Sanctions against Iran and Venezuela during a pandemic are cruel
Vijay Prashad | zcomm.org | 2020-03-18
Source: Independent Media Institute Swiftly moves the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), dashing across continents, skipping over oceans, terrifying populations in every country. The numbers of those infected rises, as do the numbers of those who have died. Hands are being washed, tests are being done, social distancing has become a new phrase. It is unclear how Read…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/sanctions-against-iran-and-venezuela-during-a-pandemic-are-cruel/
Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws: A Humanitarian Message
Kathy Kelly | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-18
Protester's sign decries sanctions, "a silent war" (Photo Credit: Campaign for Peace and Democracy, 2013) U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people. Presently, the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy severely undermines Iranian efforts to cope with the ravages of COVID-19, causing hardship and tragedy while …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/stop-tightening-the-thumb-screws-a-humanitarian-message/
Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws, A Humanitarian Message
Kathy Kelly | zcomm.org | 2020-03-18
U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/stop-tightening-the-thumb-screws-a-humanitarian-message/
Stop Tightening the Screws: a Humanitarian Message on Sanctions
Kathy Kelly | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-18
U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people. Presently, the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy severely undermines Iranian efforts to cope with the ravages of COVID-19, causing hardship and tragedy while contributing to the global spread of the pandemic. On March 12, 2020, Iran's Foreign Minister…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/18/stop-tightening-the-screws-a-humanitarian-message-on-sanctions/
Is murder still a crime, though? Philly introduces catch-and-release for looters & drug dealers until coronavirus crisis ends
rt.com | 2020-03-18
Cops in Philadelphia have stopped making arrests for an array of crimes
Russian senator calls for ALL unilateral SANCTIONS to be lifted to prevent coronavirus causing global economic crisis
rt.com | 2020-03-18
The spread of Covid-19 may send the global economy into a lengthy recession, but lifting sanctions that aren't backed by the United Nations may help avoid a total catastrophe. That's according to a senior Russian senator. | The drop in energy demand, unstable currency exchange rates, and the threat to people's safety have put humanity at risk of a major economic crisis which "won't spare anybody," Konstantin Kosachev, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Russian Senate, warned. | Developing vaccines and working towards new agreements on oil prices are good measures to deal with the difficult situa…
rt.com/russia/483391-sanctions-coronavirus-russia-iran/
US Imposes New Iran Sanctions, Complicating Coronavirus
Jason Ditz | iranian.com | 2020-03-18
Last week, Iranian officials emphasized that US sanctions are making their reaction to the coronavirus outbreak much more difficult, leading to both Iran and China to urge the US to put those sanctions on hold for humanitarian reason. Not going after Iran for humanitarian reasons, needless to say, isn't a policy that the administration considers, …
iranian.com/2020/03/17/us-imposes-new-iran-sanctions-complicating-coronavirus/
To Help Stem Coronavirus, Lift Sanctions on Iran
Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-17
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is far from the first proof of how intertwined we are as a global community. The climate crisis and the refugee crisis have long been glaring examples that the wars or CO2 emissions on one continent risk the lives and well-being of people on another continent. What coronavirus is providing, however,…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/17/to-help-stem-coronavirus-lift-sanctions-on-iran/
US ramps up sanctions devastating Venezuela's health sector as coronavirus spreads
Leonardo Flores | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-17
Promising to "smash" Venezuela's government during a "maximum pressure March," Trump has imposed crushing sanctions that force Venezuela to spend…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/17/us-sanctions-venezuelas-health-sector-coronavirus/
Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws, A Humanitarian Message
Kathy Kelly | commondreams.org | 2020-03-17
Protester's sign decries sanctions, "a silent war" (Photo: Campaign for Peace and Democracy, 2013) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2020/03/17/stop-tightening-thumb-screws-humanitarian-message?cd-origin=rss
475 lawyers demand Israel Bar Association rescind effort to intervene in Int'l Criminal Court deliberations on 'Situation in Palestine'
Staff | imemc.org | 2020-03-17
By The Legal Center For Arab Minority Rights In Israel
Open Letter from Truthdig's Publisher & CEO: Breaking My Silence
Zuade Kaufman | truthdig.com | 2020-03-17
