(2020-07-31). "We Charge Genocide:" Forerunner at UN of Black Lives Matter. counterpunch.org The police killing of George Floyd on May 25 provoked demonstrations worldwide. The United Nations Human Rights Council on June 17 debated a draft resolution introduced by the "African Group" of nations that condemned "structural racism endemic to the criminal justice system in the United States." The African nations were responding to a letter from
(2020-07-30). "We Charge Genocide"—Forerunner at UN of Black Lives Matter. peoplesworld.org 
The police killing of George Floyd on May 25 provoked demonstrations worldwide. The United Nations Human Rights Council on June 17 debated a draft resolution introduced by the "African Group" of nations that condemned "structural racism endemic to the criminal justice system in the United States." The African nations were responding to a letter from …
(2020-07-30). 30 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act—moving beyond accommodation. peoplesworld.org 
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebrates its 30th birthday this month. Three decades ago, the ADA represented a huge step forward for the rights of people with disabilities. In 2020, it's time to advance even further. The ADA offers people with disabilities the right to "reasonable accommodation" so long as it does not pose …
(2020-07-30). Russian serviceman working in Crimea arrested for HIGH TREASON, accused of spying for Ukraine. rt.com 
A serviceman from Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been arrested by the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of working for Ukrainian military intelligence. | If found guilty of high treason, the detained soldier could In a statement
(2020-07-30). Obama turns John Lewis funeral into DNC event, wants automatic voter registration, end to 'Jim Crow relic' filibuster. rt.com 
It did not take long for the funeral of John Lewis to turn political as former President Barack Obama's eulogy evolved into a campaign speech, where he recommended ending the Senate filibuster and blasted voter ID laws. | Watching Obama speak at Thursday's funeral, it would be easy to think you were watching a campaign speech as opposed to a eulogy. | He urged the Senate and Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, legislation that would make it harder for states to enact things like voter ID laws, which Democrats have long called restrictive and racially motivated. It would give the federal gover…
(2020-07-30). EU targets Russian intelligence, Chinese, North Korean companies in first ever cybercrime-related sanctions batch. rt.com 
The European Union has imposed sanctions on six people and three entities, including a Russian military intelligence unit over their alleged involvement in various hacking activities, in the first ever such move from Brussels. | EU officials slapped the "Special Technologies" unit (GTsST) of the Russian military intelligence (also known as GRU) with sanctions, accusing it of being behind several high-profile cyber-attacks — including the infamous NotPetya virus that inflicted $10 billion worth of damage to the world economy in 2017. | The origins of that virus are still unclear. Yet, what is known for ce…
(2020-07-30). EU targets Russian intelligence, Chinese, North Korean companies in first ever cybercrime-related round of sanctions. rt.com The European Union has imposed sanctions on six people and three entities, including a Russian military intelligence unit, over their alleged involvement in various hacking activities, in the first ever such move from Brussels. | EU officials slapped the "Special Technologies" unit (GTsST) of the Russian military intelligence agency (also known as GRU) with sanctions, accusing it of being behind several high-profile cyber-attacks — including the infamous NotPetya virus that inflicted $10 billion-worth of damage to the world economy in 2017. | The origins of that virus are still unclear. What is known for…
(2020-07-30). Opinion: Abdul Fattah Al-Sharif's Execution by an Israeli Soldier. imemc.org ÔøºBy Ramzy Baroud for Palestine Chronicle: As illegal settlers increase their attacks on Palestinian civilians in the occupied city of Al-Khalil (Hebron), the people of the Palestinian city continue to mount a campaign of popular resistance. One of the channels of resistance is Human Rights Defenders (HRD), "a grassroots, non-partisan Palestinian …
(2020-07-30). On Eve Of Al-Adha, 4500 Palestinians, Including 39 Women And 160 Children, Imprisoned By Israel" imemc.org On the eve of al-Adha Muslim feast, Palestinian researcher specialized in detainee's affairs, former political prisoner, Abdul-Nasser Ferwana, has reported that Israel is holding captive around 4500 Palestinians, including 39 women, 160 children, 6 legislators and 360 who are held under the arbitrary Administrative Detention orders without charges or trial. …
(2020-07-30). 25 Palestinians Detained Across West Bank. imemc.org Israeli forces detained 25 Palestinian civilians overnight Tuesday, into early Wednesday, from various towns in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) confirmed. In the northern West Bank district of Nablus, Israeli soldiers took 12 Palestinian civilians into custody, from several areas, including former prisoners; 1. Khaled Abu …
(2020-07-30). COVID-19: UN chief outlines path to sustainable, inclusive recovery in Southeast Asia. news.un.org Tackling inequality, bridging the digital divide, greening the economy, and upholding human rights and good governance will be critical for Southeast Asia to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.
