(2020-04-12). World Council of Churches urges Trump to remove anti-Iranian sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 12 (MNA) — The World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches (WCC), in a message to the US President Trump, expressed concern over the US cruel and inhumane sanctions against the Iranian nation, calling for their removal amid the pandemic.
(2020-04-12). Politicians, media support lifting sanctions on Iran, but not Venezuela. zcomm.org The United States has announced it is sending Navy ships to the Venezuelan coast, ostensibly to beef up counter-narcotics operations…
(2020-04-12). Banish 'self-centredness', pope tells the world as it faces coronavirus. yenisafak.com Pope Francis called on Sunday for global solidarity in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout, urging the relaxation of international sanctions, debt relief for poor nations and ceasefires in all conflicts.He also warned the European Union that it risked collapse if it did not agree on how to help the region recover.The pope's Easter "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message, delivered from an empty St. Peter's Basilica instead of to the usual crowd of tens of thousands in the square outside, was by far his most pressing and political since his election in 2013.Saying the message of t…
(2020-04-11). Sanctions the best cure? Trump signs order laying out visa sanctions for countries that 'delay or deny' return of their citizens. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has signed an order envisioning penalties for foreign nations that are reluctant to take back their citizens or residents as the coronavirus ravages the US, citing "public health risks." | "Countries that deny or unreasonably delay the acceptance of their citizens, subjects, nationals, or residents from the United States during the ongoing pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 create unacceptable public health risks for Americans," the
(2020-04-11). A year since the arrest of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. wsws.org Assange's arrest was an historic crime, setting a precedent for escalating attacks on press freedom and the democratic rights of the working class.
(2020-04-11). [Comment] Centring sexual and reproductive health and justice in the global COVID-19 response. thelancet.com Global responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are converging with pervasive, existing sexual and reproductive health and justice inequities to disproportionately impact the health, wellbeing, and economic stability of women, girls, and vulnerable populations. People whose human rights are least protected are likely to experience unique difficulties from COVID-19.1 Women, girls, and marginalised groups are likely to carry a heavier burden of what will be the devastating downstream economic and social consequences of this pandemic.
(2020-04-11). Will This Public Health Crisis Lead to a Voting Rights Crisis? truthout.org Welcome to Moyers on Democracy. | Bill's guest in this episode is the journalist David Daley. His best-selling first book, Ratf**ked — Why Your Vote Doesn't Count, showed how Republicans used gerrymandering to lock up control of many state and local government for years, possibly — decades — and remains their strategy. In his most recent book — Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy — he travels America to report on the grassroots activists devoted to voting r…
(2020-04-11). US blocks IMF loan for Iran's fight against COVID-19. wsws.org The denial of desperately needed aid as Iran confronts one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world is part of a US sanctions regime that is tantamount to a state of war.
(2020-04-11). First of its type in the world: Iran Rolls Out Ionized Protective Masks Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. iranian.com The Islamic republic, considered one of the worst-hit countries in the world as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the worst in the Middle East, has been struggling to contain the rapidly spreading outbreak while under harsh unilateral US economic sanctions. Experts in the Iranian Defence Ministry have released protective face masks with ionized …
(2020-04-10). Mike Elk on Frontline Worker Rights, Joe Emersberger on Pandemic Sanctions. fair.org 
Media…
(2020-04-10). Communist Party USA demands immigrant safety and justice in current health crisis. peoplesworld.org 
In a statement released April 9, the Immigrant Rights Subcommittee of the Communist Party USA's Political Action Commission calls for a "complete immigrant-friendly overhaul of our laws and policies regarding immigrants and refugees, including a fair and just method for workers to enter the U.S., the right to not be tied to one employer, and …
(2020-04-10). Freedom from Fear: John Pilger Discusses Coronavirus Propaganda, Imperialism, and Human Rights. counterpunch.org John Pilger is the world-renowned journalist and filmmaker. The author of several books and maker of over 60 documentaries (the latest being The Coming War on China and The Dirty War on the NHS), Pilger has won dozens of prestigious awards and has been honoured by several universities. I asked him about the coronavirus in
(2020-04-10). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (02 — 08 April 2020). imemc.org Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) Summary Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to violate Palestinians' human rights and commit crimes against civilians and their properties, conducting raids into Palestinian cities without regard to the state of emergency declared across the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since 06 March 2020, in the …
(2020-04-10). Weekend Read: Get-out-the-vote effort goes digital for COVID-19 pandemic. splcenter.org Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexis Carr was able to knock on doors in Montgomery, Alabama, register people to vote, instruct them on voting rights and encourage them to cast their ballots on Election Day.
