding to 'high school bully' Trump in nuclear row. yenisafak.com Iran said on Thursday three European states had succumbed to "high school bully" Donald Trump when they triggered a dispute mechanism in a nuclear pact the U.S. president opposes, a step that could eventually lead to reimposing U.N. sanctions.The pact, known as the JCPoA, was agreed in 2015 between Tehran and world powers, offering Iran relief from sanctions if it curbed its nuclear work. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed U.S. sanctions, telling Tehran he wanted a more stringent deal on nuclear and other issues.Iran has responded to the U.S. sanctions by scaling back its compliance with the deal,…
(2020-01-15). Trump deal instead of Iran nuclear deal? I agree! US president gives Twitter nod to BoJo. rt.com 
Boris Johnson's suggestion that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal be replaced with a new one — named after Donald Trump — received an enthusiastic response from the US president. | "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, stated, 'We should replace the Iran deal with the Trump deal.' I agree!" Trump proclaimed in a tweet released Wednesday. | Earlier, Johnson said he understands American concerns over the "flawed" 2015 pact with Iran, which saw the Islamic Republic dramatically reducing its nuclear program in exchange for lifting crippling economic sanctions. | Prime Minister of the United Ki…
(2020-01-15). 3 people detained after live mortar round found in car at Pearl Harbor base gates. rt.com 
Three men have been arrested attempting to bring a live mortar round into the US' Pearl Harbor military base in their vehicle, according to military officials. The incident shut down the base for hours. | It's not clear why the group had the explosive device, which authorities said did not have a firing device attached but could be modified and triggered by something other than the usual mortar tube. A spokesman for the Hawaii base, Charles Anthony, called the device a "deadly weapon." | The trio, all civilians without authorized access to the base, were stopped on their way into the sprawling facility by secu…
(2020-01-15). Dr. King Understood: U.S. Is Threat to Global Humanity. globalresearch.ca As the U.S. engages in its annual ritual of parading out the state-sanctioned "I have a dream" Dr. King, it attempts to accomplish the amazing feat of reconciling Dr. King's commitment to peace and principled non-violence with the normalized violence …
(2020-01-15). Headlines for January 15, 2020. democracynow.org House to Vote to Send Impeachment Articles to Senate, WaPo: Threatening Text Messages Show Yovanovitch Was Under Surveillance, War Powers Resolution Limiting Trump on Iran Could Pass Senate | , Six Democratic Candidates Took Stage in Des Moines, Iowa, 5,000 Puerto Ricans Still Homeless After 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake, HRW Blasts China for Human Rights Violations Against Uyghurs & Protesters | , 15 Women Murdered in Honduras in First 2 Weeks of This Year, American Citizen Moustafa Kassem Dies in Egyptian Prison After Hunger Strike, Seattle Bans Foreign-Influenced Companies from Political Spending, "Jeopardy!" Apolo…
(2020-01-15). IACHR Denounces Ecuadorean Govt. Repression In October Protests. telesurenglish.net The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) presented on Tuesday a report on its visit to Ecuador last October, when massive protests took place against the neoliberal measures promoted by President Lenin Moreno. | RELATED: | Ecuador Buys $4m Worth of Non-Lethal Weapons for Armed Forces | The IACHR report states that "the acts of protest, in…
(2020-01-15). Tampa students rally against aggressions towards Iran. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – At the University of South Florida, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held their second rally against the President Trump's and U.S. aggression towards Iran. The protest, attended by around 20 students on campus on January 14, has come in the wake of the assassination of a high-ranking Iranian military figure, Qassem Soleimani. | Along with the threat of more U.S. troops to the region and further hostilities, Iran has been hit by U.S. economic sanctions since 2010. An SDS member told the crowd, "The sanctions have greatly limited the amount of medical resources that Iran can get. This has result…
(2020-01-15). Britain, France and Germany (E3) Trigger JCPOA Dispute Mechanism, a Hostile Action Against Iran. globalresearch.ca The nuclear deal dispute resolution mechanism and sanctions snapback provision can take effect if one JCPOA signatory claims another failed to meet its obligations under the deal — depending on the specific complaint, along with following required procedures. They're complicated….