(2020-07-30). The ACLU's Fight for Constitutional Rights. progressive.org New documentary gets up close and personal with the group's courtroom gladiators.
(2020-07-30). 4 corrections officers charged with beating inmate and cover-up. nationofchange.org If convicted, Finch, Thomas, and Blaylock face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the civil rights charges.
(2020-07-30). Rights groups demand release of activist Mohammad Amin in Pakistan. peoplesdispatch.org The 26-year-old activist was forcibly picked up from his residence in Karachi on July 14 and remains missing. Rights groups have blamed security forces for harassing his family and demanded his immediate release…
(2020-07-30). PPS: "Israeli Soldiers Abduct Seventeen Palestinians In West Bank" imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that Israeli soldiers abducted, overnight until morning hours Thursday, seventeen Palestinians, including former political prisoners and the coordinator of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. The PPS said the soldiers abducted six Palestinians from the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the occupied …
(2020-07-30). Is Burning Prisons The New Knocking Down Confederate Statues? popularresistance.org Saturday afternoon in Seattle, Washington, a construction site where a youth detention center was being built burned to the ground. | The King County juvenile detention facility is assumed to have been set ablaze by some of the thousands of Seattle demonstrators who marched in protest to both the federal government terrorizing it's neighboring city of Portland, Oregon, as well as policemen murdering innocent and unarmed Black Americans. | The timing of the fire set to the youth prison feels deeply symbolic, especially in light of a Michigan court case where a Black teenage girl is currently serving time inside of…
(2020-07-30). Human Rights Fraud From Ukraine To Nicaragua. popularresistance.org Current Western human rights industry practice has nothing to do with establishing the truth. Increasingly in recent years, US and allied elites have sought to legitimize illegal aggression by exploiting human rights motifs in their attempts to recolonize the majority world. | In any given crisis, human rights NGOs funded by the US and allied corporate elites and governments deploy sensationalist false claims, for example of police murdering peaceful protestors, so as to create a cognitive limbo of doubt and suspicion aimed at disabling opposition to the West's recolonization campaigns. Over the medium and long t…
(2020-07-30). Democrats Offer Half-Hearted Measures To Impending Eviction Crisis. popularresistance.org The best defense against a raging pandemic that has already claimed over 152,000 American lives is simply to stay home. But even this could soon become impossible for millions, as the United States is facing an impending eviction crisis of "biblical proportions," according to the Housing Rights Initiative. Earlier this week, the federal moratorium on evictions expired, meaning the nation's 12 million renters are now at risk of losing their homes. Renters tend to be poorer, many of whom are among the 52 million that have filed for unemployment benefits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. | Instead of extending t…
(2020-07-30). Portland: Getting Out of Jail Requires Relinquishing Constitutional Rights. popularresistance.org Federal authorities are using a new tactic in their battle against protesters in Portland, Oregon: arrest them on offenses as minor as "failing to obey" an order to get off a sidewalk on federal property — and then tell them they can't protest anymore as a condition for release from jail. | Legal experts describe the move as a blatant violation of the constitutional right to free assembly, but at least 12 protesters arrested in recent weeks have been specifically barred from attending protests or demonstrations as they await trials on federal misdemeanor charges. | "Defendant may not attend any other protes…
(2020-07-30). Daily Mail publisher makes apology in court over completely 'untrue' article on Muslim Tory peer. thecanary.co The publisher of the MailOnline has apologised in court over completely 'untrue' allegations the outlet made against a Muslim Tory peer. Mohamed Sheikh has also accepted "substantial" damages from the publisher over the "shocking and unfounded allegations" the Mail made about him. | Palestinian rights conference: | In August 2018, the Daily Mail
