(2020-07-17). Portland Mayor Condemns Masked Federal Agents Abducting Protesters. mintpressnews.com 
Human rights groups, activists, and local politicians are decrying what appears to be the Trump administration's latest tactic to crush nationwide protests that erupted in late May over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police.
(2020-07-17). "My Appetite is Justice": mother launches hunger strike after son's death in presence of police officers. liberationnews.org 
On July 4, Dannielle Brown brought a rocking chair and a stool to Freedom Corner, the location of a monument in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh marking the spot where major civil rights demonstrations in the 1960s took place. She sat down in her rocking chair and would not leave or eat, beginning a …
(2020-07-17). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (09— 15 July 2020). imemc.org Summary Israeli forces continued to commit crimes and multi-faceted violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians. This week, a civilian was killed by Israeli forces while he was walking with his …
(2020-07-17). Rights group blasts French 'complicit silence' in Libya. yenisafak.com France's history of solely calling out Turkey's actions in Libya while turning a blind eye to steps taken by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates is "complicit silence" par excellence, Human Rights Watch said Friday."That Macron is only accusing Turkey— which supports the government recognized by the United Nations and, at least officially, by France itself— is perplexing, yet it reveals France's ambiguities regarding Libya," Bruno Stagno Ugarte, the group's deputy executive director for advocacy, said in a blog post.He was referring to French President Emmanuel Macron. "In singling out Ankara, Macron k…
(2020-07-17). G20 Must Act, Say Hundreds of Religious, Labor, Human Rights, Environmental and Developmen. indybay.org Washington DC – Ahead of Saturday's G20 Finance Minister meetings, a wide range of 213 organizations is pressing for more action to confront the global health and economic impacts of the coronavirus. The largest religious bodies in the United States and Africa were joined by the biggest labor unions, human rights, environmental and anti-poverty groups in letters sent to the G20, IMF and White House.
(2020-07-17). Colombians Question Deployment Of US Security Forces. popularresistance.org Colombian soldiers and military brass have been implicated in a string of human rights violations in recent weeks. On May 1, Semana magazine reported that the Colombian military illegally used U.S. military aid to spy on journalists and human rights defenders, including U.S. citizens. On June 4, Colombian armed forces carried out forced eradication of illicit crops and injured six farmers. On June 25, seven soldiers confessed to gang-raping a 13-year-old Emberá girl in Northern Colombia. | Yet the United States is only deepening its relationship with the Colombian military. On May 28, the U.S. Southern Command (S…
(2020-07-17). Gaza closure is 'collective punishment': UN expert. yenisafak.com A UN human rights expert said Friday Israel should immediately halt what amounts to "collective punishment" against Palestinian people, which is "most strikingly seen" in its continuing closure of Gaza."The extent of the devastating impact of Israel's collective punishment policy can be most strikingly seen in its ongoing 13-year-old closure of Gaza, which now suffers from a completely collapsed economy, devastated infrastructure, and a barely functioning social service system," Michael Lynk said.Lynk is the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967."Th…
(2020-07-16). 'Not Him… Us': On the Ultimate Meaning of the Bernie Sanders Campaign. commondreams.org Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) addresses supporters during a campaign rally on March 8, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sanders covered his policy agendas for immigration, women's rights, healthcare and economic inequality. (Photo by Brittany Greeson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-16). In Attempt to "Intimidate Protesters," 87 Face Felony Charges for Kentucky Sit-In for Breonna Taylor. democracynow.org 
In Louisville, Kentucky, civil rights groups are calling on prosecutors to drop felony charges against 87 people who held a peaceful sit-in protest Tuesday outside the home of Attorney General Daniel Cameron. The demonstrators were demanding the arrest and prosecution of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, a Black Louisville resident who was shot inside her own home in March. Among those arrested: the president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills and Women's March co-founder Linda Sarsour. If convicted on felony charges, they could face up to five years in prison. "What they're…
(2020-07-16). A New Generation of Protest Holds Great Promise for America. counterpunch.org The inspiring rise of a new generation protesting against racial injustice is driving a new era of change in America, like the generation that emerged 60 years ago to build the civil rights movement of that time. July 16, 1960 is marked in my memory: that is the day I joined seven other friends to
(2020-07-16). Meatpackers hit for discrimination against workers of color in virus protection. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON — The nation's big meatpackers, notably Tyson Foods and JBS, are racially discriminating against their predominantly brown, Black, and Asian front-line labor force by not protecting rank-and-file workers against the coronavirus, a coalition of civil rights and pro-worker groups says. And the groups want to punish them by cutting off their federal cash. Fed …
(2020-07-16). Rally in Chicago denounces sanctions on 5-year anniversary of Iran deal. liberationnews.org 
"Sanctions are unjust. Too frequently they are talked about as if they are harmless. We know that sanctions kill."