(2020-01-15). Al-Haq: Release UN Database on Businesses Profiting from Israel's Settlement Enterprise. imemc.org Ramallah-based Al-Haq Human Rights organization, on Tuesday, called on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to release the long-overdue database of businesses engaged in Israel's illegal settlement enterprise, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. In a Call for Action press release, Al-Haq said, On …
(2020-01-15). Commentary: What justice looks like in Chicago. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – In a pair of upcoming cases, Associate Judge Thomas Hennelly will have the fate of three wrongfully convicted men in his hands. Given who put them behind bars, his rulings could send a signal that Chicago has firmly turned its back on the legacy of police torture and wrongful convictions that hangs over the city. But, given Hennelly's direct involvement in prosecuting police torture victims and his attempt to hide racist constitutional violations, Chicagoans would be remiss to expect impartiality from the bench. | In one of the cases, that of Gerald Reed, Hennelly is deciding whether a man tortured…
(2020-01-15). Iran's Rouhani Demands US, EU Troops Leave the Middle East or Face "Danger" theantimedia.com (ZH) — A day after European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal took took the drastic step of triggering the agreement's dispute resolution mechanism regulating conformity to the deal by formally notifying the EU Iran is in breach, seen as the harshest measure taken thus far given it means EU sanctions are possible, President Hassan Rouhani has responded with …
(2020-01-15). Keeping with its Crackdown on Alternative Voices, Google Deletes Press TV from YouTube. mintpressnews.com Without warning, tech giant Google "permanently removed" Iranian government-owned media channel Press TV UK's YouTube channel Monday night amid increasing American hostility to Iran. | "This attack on the freedom of speech of Press TV's journalists seems to be part of an anti-Iran purge as the West sets its sights on regime change in Iran," Press TV said. Its content, in its own words, focuses on "anti-imperialis…
(2020-01-15). Palestinian administrative detainee ends 116-day long hunger strike. peoplesdispatch.org Palestinian detainee Ahmad Zahran has agreed to go through a security interrogation, following which his long standing demand for an end to his illegal administrative detention will be considered by the court…
(2020-01-15). 'A Truly Historic Moment': 50 Years After Congress Passed ERA, Amendment Meets Constitutional Threshold With Virginia's Approval. commondreams.org Women's rights advocates in Virginia and across the U.S. celebrated Wednesday as the state's legislature became the 38th in the nation to approve the Equal Rights Amendment, nearly 100 years after activists first called for equality between men and women to be enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-15). Chile Takes a Step Towards the Approval of Same-Sex Marriage. telesurenglish.net Chile took an important step towards equal marriage on Wednesday after the Senate of the southern country took one step forward to approve legislation allowing it, a fact that LGTBI associations and much of the political spectrum described as " historic". | "Today's accomplishment is due to organizations that have been demanding their rights for decades. From that first public demonstration in 1973 until the last Pride march. It was an honor to make the Senate available to equality and love," said the President of the Upper House, opposition lawmaker, Jaime Quintana. | By 22 votes in favor, 16 against and one…
(2020-01-15). Putting the truth behind bars. workers.org 
Did you know that one of the most protected rights in this country is the right of the government to lie to the people? That is the essence of the persecution being carried out right now against Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange. Manning was a U.S. Army intelligence analyst based . . . | Continue reading Putting the truth behind bars at Workers.org
(2020-01-15). Pennsylvania prisoners resist media censorship. workers.org 
When Vol. 61 No. 48 of Workers World newspaper came across the desk of the prison staff at State Correctional Institution Frackville in December, censors seized on an article that criticized the Pennsylvania facility's administration for a variety of offenses. In direct violation of the inmates' First Amendment rights, staff . . . | Continue reading Pennsylvania prisoners resist media censorship at Workers.org
(2020-01-14). "Morir Soñando": Martín Espada Reads Poem About Luis Garden Acosta, Young Lord & Community Activist. democracynow.org 
Last week marked the first anniversary of the passing of Luis Garden Acosta, the founder and longtime president of the nationally known El Puente youth and community leadership program in Brooklyn. Long regarded as one of New York City's foremost human rights and Latino community activists, Garden Acosta died last January at the age of 72. A former seminarian who had been active in the Catholic antiwar movement, Garden Acosta joined the Young Lords Party in 1970 and later founded that group's Massachusetts chapter while he was still a student at Harvard Medical School. He went on to pioneer successful nonviolent…