(2020-07-30). Saturday 8/1: Amazonian caravan for worker safety, workers' rights & worker solidarity. indybay.org 1933 Davis St, San Leandro, CA 94577-1261, United States…
(2020-07-30). 'Must-Watch' Obama Eulogy for John Lewis Includes Powerful Call for Americans to Rise Up for Voting Rights. commondreams.org "That seemed to me to be the most explicitly political Obama has been in his post-presidency." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-29). Civil Rights Icon Bernard Lafayette on His Friend John Lewis, Freedom Rides & Practicing Nonviolence. democracynow.org 
We revisit civil rights leader and Congressmember John Lewis's early years of activism with Bernard Lafayette, one of Lewis's closest friends and collaborators. Lafayette participated with Lewis in the first Freedom Rides of 1961 as they attempted to integrate buses and faced brutal beatings by white mobs, and was a fellow leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Lewis "knew how to relate to people who were different from him and who had different orientations, different values, different philosophies, and that's why he was such a great leader," Lafayette says. "He found a way to make a way."
(2020-07-29). Rev. Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church on Legacy of John Lewis & Ongoing Fight for Voting Rights. democracynow.org 
We look at the life and legacy of late civil rights icon and Georgia Congressmember John Lewis, who is being mourned across the U.S. and who became the first Black politician to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. "The irony of this moment is that even as we celebrate and honor John Lewis, the patron saint of voting rights, he hailed from the state which in many instances is ground zero for voter suppression," says Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, who serves as senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, was with Lewis in the final days of his life and will preside over his memorial service. "In recen…
(2020-07-29). Seattle protest in solidarity with Portland. workers.org 
On July 25, 2,000 youthful anti-racists marched here in solidarity with Portland resistance. As in Portland, Ore., federal repressive forces have been sent to Seattle. The march was called by the Youth Liberation Front. Chanting "Black Lives Matter," the demonstrators headed to the site of a new youth jail. Located . . . |
(2020-07-29). Lukashenko 'demands answers' as KGB chief briefs him on 'Russian mercenaries' detained in Belarus. rt.com 
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has ordered a thorough probe into what he called an "emergency situation" as security chief confirmed arrests of 32 suspected 'Wagner' private military recruits in a televised briefing. | Lukashenko on Wednesday told the head of the Belarusian National Security Service, the KGB, to launch a transparent and unbiased probe into the incident, which the media has been quick to tie to the upcoming presidential election. | "If these are indeed Russian citizens… we must immediately contact the Russian officials and demand that they explain what is going on," Lukashenko said…
(2020-07-29). Zuckerberg admits Facebook suppresses 'hate speech' BEFORE it's seen by anyone. rt.com 
Facebook censors almost 90 percent of 'hate speech' before it's allowed to circulate, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Congress at Wednesday's Big Tech hearing, responding to pressure from Democrats to submit to the advertiser boycott. | "We're able to proactively identify 89 percent of the hate speech that we take down before, I think, it's even seen by other people," Zuckerberg told the Antitrust Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday. | The statement was in response to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) pressuring Facebook to "join the civil rights movement" by submitting to the demands of the Sto…
(2020-07-29). How do you define lawful peaceful protest? The UN Human Rights Committee has a clear answer. news.un.org People have the right to demonstrate peacefully and Governments should respect international law and let them do so, senior UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Wednesday.
(2020-07-29). Attorney General Barr aggressively defends violent attacks on protesters in Portland. wsws.org The White House remains the cockpit of a conspiracy to destroy democratic rights and establish authoritarian rule in the United States.