(2020-07-16). Britain Caves to US, Bans Huawei from 5G Network Build-Out, More US Anti-China Sanctions Coming. globalresearch.ca Trump regime hardliners are pushing a diabolical full-court press to weaken and isolate China on the world stage — wanting its economic, industrial and technological development undermined. | I stressed these points in earlier articles, stressing as well the risk that …
(2020-07-16). Canada refuses to repatriate illegally jailed citizens accused of ISIS ties. wsws.org Trudeau's politically motivated refusal to repatriate children and others illegally detained in Kurdish military prisons in Syria is an attack on the citizenship rights of all Canadians.
(2020-07-16). Israeli Forces Detain Several Palestinians, Including a Recently Released Prisoner. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Thursday at dawn, detained several Palestinian civilians after invading homes in several occupied West Bank areas, the Palestinian Information Center reported. Local sources stated that soldiers detained five Palestinian young men from various areas of the Bethlehem governorate, in the southern West Bank. In the central West …
(2020-07-16). Rise in women prisoners and COVID measures, 'making sentences worse'. news.un.org More than 700,000 women are in prison around the world, and that number is growing much faster than men, the Human Rights Council has heard.
(2020-07-16). Immigrant Rights Groups FOIA for Info on ICE's Chicago Vigilante Training. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-16). State Department's Effort to Cherry-Pick Rights Is a Dangerous Stunt. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-16). Former corrections officer sentenced to federal prison. nationofchange.org "The Department of Justice will ensure that those who willfully mislead officers to prevent justice for victims of civil rights violations are prosecuted."
(2020-07-16). Nuclear testing legacy is 'cruellest' environmental injustice, warns rights expert. news.un.org The dangerous legacy of nuclear weapons testing continues to affect many communities, a leading rights expert said on Thursday, on the 75th anniversary of testing in the United States, that heralded the nuclear age.
(2020-07-16). Trump Move to Bring White Nationalist Sebastian Gorka Back to White House Blasted as 'Sanctioning Discrimination'. commondreams.org "Trump and Gorka are spreading fear and division that leads to violence and harassment targeting Jews, Muslims, immigrants, Asian American Pacific Islanders, and all people of color." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-16). 87 Face Felony Charges for Kentucky Sit-In for Breonna Taylor. truthout.org Image Credit: Matt Stone/Courier Journal/Reuters | In Louisville, Kentucky, civil rights groups are calling on prosecutors to drop felony charges against 87 people who held a peaceful sit-in protest Tuesday outside the home of Attorney General Daniel Cameron. The demonstrators were demanding the arrest and prosecution of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, a Black Louisville resident who was shot inside her own home in March. Among those arrested: the president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Houston Texans wide…
(2020-07-15). 2009 H1N1 Vaccine Caused Brain Damage in Children. Dr. Anthony Fauci on "Vaccine Safety" Issues. globalresearch.ca A lawsuit against the Trudeau Government for its handling of the COVID-19 Crisis has been launched. What is at stake is the violation of fundamental rights of Canadians. | "The mass and indiscriminate containment of citizens, the restriction of access to …
(2020-07-15). Trump Fires Latest Salvo in US-China Sanctions War. mintpressnews.com 
Trump's new law, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, places mandatory sanctions on officials or organizations (including businesses) that the White House views as helping Beijing clamp down on political freedoms.
(2020-07-15). US Sanctions Are Part of a Multi-front War on Syria, and Its Long-suffering Civilians Are the Main Target. globalresearch.ca The US is waging multiple fronts of war against Syria, including brutal sanctions, while claiming concern over the wellbeing of Syrian civilians — the vast majority of whom are suffering as a direct result of US policies. | On June 17, …
(2020-07-15). ERIC Crow, Jim Crow's liberal twin. nationofchange.org I don't for a minute believe that the Pew Trust is out to wipe away African-American voting rights; just the opposite, they are the quintessential do-gooders. They just don't do any good.