(2020-04-10). Civil Liberties Never Sleep: The ACLU in the Pandemic. aclu.org The COVID-19 pandemic has closed down many businesses, but the work of preserving civil liberties and civil rights continues, as essential as ever. Reports of courts closing down can be misleading. While public trials that require jurors and in-person testimony have been suspended, most courts and lawyers can do their work remotely. The filing of legal briefs continues, and oral arguments and hearings are being held remotely. The work of securing justice continues., , At the ACLU, our most immediate focus has been on civil liberties and civil rights issues arising from the government's response (or lack thereo…
(2020-04-10). South Korea Cuts Deal With US to Resume Deliveries of Humanitarian Exports to Iran — Reports. iranian.com Tehran has repeatedly called on Washington to abandon its "illegal" sanctions against the Islamic Republic, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing America of threatening the lives and wellbeing of millions of Iranians. Seoul has received a US export license allowing the Asian nation to resume humanitarian export deliveries to Iran, a South Korean Foreign Ministry …
(2020-04-09). Living apart, 'we must stand together' to battle coronavirus pandemic — UN rights chief. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic is a "colossal test of leadership", the top UN rights official said on Thursday, underscoring the need for "decisive, coordinated and innovative action from all, and for all".
(2020-04-09). Put women and girls at centre of COVID-19 recovery: UN Secretary-General. news.un.org Limited gains in gender equality and women's rights made over the decades are in danger of being rolled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.
(2020-04-09). I'm Queer and I've Been in Solitary. Ellen Isn't Experiencing What I Did. aclu.org On Monday, I ended a 12-hour day returning emails to incarcerated queer folks, providing direct aid for housing to folks living with HIV & AIDS who have been incarcerated and challenging the state of Nebraska to provide humane conditions for incarcerated individuals and decided to mindlessly scroll on Twitter. , , I found the quote from the show Ellen DeGeneres filmed from her multimillion-dollar, multi-room mansion: "One thing that I've learned from being in quarantine is that people — this is like being in jail, is what it is," she said. "It's mostly because I've be…
(2020-04-09). Noam Chomsky blasts Trump for continuing Iran sanctions. iranian.com Eminent American scholar and political commentator Noam Chomsky has blasted US President Donald Trump for continuing crippling sanctions on Iran as the country is fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic. "When the US imposes devastating sanctions — it's the only country that can do that, everyone has to follow … the master. Or else they are …
(2020-04-08). "They Don't Care if You Die": Immigrants in ICE Detention Fear the Spread of COVID-19. aclu.org 
Mario Rodas, Sr. first found out there was a deadly virus spreading through the country while he was watching television at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts. In early March, Rodas had been pulled over and arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while driving to the supermarket with his wife, a legal resident and the mother of his three U.S. citizen children. Since then, he'd been in the custody of ICE, mostly at Plymouth. | The more Rodas heard about the disease, the more fearful the 59-year-old became. | "I was scared for my health," he told the ACLU. "I was worr…
(2020-04-08). Nativist Hate Groups Want to Keep People in ICE Detention Despite COVID-19 Threat. splcenter.org Anti-immigrant think tanks are pushing for the U.S. to detain immigrants and asylum seekers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, even as prisoners stage hunger strikes and other protests in response to what they describe as deteriorating health conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.