(2020-01-14). The World Must End The US' Illegal Economic War. dissidentvoice.org 
The United States is relying more heavily on illegal unilateral coercive measures (also known as economic sanctions) in place of war or as part of its build-up to war. In fact, economic sanctions are an act of war that kills tens of thousands of people each year through financial strangulation. An economic blockade places a …
(2020-01-14). The Trump Administration Weakens Standards for ICE Detention Facilities. aclu.org Last month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officially released a new version of its National Detention Standards (NDS), which govern the treatment of immigrant detainees held in almost 140 facilities in 44 states. These facilities include local and state jails and prisons — some operated by private prison companies — under contract with ICE. Despite being considered "civil detention," almost 20 percent of ICE detainees are held in these jails and prisons, many of which are located in remote, rural locations. | ICE describes its…
(2020-01-14). US Police Remove Housing Rights Activists From Oakland Home. telesurenglish.net Members of the advocacy group Moms 4 Housing were forcibly evicted Tuesday morning by heavily armored police from a home they were occupying in Oakland. | RELATED: | US Gov't Criminalizes Homeless People, Ignores Causes: Analyst | The expulsion occurred despite community members gathered in force and in great numbers to show support for the collective of homeless and marginally housed mothers, working to end the housing crisis in the Bay Area. | "We've built a movement of thousa…
(2020-01-14). US Sanctions Venezuela's New Parliament Leader, Senior Opposition Lawmakers. venezuelanalysis.com The legislature's new opposition leadership "categorically" rejected the sanctions.
(2020-01-14). NGOs Urge UN to Disclose Firms Involved in Israel's Settlements. telesurenglish.net Ramallah-based human rights group Al-Haq released Tuesday a statement urging the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and its chief Michelle Bachelet to publish a database listing companies that "directly and indirectly, enabled, facilitated and profited from the construction and growth of the settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory." | RELATED: | Netanyahu Pledges ICC Investigation Won't Impede Settlements | The d…
(2020-01-14). Colombia: 'Staggering number' of human rights defenders killed in 2019. news.un.org The UN human rights office, OHCHR, is "deeply troubled by the staggering number of human rights defenders killed in Colombia" last year, its spokesperson said on Tuesday.
(2020-01-14). US Clearing Anti-War Voices Off Social Media. theantimedia.com (TMU) — Instagram and its parent company Facebook are removing posts that appear to be in support of the late Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in order to comply with U.S. sanctions, a company spokesperson recently told CNN. "We operate under U.S. sanctions laws, including those related to the U.S. government's designation of the IRGC and …
(2020-01-14). Israel Extends Detention of Two Palestinian Prisoners, Days Before Release. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said the Israeli government renewed the administrative detention of Shorouq al-Badan, 25, for six more months, on Monday, only two days before her scheduled release, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Badan, from Bethlehem, was arrested July 2019, and was supposed to be …
(2020-01-14). Detainee Zahran Suspends Hunger Strike. imemc.org The Palestinian Commission of Detainees' and Ex-Detainees Affairs has reported that detainee Ahmad Zahran, 42, has suspended the hunger strike, which lasted for 113 days, after reaching an agreement with the Israeli Prison Authority regarding his continued Administrative Detention without charges or trial. Lawyer Jawad Bulus, the head of the …
(2020-01-13). Venezuela Blames Sanctions After UN Voting Right Suspended. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela, which has one of the highest UN contribution rates in the region, has not paid its dues since 2018.
(2020-01-13). Big Tech Firms Are Joining Trump's All Out War Against Iran. mintpressnews.com Deleting messages of support for Iran may seem a petty, childish retaliation for opposing the Trump administration, but it has profound ramifications for freedom of access to information.
(2020-01-12). Ex-US intel officer: Pompeo 'lying through his teeth' on Iran. thegrayzone.com The Trump administration is imposing new sanctions on Iran and defying Iraq's call for a US troop withdrawal. This comes…
(2020-01-10). The Critical Role Auditing Plays in the Battle Against Police Surveillance. therealnews.com 
Auditors across the country are turning the tables on police surveillance. The Police Accountability Report spoke to an auditor who was arrested to understand how filming cops ultimately preserves our civil rights.