(2020-07-15). Corporate Greed Drives COVID-19 Pandemic Inside Peruvian Amazon. therealnews.com 
Peru's lawmakers are weighing a vote on crucial legislation, which, if passed, will declare large areas of pristine Amazon rainforest off limits to drilling and mining projects—a clear showdown between Big Oil and corporate mining interests and the rights of Indigenous peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. | Peru's Congress was expected to vote on the draft bill Thursday, July 2. But the proposal did not make it into the legislative agenda, prompting questions about whether corporate dollars are pulling the strings behind the scenes. | The proposed amendment has revived bitter decades-old social divisions in the…
(2020-07-15). China-Iran Deal Is a Major Blow to U.S. Aspirations in Central Asia. ahtribune.com 
"Two ancient Asian cultures, two partners in the sectors of trade, economy, politics, culture and security with a similar outlook and many mutual bilateral and multilateral interests will consider one another strategic partners" — these were the opening words of an 18-page document that confirmed a multi-billion dollar deal between China and Iran that blatantly defies U.S. imposed sanctions against the Islamic Republic. | According to
(2020-07-15). China to Sanction Lockheed Martin, Cut It Off From Its Rare Earths. anti-empire.com 
China will impose sanctions on US-based arms producer Lockheed Martin, the main contractor of the recertification of its Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) air defense missiles of the island of Taiwan. | The sanctions will likely feature the cut-off of material supply including rare earths, which are crucial to advanced weapons production, and business restrictions on Lockheed Martin's suppliers that have business in the Chinese mainland, Chinese aviation industry experts said on Tuesday. | The US on Thursday announced the approval of an arms deal to Taiwan involving the recertification of PAC-3 air defense mi…
(2020-07-15). 'Unfair competition': Moscow blasts US move to enable sanctioning of Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream pipelines. rt.com 
The US' decision to remove sanctions exemption for the two pipelines under construction to deliver gas to Europe and Turkey is a textbook example of "unfair competition" through political means, Moscow has said. | The move, which allows the further sanctioning of Russian natural gas projects, has clearly shown the "weakness of the American system," Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. | "This is the use of political pressure for sake of unfair competition," Zakharova stated. "Except for raw power, they don't have any effective tools." | Earlier in the day, US Secretary of St…
(2020-07-15). Israeli Soldiers Injure Many Detainees In Ofer Prison. imemc.org Israeli soldiers injured, late on Tuesday at night, many Palestinian political prisoners in Ofer prison, which is built on Palestinian lands west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, in addition to forcing one detainee in solitary confinement. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that dozens of soldiers …
(2020-07-15). Venezuela: amputation, extortion and death amidst booming gold mining racket. news.un.org The Human Rights Council on Wednesday heard damning reports of serious exploitation and abuse of children and indigenous communities in Venezuela, where mining for gold and other minerals is booming.
(2020-07-15). Nigeria's Human Rights Commission blocks workers' strike with court order. peoplesdispatch.org On Wednesday July 15, an industrial court in Nigerian capital Abuja gave an interim order interdicting the strike action which was planned by the workers of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). | Until the court's final decision on the matter, the order also prohibits these workers from holding any meetings, protests, rally or other forms of gatherings to mobilize for any form of industrial action against the non-payment of minimum wages. | This order came after the Commission, charged with protecting human rights, went to court to stop its workers from exercising their right to strike. The strike action w…
(2020-07-15). US government carries out first execution of federal prisoner in 17 years. wsws.org In the modern history of the death penalty in the US, Daniel Lewis Lee's execution stands out as a particularly egregious affront to due process and basic human rights.
(2020-07-15). Independent rights expert says emerging technologies entrenching racism, discrimination. news.un.org An independent UN human rights expert is calling for greater scrutiny of emerging digital technologies which she said are being used to uphold racial inequality, discrimination and intolerance.
(2020-07-15). The blinding of Gustavo Gatica and the return to unrestrained police state violence in Chile. wsws.org The Chilean security forces enjoy a level of immunity not seen since the 17-year military dictatorship, when thousands were arrested, tortured, killed and disappeared.
(2020-07-15). Trump's Harsh Sanctions Lead To Iran-China Partnership. popularresistance.org China and Iran have drafted a "sweeping economic and security partnership," according to The New York Times. China will get a regular, heavily discounted supply of Iranian oil for the next 25 years, as well as an expanded role in Iranian banking, ports, railways, telecommunications and myriad other projects. Iran and China will also increase their military cooperation. | This "strategic partnership" is the result of Donald Trump's punishing sanctions against Iran. Although it has not yet been formally approved by Iran's Parliament, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, favors the partnership. | Two years…
(2020-07-15). Terrorist regime vilifies human rights organizations and victims of human rights violations as terrorist. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Jose Maria Sison, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Chief Political Consultant. | While it is frenziedly engaged in state terrorism and suppression of democratic rights in the Philippines, the Duterte regime has submitted to the UN Human Rights Office a 137-page report entitled "The Philippine Human Rights Situationer May 2020" to achieve two malicious purposes: | 1) to make false accusations against the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People' Army and the National Democratic Front; and | 2) to slander and vilify the human…
(2020-07-14). "Release Is Only Way to Save Lives": Migrant Families Face Separation as COVID Spreads in ICE Jails. democracynow.org 
As the United States leads the world in coronavirus infections, we go behind the walls of immigrant jails, where infection rates are also soaring, and also look at how thousands more jailed migrant parents may be separated from their children starting Friday. "Release is the only way to save the lives of people in custody," says reporter Jacob Soboroff, who went inside these ICE jails and first witnessed kids in cages in 2018, which he writes about in his new book, "Separated: Inside an American Tragedy."
