(2020-08-16). Weaponized Social Media Fuels "Youth" Protests. thealtworld.com 
US-based social-media tools are being used to reward participation in regime change with likes and shares. | Young protesters in Thailand are out demanding "human rights" and "democracy" — and for the current government to step down. | Should their demands be met — the opposition — headed by billionaire fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra and his Pheu Thai Party will take power. Thaksin Shinawatra and his political party represent neither human rights nor democracy. In fact, Thaksin Shinawatra is the worst human rights abuser in Thai history. | So how does one explain the paradoxical nature of young peopl…
(2020-08-16). What Would a President Harris Mean for Whites? strategic-culture.org 
Sen. Harris is not particularly extreme by today's standards, but her life is about acquiring power. Once she has it, she would surely wield it against us. She is likely to restrict freedom of speech and other constitutional rights. Even those who have criticized her in the past would cheer it on.
(2020-08-16). Trump Vows Unilateral Imposition of Snapback Sanctions on Iran. globalresearch.ca On Friday, the Trump regime was dealt a humiliating Security Council defeat. | Bullying, bribes, and threats failed this time, perhaps indicative of more US setbacks ahead. | Its attempt to extend an arms embargo on Iran indefinitely was supported by only …
(2020-08-16). US Sanctions Are Strangling A Lebanon In Crisis. popularresistance.org The Lebanese econ ≠o ≠my crashed into the equiv ≠a ≠lent of a brick wall some ≠time in the last few months of 2019. The Lebanese pound (or lira), which was pegged to the dol ≠lar and appeared to be sta ≠ble for well over two decades, start ≠ed to decline at a rate that threat ≠ened the com ≠plete col ≠lapse of the econ ≠o ≠my. In the mean ≠time, the Trump admin ≠is ≠tra ≠tion had been busy build ≠ing a "Great Wall" of sanc ≠tions around Lebanon, even as the coun ≠try as a whole was drown ≠ing in a moun ≠tain of debt. | The firs…
(2020-08-16). In Denial: Australia, Human Rights and Climate Change. dissidentvoice.org When the complaint was lodged in May 2019, there was a sense of the audacious about it. Eight Torres Strait Islanders had taken the trouble to petition the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Committee, citing climate change and Australian violations as their main concern. Australia, they claimed, had violated their fundamental rights under the International Covenant …
(2020-08-15). Sanders Warns of Trump Effort to 'Destroy the Post Office to Sabotage This Election'. commondreams.org The warning from the Vermont senator follows a USPS announcement that it's halting its collection of mailboxes in multiple states—which voting rights advocates rebuked as evidence of "massive voter suppression." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-15). Reflections on Marxism and Law: A Review of Igor Shoikhedbrod's Revisiting Marx's Critique of Liberalism. mronline.org 
The book complicates the common narrative that Marx was the quintessential critic of liberal rights. Shoikhedbrod's close and careful reading of Marx's texts is insightful and targeted. The book helps readers to think about the role of law and rights under capitalism, and also to imagine its future in a communist society.
(2020-08-15). ICE Guards 'Systematically' Sexually Assault Detainees. popularresistance.org Guards in an immigrant detention center in El Paso sexually assaulted and harassed inmates in a "pattern and practice" of abuse, according to a complaint filed by a Texas advocacy group urging the local district attorney and federal prosecutors to conduct a criminal investigation. | The allegations, detailed in a filing first obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, maintain that guards systematically assaulted at least three people in a facility overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — often in areas of the detention center not visible to security cameras.
(2020-08-15). Navalny's regional organizer arrested as Khabarovsk protests enter sixth week. rt.com 
The Khabarovsk regional coordinator for Moscow protest leader Alexey Navalny has been detained for participating in an unapproved demonstration, as crowds rallied for a sixth weekend in a row. | Alexey Vorsin, a regular fixture at Khabarovsk protests, was Khabarovsk residents have been protesting every day since July 11, after hugely popular regional governor Sergey Furgal was arrested on suspicion of ordering t…
(2020-08-15). 'We won't allow banditry on our continental shelf': Erdogan says Turkey won't back down amid Mediterranean standoff. rt.com 
Turkey will not bow to international pressure and "banditry" in the contested waters of the eastern Mediterranean, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, promising to continue oil and gas exploration as planned. | Turkey's Oruc Reis survey vessel will continue its work between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete until August 23 despite mounting pressure and threats of sanctions, Erdogan said on Saturday. | We will never bow to banditry on our continental shelf. We will not back down against the language of sanctions and threats. | Ankara's goal is to protect its "rights and interests," Erdogan stressed, add…
(2020-08-15). Protesters gather at site of activist's death amid calls for Belarus leader to quit. thecanary.co 
Thousands of demonstrators in Belarus gathered at the spot in the capital where a protester died in clashes with police, calling for authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko to resign after 26 years in power.It was the seventh consecutive day of large protests against the results of the 9 August presidential election, in which election officials say Lukashenko won a sixth term in office. Opposition supporters believe the figures have been manipulated.Despite harsh police action against the protesters, including the detention of some 7,000 people, the demonstrations have swelled into the largest and most susta…
(2020-08-15). Infiltration of US protests against police brutality used to delegitimize demonstrations, undermine democratic rights. wsws.org Police infiltration of protests has a renewed significance at a time when democratic rights have been stretched to the point of breaking.