I am proud of what Truthdig has accomplished. Truthdig has received wide acclaim and many awards. We are a voice for progressive politics, social justice, humanitarian issues, the environment, women's rights and…
truthdig.com/articles/an-open-letter-from-truthdigs-publisher-ceo-breaking-my-silence/
Amnesty International USA Urges States to Prioritize Human Rights in their Responses to COVID-19, Particularly in Regards to Marginalized Populations
commondreams.org | 2020-03-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/03/17/amnesty-international-usa-urges-states-prioritize-human-rights-their-responses?cd-origin=rss
PCHR Calls for the Expedited Release of Investigation Results on Tragic Nusairat Camp Fire
PCHR | imemc.org | 2020-03-17
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights continues to monitor, with great pain, the consequences of the catastrophic fire at Nusairat camp that took place on 05 March 2020 in a densely populated area at the heart of Nusairat refugee camp market. As a result of the unfortunate event, 19 civilians, …
imemc.org/article/pchr-calls-for-the-expedited-release-of-investigation-results-on-tragic-nusairat-camp-fire/
Israeli Troops Detain Palestinian Residents in the West Bank
Rami Almeghari | imemc.org | 2020-03-17
Israeli army troops reportedly detained earlier on Tuesday, seven Palestinian residents from different areas in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Detainees Club Forum in Ramallah city, Israeli occupation troops stormed both Awarta and Beita villages of Nablus city, arresting two Palestinian young men, Mojahed Awwad and Sameh Barakat. …
imemc.org/article/israeli-troops-detain-palestinian-residents-in-the-west-bank/
Calls Grow to Lift US Sanctions on Iran as Death Toll Rises
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-17
Calls on United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump to ease economic sanctions on Iran are multiplying, as the Persian country is one of the world's most affected by the coronavirus outbreak, infecting 16,169 people and killing 988 so far in the country. | RELATED: | Senior Iranian Cleric Reported Dead After Coronavirus Infection | Authorities in the Islamic Republic along with critics say the sanctions are hindering the government's effort to face the crisis. | "Although Ir…
telesurenglish.net/news/Calls-Grow-to-Lift-US-Sanctions-on-Iran-as-Death-Toll-Rises–20200317-0016.html
Spain Locks Down & Nationalizes Private Healthcare as Coronavirus Deaths Double & Cases Skyrocket
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-17
Europe is the epicenter of coronavirus, and Spain now has the second most cases in Europe, with more than 2,000 new cases in 24 hours and the number of deaths doubled. We'll go to Madrid for an update, where more than half of the country's cases have been reported. This comes as the Spanish government announced it is nationalizing hospitals and private healthcare companies to better manage the pandemic. We are joined by María Carrión, a freelance journalist and former Democracy Now! producer who is also executive director of FiSahara and co-founder of Nomads HRC, which focus on human rights in Western Sahara.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/17/spain_cor…
As Coronavirus Death Toll Continues to Rise in Iran, Global Calls Mount for US to Lift 'Immoral' Sanctions
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-17
As the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak continues to rise in Iran, one of the world's most impacted countries, global pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to ease economic sanctions that Iranian officials and other critics charge has hampered the government's ability to manage the public health crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/17/coronavirus-death-toll-continues-rise-iran-global-calls-mount-us-lift-immoral?cd-origin=rss
Iran calls on Europe to defy US sanctions amid COVID-19 outbreak
Press TV | iranian.com | 2020-03-17
Iran's foreign minister has called on London and the European Union to defy Washington's anti-Iran sanctions amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. In a Monday phone conversation with his British counterpart Dominic Raab, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denounced the US' illegal and unilateral sanctions against Iran as an obstacle to the battle …
iranian.com/2020/03/17/iran-calls-on-europe-to-defy-us-sanctions-amid-covid-19-outbreak/
Why sanctions against Iran and Venezuela during a pandemic are cruel
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2020-03-16
In the midst of a pandemic, one would expect all countries to collaborate; that a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude would provide ample opportunity to end (or suspend) inhumane economic sanctions. Is this not the time for the imperialist bloc, led by the U.S., to end the sanctions against Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, and a series […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/16/why-sanctions-against-iran-and-venezuela-during-a-pandemic-are-cruel/
As Coronvirus Grips the US, Americans Get a Taste of Life Under Sanctions
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-16
Crippling shortages, travel restrictions and overwhelmed medical services will give Americans a taste of what it is like for the millions of people living under US sanctions worldwide.