(2020-07-29). 2019 was the bloodiest year for environmental and land rights activists, says report. peoplesdispatch.org Over 212 "land defenders" were killed in the year 2019, says a report by Global Witness, with Colombia and the Philippines accounting for half of those…
(2020-07-29). French state sues mayor for linking police repression to pro-Nazi Vichy regime. wsws.org The lawsuit against Colombes Mayor Patrick Chaimovitch tramples on historical truth and basic democratic rights.
(2020-07-29). Six arrested at banned Australian protest against police violence. wsws.org COVID-19 public health orders were used to suppress the demonstration in a blatant attack on democratic rights.
(2020-07-29). Thousands suffer extreme rights abuses journeying to Africa's Mediterranean coast, say humanitarians. news.un.org Thousands of refugees and migrants in eastern and western Africa, are dying while others face harrowing abuse in their attempts to reach the continent's Mediterranean coast in search of a better life, a joint UN/Danish Refugee Council report said on Wednesday.
(2020-07-29). Calls For Video Related To John Neville's Death Persist. popularresistance.org Protesters made new demands of Forsyth County elected officials Tuesday, calling for a general increase in transparency from county leaders, and specifically, the release of video pertaining to the death of an inmate at the Forsyth County Detention Center. | "We're fighting for truth, justice, dignity, humanity, economic justice, social justice," said Tony Ndege, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Winston-Salem. "We stand against state violence, but we also stand for social and economic justice." | Demonstrations began in Winston-Salem weeks ago and groups like Black Lives Matter Winston-Salem say they plan to cont…
(2020-07-29). Bolivia: Stop State Repression And Violence, For Free And Fair Elections. popularresistance.org Four days after the Interim Bolivian Government suspended elections again, Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic and the University Network for Human Rights (UNHR) released a report on the gross human rights abuses carried out under Bolivia's interim President, Jeanine àÅñez. | The report documents one of the deadliest and most repressive periods in the past several decades in Bolivia as well as the growing fear of indigenous peoples and government critics that their lives and safety are in danger. | "We have identified very troubling patterns of human rights violations since the Interim Go…
(2020-07-29). Thirty-three Russians arrested in Belarus. yenisafak.com Thirty-three Russian nationals allegedly linked to the private military company Wagner were arrested in Belarus last night, the country's state news agency Belta said on Wednesday.According to Belta, the law enforcement bodies followed the suspects from the moment of their arrival in Belarus.It said a total of 200 Wagner mercenaries came to the country "to destabilize the situation during the presidential election campaign". The Investigative Committee is probing the detained individuals.Belarus will hold its presidential election on Aug. 9, and earlier, acting President Alexander Lukashenko voiced concern over p…
(2020-07-29). Baeidinjad reacts to British MP anti-Iranian remarks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 29 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to UK Hamid Baeidinjad reacted to a request by a senior British lawmaker to impose sanctions on Iranian officials.