(2020-01-10). Pregnant Workers Are Still Fighting for the Right to Work. aclu.org In 2015, | Michelle Durham, an ACLU client, was faced with an impossible choice: | continue working and risk the health of her pregnancy or give up her paycheck. | She was working | as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Rural/Metro Corporation, a company | in Alabama that provides emergency medical care to people living in areas that | lack basic medical services. Shortly after joining Rural/Metro Corporation in | Alabama, Michelle learned she was pregnant with her first child and was advised | by her health professional not to lift more than 50 pounds. She was confident | the company would grant her a…
(2020-01-10). Venezuela: Guaido installs parallel parliament, US threatens more sanctions. greenleft.org.au 
Venezuela Ricardo VazIssue 1248 Venezuela Juan Guaido US Vice President Mike PenceJanuary 10, 2020Opposition leader Juan Guaido installed a "parallel" parliament in Caracas on January 7. | The…
(2020-01-09). International Criminal Court Prepares to Try Israelis over War Crimes. therealnews.com 
Shawan Jabarin of the Al-Haq human rights organization discusses the International Criminal Court decision to prepare a lawsuit against the state of Israel regarding war crimes committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities are already panicking.
(2020-01-09). Andrew Bacevich: Trump Sparked "Unnecessary Crisis" by Killing Soleimani, Barely Avoiding War. democracynow.org 
President Trump vowed on Wednesday to hit Iran with new sanctions but appeared to pull back from taking any new military action. Tension between the two countries soared after the U.S. assassinated Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport last week. Early on Wednesday, Iran retaliated by firing 22 ballistic missiles at military bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces, but no one was injured in the attack. Iran had warned the Iraqi government about the strike in advance. Two small rockets also later hit the Green Zone near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. During a televised address on Wednesda…
(2020-01-08). Trump Announces Additional 'Punishing' Sanctions on Iran. therealnews.com 
Updated 1: 15 PM ET | U.S. President Donald Trump made a statement Wednesday morning at 11: 30 AM EST and announced that Iran "appears to be standing down" following strikes on U.S. air bases in Iraq. He said there were no American or Iraqi casualties resulting from the attacks. | Trump said that while the U.S. was evaluating its options, it would "immediately impose additional punishing sanctions" against Iran until it "changes its behavior." He called Iran the "leading sponsor of terrorism" and repeatedly said that he would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Since 2017, the Trump administration has impose…
(2020-01-08). Iranian-American Lawmaker Warns of Rising Xenophobia as U.S.-Iran Tension Escalates. democracynow.org 
In the midst of escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, Border Patrol has been detaining Iranian Americans at the U.S.-Canada border. At least 100 people were delayed at ports of entry along the border over the weekend, following the U.S. assassination of Qassem Soleimani on January 3. For response, we speak with Anna Eskamani, Florida Democratic state representative of Orlando. She is the first Iranian American to be elected to any public office in Florida. "The reality is that when we see the potential war rise in countries like Iran … we'll see xenophobia rise right here locally" in the U.S., Eskamani says.
(2020-01-08). Iranian Americans Have Rights, Too — No Matter What's Happening Abroad. aclu.org Like most Iranian Americans, my family immigrated to the United States in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution in Iran, hoping to find safety and acceptance in a country that prides itself on diversity and freedom of expression. We learned and embraced the principles of the Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, due process, and equal protection — protections that apply to every person, citizen and non-citizen alike. But what happened at the U.S. border this past weekend was a painful reminder that sometimes, we are still considered outsiders. | In the state of Washington this weekend,…
(2020-01-08). Venezuela: Guaido Installs Parallel Parliament After Washington Threatens More Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Trump administration is reportedly mulling sanctions against opposition deputies who voted against Guaido.
(2020-01-07). It Is Time for a New Way Forward. aclu.org In 1996, at the height of the "tough on crime" era, President Bill Clinton signed two laws that dramatically changed the criminal legal system and radically altered the U.S. immigration system. Just as the 1994 crime bill instituted unjust mandatory minimum sentences and ballooned the prison population, the immigration bills of that same era led to similarly disastrous consequences for immigrants — an explosion in the growth of detention and unfairly harsh punishments for immigrants, including mandatory deportations for minor…
(2020-01-06). SPLC Statement on the Detainment of Iranians and Iranian Americans. splcenter.org The following statement is by Southern Poverty Law Center Interim President and CEO Karen Baynes-Dunning following reports that Iranians and Iranian Americans are being detained and questioned at U.S. ports of entry:…