mintpressnews.com/coronvirus-americans-taste-life-under-sanctions/265757/
PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (05-11 March 2020)
PCHR | imemc.org | 2020-03-16
Israeli Violations Continue in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (05
Four Palestinian Detainees Placed In Solitary Confinement
Rami Almeghari | imemc.org | 2020-03-16
The Israeli Prison Authority placed four Palestinian detainees in solitary confinement, under harsh detention conditions. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Detainees Committee explained in a statement, issued Monday, that over the past ten days, the Israeli administration at the Ramon detention center, has been confining Hatem Alqawasma, Osama Es'ied, Ibrahim Abdul-Hai, and …
imemc.org/article/four-palestinian-detainees-placed-in-solitary-confinement/
China Calls US Sanctions against Iran 'Immoral' amid Virus Epidemic
Tasnim News | iranian.com | 2020-03-16
China on Monday called on the US to remove its sanctions against Iran, saying that the embargoes will hamper the country's response to the coronavirus outbreak. The unilateral US sanctions will further hamper Iran's efforts in combating the virus while it's already struggling to cope with the crisis, Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry …
iranian.com/2020/03/16/china-calls-us-sanctions-against-iran-immoral-amid-virus-epidemic/
CIVIL RIGHTS MEMORIAL CENTER, SPLC OFFICES CLOSE
splcenter.org | 2020-03-14
Our work continues…
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/14/civil-rights-memorial-center-splc-offices-close
No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy
Joe Emersberger | zcomm.org | 2020-03-13
I respect UK journalist Andrew Buncombe. As I noted for FAIR last year, he was one of the few corporate journalists who reported on a study linking Trump's financial sanctions on Venezuela to thousands of deaths by the end of 2018. Since 2018, Trump has repeatedly intensified the sanctions and threatened Venezuela with military action, Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/no-venezuela-does-not-have-a-six-child-per-family-policy/
UN human rights chief: racism and xenophobia are 'contagious killers' too
news.un.org | 2020-03-13
The coronavirus outbreak may have forced millions around the world already into "social distancing", keeping a metre apart to prevent its spread, but it will not stop them from uniting to combat racism, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights declared in Geneva on Friday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1059361
Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group Presents "Make the Family Great Again" Petition to U.S. State Department Commission
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2020-03-13
Anti-LGBTQ hate group Ruth Institute presented a "Make the Family Great Again" petition to the State Department at its Commission on Unalienable Rights meeting Feb. 21.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/03/16/anti-lgbtq-hate-group-presents-make-family-great-again-petition-us-state-department
To Help Stem Coronavirus, Lift Sanctions on Iran
Medea Benjamin | iranian.com | 2020-03-13
Among those in Iran who have been unable to get critical medications have been patients with leukemia, epidermolysis bullosa, epilepsy, and chronic eye injuries from exposure to chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war. Now coronavirus is added to that list. The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is far from the first proof of how intertwined we are …
iranian.com/2020/03/13/to-help-stem-coronavirus-lift-sanctions-on-iran/
Zarif calls for removal of all U.S. sanctions in fight against COVID-19
Tehran Times | iranian.com | 2020-03-13
Iranian FM Zarif, sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, urging the need to lift all U.S. sanctions on Iran, which are impeding the country's combat against coronavirus. Zarif in this letter, copies of which were sent to the heads of international organizations and FMs of all states, touched upon the need for the removal of all …
iranian.com/2020/03/12/zarif-calls-for-removal-of-all-u-s-anti-iranian-sanctions-in-fight-against-covid-19/
US House rams through Nicaragua regime-change bill with zero opposition
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-12
Not one member of the House of Representatives spoke up against a bipartisan bill sponsored by hardliners that ramps up…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/12/us-house-sanctions-nicaragua/
This Law Makes Voting Nearly Impossible for Native Americans in Montana
Alora Thomas-Lundborg | aclu.org | 2020-03-12
Voting has never been easy for Native Americans living on rural reservations in Montana, which are often geographically isolated, with limited access to postal service and transportation. The passage of the Montana Ballot Interference Prevention Act (BIPA) has made these obstacles even greater, severely inhibiting Native Americans' access to the ballot. That's why we're suing. | In a state where the majority of individuals vote | by mail, rural tribal communities often work with get-out-the-vote organizer…
aclu.org/news/voting-rights/this-law-makes-voting-nearly-impossible-for-native-americans-in-montana
War in Syria: 'Carnage', flouting of rights and international law, must stop: Guterres
news.un.org | 2020-03-12
UN agencies have underscored their commitment to continue supporting civilians affected by the war in Syria, which this month enters its tenth year. The Secretary-General issued a statement on Thursday, declaring that "we cannot allow the tenth year to result in the same carnage, the same flouting of human rights and international humanitarian law."