(2020-07-29). In Portland, Getting Out of Jail Requires Relinquishing Constitutional Rights. truthout.org Federal authorities are using a new tactic in their battle against protesters in Portland, Oregon: arrest them on offenses as minor as "failing to obey" an order to get off a sidewalk on federal property — and then tell them they can't protest anymore as a condition for release from jail. | "Defendant may not attend any other protests, rallies, assemblies or public gathering in the state of Oregon," states one "Order Setting Conditions of Release" for an accused protester, alongside oth…
(2020-07-28). Headlines for July 28, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Republicans Unveil Plan to Slash Unemployment Benefits as Pandemic Rages, Moderna Late Stage Vaccine Trial Starts, as Trump's NSA Tests Positive for Coronavirus, WHO: COVID-19 "Most Severe Global Health Emergency" as Global Death Toll Tops 654,000, AG Barr and National Guardsman to Testify Before Congress with Battling Narratives, John Lewis Lies in State in Capitol Rotunda as He Is Honored by Fellow Lawmakers, 100s of DNC Delegates to Oppose a Party Platform Without Medicare for All, DNC Members Vote to Support Israel's Illegal Annexation of West Bank, "Free Them All!": Immigrant Rights Activists Chain Th…
(2020-07-28). Syria — challenging Caesar. thealtworld.com 
Conference of small businesses to combat sanctions and Caesar Law. | Two weeks ago, I attended a two day conference in Damascus, Syria. The initiative is the brainchild of Syrian businessman and entrepreneur, Dr. Hani Barakat who gathered together a selection of young and enterprising business people to discuss the obstacles facing the youth of Syria when they try to establish any kind of business initiative. | Their path to success has been harshly affected by the illegal US Coalition sanctions (and precedeing sanctions on Syria since 1979) and further impacted by the newly introduced and punitive Caesar Law [md…
(2020-07-28). Who's behind the Canadian Think Tank Pushing for Sanctions against China and Iran? dissidentvoice.org 
The "independent" think tank, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute recently called for China and Iran to be severely punished for allegedly covering up the original outbreak and failing to respond to COVID-19 in time. This was done in ignorance of both Canada's PM Justin Trudeau and US President Donald Trump's failure to listen to military intelligence warning …
(2020-07-28). Growing demands that Sri Lankan defence secretary end the military harassment of SEP candidates. wsws.org Workers, educators and professionals speak out against the attacks on the democratic rights of Socialist Equality Party candidates in Jaffna.
(2020-07-28). In Light of Supreme Court Ruling, ACLU Says Trump's Latest Move to Undermine DACA 'Patently Illegal'. commondreams.org "There is absolutely no reason for this," said immigration rights activist Erika Andiola. "Nothing. Not a legal reason. Not a political reason. Just hate." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-28). Human rights report details 'heartbreaking' accounts of women detained in DPRK. news.un.org Women forcibly returned to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are subjected to torture, ill treatment, sexual abuse, and other violations, according to a report published on Tuesday by the UN Human Rights office.
(2020-07-28). 155 Civil Rights Organizations Urge Immediate Congressional Action on Voting Rights. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-28). Midwest Dispatch: A Much-Needed Civil Rights Road Trip. progressive.org From John Lewis to the current Black Lives Matter protesters, history is alive and a constant reminder of the price of freedom.
(2020-07-28). Minneapolis protest demands justice for Vanessa Guillen, Breonna Taylor, women lost to state violence. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On July 18, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis to demand justice for women lost to state violence. Organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), the protest focused on Vanessa Guillen and Breonna Taylor. The dual focus on Vanessa Guillen, who was Latina, and Breonna Taylor, who was Black, aimed to build unity between Black and Latino communities as well as other communities in the struggle for justice. | The protest took place in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. After a lakeside rally at Bde Mka Ska, protesters marched to the intersection of…
(2020-07-28). US Threatens European backers of Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, NATO in DC's Crosshairs. mintpressnews.com The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is nearing completion despite all the best efforts by the U.S. to stop its construction, causing a rift between Washington and its largest European ally and the potential end of NATO.
(2020-07-28). Barr's Denial of Police Violence, 'Systemic Racism' Highlights Presence of US Authoritarianism. sputniknews.com The United States' top cop denied US police have a problem with either racism or violence during congressional testimony on Tuesday. One civil rights lawyer told Sputnik the data shows a different story, driving more and more demonstrators into the streets.
(2020-07-28). Government accused of 'dragging its feet' on tackling racism. thecanary.co The government has been accused of "dragging its feet" on tackling racism. | David Isaac, who is set to step down as chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission next week, made the claim as he called for a coherent race strategy to be implemented. | In an interview with the BBC, Isaac said he does not believe the issue has been made a top priority. | "There are lots of people, particularly of colour, who need to be supported, and for that reason a coherent race strategy is a top priority and I call upon the government to act urgently," he said. | "I do believe that they are dragging their feet. They seek to…