(2020-07-14). Texas Progressives Eye GOP House Seat That Got Away in 2018. truthout.org The primary race between Democratic candidates Mike Siegel and Pritesh Gandhi is coming down to a competition between progressive endorsements and a well-funded opponent in Siegel, a former civil rights attorney and public school teacher, is considered the progressive in the race with his support of hallmark progressive policies, such as universal healthcare and a Green New Deal. He won endo…
(2020-07-14). The parlous state of poverty eradication. mronline.org 
The world is at an existential crossroads involving a pandemic, a deep economic recession, devastating climate change, extreme inequality, and an uprising against racist policies. Running through all of these challenges is the longstanding neglect of extreme poverty by many governments, economists, and human rights advocates.
(2020-07-14). Malaysia Still Vastly Undercounting People Living In Poverty. therealnews.com 
Malaysia must acknowledge that the country's rapid economic growth has not benefited all of its residents, says Philip Alston, former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.
(2020-07-14). Malaysia Still Pushes False Claim That It Has Eradicated Poverty. therealnews.com Malaysia must acknowledge that the country's rapid economic growth has not benefited all of its residents, says Philip Alston, former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.
(2020-07-14). Supreme Court rules for religious right, against health care. workers.org 
After signing three progressive decisions in June, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts revealed his true conservative stripes July 8. Not only did he sign one ruling supporting so-called "religious rights," he signed two. Reproductive justice activists protest outside SCOTUS to uphold access to contraception. March 23. The one potentially . . . |
(2020-07-14). 'Threat to the community'? Detroit student sent to DETENTION CENTER during pandemic for not doing her homework. rt.com 
A Michigan teenager was incarcerated during the Covid-19 outbreak for breaching probation, despite the governor's moratorium on locking up youthful violators who weren't "threats to the community." Her crime? Not doing homework. | A 15-year-old black girl has spent over a month in the Children's Village juvenile detention facility outside Detroit, after being deemed a "threat to the community" by Oakland County Family Court Judge Mary Ellen Brennan for merely failing to do her homework while attending high school remotely during the pandemic. Shot through with hints of racism and discrimination against a child…
(2020-07-14). 'Disgusting organization': PETA savaged online for posting extremely graphic dissected cat photo. rt.com 
Controversial animal rights organization PETA has sparked a social media backlash after shocking users by posting a grizzly photo of a dissected cat carcass and connecting it with the 'realistic cake' meme. | The
(2020-07-14). Trump signs executive order and bill targeting China over Hong Kong, strips city of preferential treatment. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has signed legislation he said would punish Beijing for "oppressive acts" in Hong Kong and an executive order ending all preferential treatment for the territory, including special trade arrangements. | Trump announced the signing of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act during a press conference on Tuesday, a law he said will sanction Chinese individuals and organizations involved in "extinguishing Hong Kong's freedom." | The bill is joined by a new executive order stripping Hong Kong of its special status, with Trump saying the territory "will now be treated the same as mainland China — n…
(2020-07-14). The Supreme Court Ruling On Oklahoma Was Welcome, But… popularresistance.org The U.S. legal system from the Supreme Court on down delivered a suite of rulings over the past week that have reaffirmed Indigenous land rights and environmental protections. From the Virginias to the Dakotas, they pushed back on the industrial development that would have further imperiled tribal lands and the environment. | On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that 3 million acres of eastern Oklahoma — including most of Tulsa — remain American Indian reservation land. Last Monday, the court also denied a Trump administration request to allow the construction of the long-delayed northern leg of the K…
(2020-07-14). Israeli court refuses to revoke export license of spyware maker NSO. peoplesdispatch.org An Israeli court said that there was not enough evidence that a human rights activist had been targeted. Amnesty International had said that the spyware was used against one of its employees…
(2020-07-14). Donald Trump's Genocidal Acts Against Humanity. thealtworld.com In 1979, United Nations Committee on Human Rights rapporteur Abdelwahab Bouhdiba cited the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia as an example of "autogenocide," the carrying out or enabling of mass deaths among one's own nation. Previously cited examples of genocide at the time Bouhdiba's coined the word autogenocide, were Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. The former's genocide of Eastern European Jews, Romani, Slavs, and other non-Germans also included German Jewish and other citizens, making it a practitioner of both genocide and autogenocide. The genocide of Chinese by Japanese military oc…