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1059281
Keep Calm and Carry on Voting: How to Vote By Mail During the Coronavirus Outbreak
Nicole Hansen | aclu.org | 2020-03-11
Coronavirus should not be a political issue, but with presidential primaries and the general election coming up, it could soon directly impact our politics. We should protect not only our health, but our civil liberties at this time
Educate children in their mother tongue, urges UN rights expert
news.un.org | 2020-03-11
Children from linguistic minorities should be taught in their own mother tongue, said the UN independent expert on minority issues, presenting his latest report‚ÄØon Wednesday to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1059241
Immigrants in WA Detention Center Demand Protection from Coronavirus, Not Posters in English
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-10
As the world responds to the COVID-19 outbreak, we look at how the Trump administration's immigration policies may put everyone at risk. We go to Seattle, Washington, not far from the Life Care Center in the suburb of Kirkland, which was the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. In nearby Tacoma, Washington, our guest says she saw posters in English only when she went to visit immigrants held in the Northwest Detention Center, which is run by private prison company GEO Group. We speak with Maru Mora-Villalpando, an activist and undocumented immigrant with the groups La Resistencia and Mijente, who issued a…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/10/coronavir…
Prisons Worldwide Face Coronavirus Crisis: Overcrowding, Lack of Sanitation & Labor at Slave Wages
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-10
As Italy went on lockdown, nearly 30 prisons across the country broke into riots Sunday and Monday after visitation rights were suspended in response to the outbreak. In a prison in southern Italy, a riot left at least six incarcerated people dead and caused 50 people to escape. Prisoners have reportedly lit fires, charged guards and even escaped at multiple facilities. This comes as the United Nations confirmed that coronavirus had reached Iran's prisons, as the number of cases there continues to soar. Iran has temporarily freed some 70,000 prisoners in response to the coronavirus. And concerns are growing about…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/10/coronavir…
Civil Rights Memorial Center closed through March
splcenter.org | 2020-03-10
The Civil Rights Memorial Center (CRMC) in Montgomery, Alabama, is closed and will remain closed through the end of March 2020.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/10/civil-rights-memorial-center-closed-through-march
Are Our Prisons and Jails Ready for COVID-19?
Maria Morris | aclu.org | 2020-03-06
The | country and the world face a public health emergency in the new coronavirus | causing COVID-19. The media is filled with concerns about how we will respond. | Will we close schools? Cancel sporting events and other large gatherings? Work | from home? Avoid public transportation? | But | little has been said about one of the most vulnerable sectors of our | population: the people in our prisons and jails. Although people often think of | prisons and jails as closed environments, they are not. Medical staff, correctional | staff, and visitors come from the community into the facilities every day and | then…
aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/are-our-prisons-and-jails-ready-for-covid-19
Activists rally for detained Tamil family
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-06
Refugees & migrants Chris SleeIssue 1256 Australia Tamil asylum seekers Home to Bilo MelbourneMarch 6, 2020Refugee rights ca…
greenleft.org.au/content/activists-rally-detained-tamil-family
Trump is Sending Special Forces-style Agents into Pro-Immigrant Cities
Naureen Shah | aclu.org | 2020-03-05
As part of its campaign of intimidation against state and local | governments that choose not to collaborate with Immigration and Customs | Enforcement (ICE), Trump administration officials have confirmed plans for two new tactics in their anti-immigrant | agenda. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will deploy Border Patrol's | special forces-style unit, known as BORTAC, and other Customs and Border | Protection (CBP) agents
TRAP Laws are the Threat to Abortion Rights You Don't Know About
Ashoka Mukpo | aclu.org | 2020-03-03
This week, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case | that will have wide-reaching consequences for reproductive freedom and abortion | rights in America. It's the first time the Court has weighed those rights since | gaining a new conservative majority with the appointments of Justices Neil | Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. And the stakes are high. | The case that the court will | hear, June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, | is being argued by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CCR), and it involves a | law in Louisiana known as a "TRAP"
Weekend Read: 55 years after 'Bloody Sunday,' voting rights are still under attack
splcenter.org | 2020-02-28
When they looked over the steel-arched crest of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965, the voting rights activists knew there would be trouble.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/29/weekend-read-55-years-after-bloody-sunday-voting-rights-are-still-under-attack
How Kevin DeAnna Orchestrated the Alt-Right's Approach to Conservative Institutions
Hannah Gais | splcenter.org | 2020-02-28
Months after the loosely bound white nationalist movement known as the "alt-right" began to coalesce around then-candidate Donald Trump, Kevin DeAnna won the attention he felt he long deserved.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/03/03/how-kevin-deanna-orchestrated-alt-rights-approach-conservative-institutions