(2020-04-08). President Rouhani Blasts US Medical Terrorism. iranian.com Iran's President Hassan Rouhani lashed out at the US sanctions and pressures which have deprived the Iranian people of their right to import drugs and medical equipment amid the coronavirus outbreak. "The Americans violate the approvals of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the White House which was a terrorist in economic fields is now …
(2020-04-08). Billionaire-backed Human Rights Watch lobbies for lethal US sanctions on leftist governments as Covid crisis rages. thegrayzone.com Regime change-hungry HRW is proudly taking credit for crushing new US sanctions on Nicaragua while pushing to escalate Washington's economic…
(2020-04-08). As US Consigns Iranians to Death, Corporate Media Look the Other Way. fair.org 
Covid-19 has hammered few countries as hard as it has hit Iran, which reports (as of
(2020-04-07). Children vulnerable to abuse and violence during coronavirus lockdowns, UN experts warn. news.un.org Independent UN human rights experts have called on States to boost child protection measures to help safeguard the welfare of millions of children who may be more exposed to violence, sale, trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-04-07). Zarif: Iran does not need Trump's charity. iranian.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message urged US to stop preventing Iran from selling oil, saying Iran does not need Trump's charity. "Iran is rich in human & natural resources. We don't need charity from @realDonaldTrump —who's forced to buy ventilators from sources he's sanctioned," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on …
(2020-04-06). Everyone Must be Counted in the 2020 Census. aclu.org Every 10 years, the federal government conducts a census to count everyone living in the United States. For people of color, especially Black people, the census has traditionally been exclusionary and deeply flawed. | Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution was intentionally designed to protect the institution of slavery by immorally reducing those enslaved to three-fifths of a human being. It remains the only reference to slavery in the Constitution and was the law when the first census was completed in 1790 and for 75 years thereafter until the 14th Amendment was passed. Two hundred thirty years later, Bla…
(2020-04-04). Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws: A Humanitarian Message. zcomm.org One way to help others survive is to insist that the United States lift sanctions against Iran and instead support acts of practical care…
(2020-04-04). Refugee supporters to defy police ban on car cavalcade. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-04-03). Protect Immigrant Communities: Fear Mounts of Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak in U.S. Border Camps, ICE Jails. democracynow.org 
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has joined thousands of medical professionals and immigration rights groups to demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement release all prisoners from immigration jails as the coronavirus continues to spread. Meanwhile, immigration advocates are working to prepare crowded encampments of asylum seekers across the U.S.-Mexico border for a potentially catastrophic outbreak of COVID-19. Since the implementation of the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy, tens of thousands of asylum seekers from regions like Central America and Africa have been stranded in Mexican bord…
(2020-04-03). Detained immigrants across Deep South feel like 'sitting ducks' as ICE ignores their safety amid global pandemic. splcenter.org COVID-19 began to infect the nation at rapid speed in March, reaching every corner of the country and taking the lives of more than 6,000 people by April 3. The United Nations has dubbed the coronavirus the "most challenging" crisis the globe has witnessed since World War II.
(2020-04-03). Amazon on strike: what workers need to know about their rights. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Kevin Gustafson, an organizer with Democracy at Work and host of the Sensible…
(2020-04-03). 7 ways to (virtually) support refugee rights on Palm Sunday. greenleft.org.au 
People seeking asylum and refugees are going…
(2020-04-02). Fighting for immigrant rights during a pandemic. splcenter.org As people across the country are confined to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention has been given to a group of people whose health is in danger because they are locked away from the outside world — people in immigrant detention centers.
(2020-04-02). COVID-19 Doesn't Discriminate — Neither Should Congress' Response. aclu.org Congress' third bill addressing the impacts of COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), was a necessary attempt to respond to this public health crisis but its exclusion of immigrant communities is downright racist and xenophobic. Immigrants were
(2020-04-01). The Added Importance of the Census, in Light of COVID-19. aclu.org Last year around this time, my biggest worry was how the inclusion of the Trump administration's proposed citizenship question would depress participation in the decennial census. Thankfully, our Supreme Court victory means there is no citizenship question on the census. Now, I have a new worry: a global pandemic and the health of my loved ones. As it turns out, the 2020 Census plays a role here too, as it will have enormous implications on our health care for decades to come. | Specifically, the census will determine the allocation of $300 billion dollars of federal aid for the states' health care — mo…
(2020-03-27). Weekend Read: SPLC demands ICE act amid pandemic to save the lives of countless immigrants trapped in its crowded detention centers. splcenter.org …
(2020-03-25). SPLC and allies seek federal court injunction in system-wide suit to protect people detained by ICE from contracting COVID-19. splcenter.org The SPLC and its allies asked a federal court today to issue a preliminary injunction requiring that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) take immediate steps to protect people in its custody, particularly those who have medical conditions making them more susceptible to serious illness and death from COVID-19.
(2020-03-13). No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy. zcomm.org 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,
(2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.