(2020-08-15). Prisoners' Justice Day in Canada, The Rights of Prison Inmates. The Prison Reform Movement. globalresearch.ca "Solitary is used against prisoners who continue to resist against the oppressive environment within the system, and it is used to extremes that are hard for anyone to believe possible in a modern-day society. It is used to wear us …
(2020-08-15). Minneapolis Police Sweep West Powderhorn Encampment, Pepper Spray Defenders. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — On August 14, 2020, Minneapolis Police along with the Park Police pepper sprayed houseless advocates while doing a sweep of the West Powderhorn Sanctuary tent encampment. Tents were bulldozed in scenes reminiscent of July 20 clearing of East Powderhorn. | Hours before severe…
(2020-08-15). UAE-Israel agreement, clear violation of Palestinians' rights. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — The Secretariat of Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution in a statement on Sat. condemned the infamous Emirati-Zionist agreement to normalize relations, calling it a clear example of historic loss for the Emirati government.
(2020-08-15). Trump Says US Will Trigger UN 'Snapback' Sanctions Mechanism Against Iran Next Week. sputniknews.com Earlier, the Trump administration voiced its opposition to the UN Security Council rejection to extend an arms embargo against Iran. Despite the UNSC decision, Washington asserted that it would stick to its promise to "stop at nothing" to prevent Iran from buying and selling weapons on the international market.
(2020-08-15). 'Israel-UAE deal null and void for Turkey'. yenisafak.com Turkey again lambasted on Friday a recent deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize ties between the two countries, saying the agreement is null and void for Turkey."This step, which ignores the rights of Palestinians, has already been condemned in the conscience of the peoples of the region, especially the Palestinians," Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.Altun stressed that the agreement had clearly shown "those who are behind the wave of instability that took the region for a long time," as well as those who had been "using the Palestinian people's righteous cause for their own interes…
(2020-08-15). Iran, Hamas discuss UAE-Israel normalization deal. yenisafak.com Iran's foreign minister and the political head of Hamas discussed on Friday a recent deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize relations.In a phone call, Iran's Jawad Zarif said Tehran stood by Palestinians and that the agreement was unacceptable, according to a statement by Hamas."We're confident that the heroic Palestinian people, Arab and Muslim worlds are strong enough to foil this agreement," Zarif said. Ismail Haniyeh, for his part, thanked Iran for defending Palestinians' rights."Palestinian people stand up for their cause and resistance," Haniyeh stressed.The deal to normalize UAE-Israeli ties was anno…
(2020-08-14). Oregon residents block unmarked ICE buses carrying detained immigrants. wsws.org The standoff lasted around 12 hours in Bend, Oregon, until dozens of federal agents were deployed to disperse the protesters using pepper spray.
(2020-08-14). Silencing marginalized voices is not 'good trouble'. therealnews.com 
In a time when it feels like many of the civil rights gains that activists fought for with their blood and bones and spirits have been lost, where do we go from here?
(2020-08-14). Belarus hands over 32 'Russian mercenaries' KGB accused of 'planning riots' — ignoring Ukraine's extradition demand. rt.com 
A fortnight after their arrest raised eyebrows, and ignoring Ukrainian attempts to extradite most of them, the authorities in Belarus have released 32 Russian citizens they accused of attempting to undermine state security. | The KGB claimed the men were fighters from the Wagner private military contractor company who arrived in the country to prepare for mass riots. Moscow said the 33 detainees — one is a Belarussian citizen and hasn't been transferred to Russia — were indeed security personnel, but Minsk was only the transit point to their final destination. Russia had closed almost all internation…
(2020-08-14). EU does not accept Belarus election results, preparing sanctions — Foreign policy chief Borrell. rt.com The European Union is refusing to recognize election results in Belarus and is preparing sanctions over the 'rigged' vote and the heavy-handed police response to protests, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has confirmed. | The EU "doesn't accept election results" in Minsk, Borrell tweeted on Friday evening, adding that work has begun on "sanctioning those responsible for violence [and] falsification" of the vote. | Concluded good and constructive Eastern Med: Full solidarity w/ Greece&Cyprus; calling Turkey for immediate dee…
(2020-08-14). Belarus authorities free hundreds detained after election protests. thecanary.co 
Belarusian authorities have released hundreds of people who were detained amid demonstrations contesting the results of the presidential election, in an attempt to assuage public anger over a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests.Scores of detainees were seen walking out of a jail in the capital, Minsk, at around midnight on 13 August. Early on 14 August, volunteers also saw at least 119 detainees being released in the nearby сity of Zhodino.Ambulances arrived to carry those who were apparently unable to walk on their own.Relatives and friends greet people released from a detention centre where protesters w…
(2020-08-14). Bill Gates and the Depopulation Agenda. Robert F. Kennedy Junior Calls for an Investigation. globalresearch.ca Robert F Kennedy Jr, an avid Defender of Children's Rights and anti-vaccination activist, has launched a petition sent to the White House, calling for "Investigations into the 'Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation' for Medical Malpractice & Crimes Against Humanity"
(2020-08-14). Chile: Mapuche Leader on Hunger Strike Will Stop Drinking Water. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the Mapuche's spiritual advisor (machi) Celestino Cordova, who has been on a hunger strike for 103 days, announced that he will stop drinking water in rejection of the violation of his rights. | RELATED: | Cristina Romo, his spokeswoman, released the decision shortly after the Supreme Court rejected Cordova's request to serve part of his sentence at home. | "The Sebastian Piñera administration will have…
(2020-08-14). Afghanistan: More action needed to stop killings of human rights defenders. news.un.org The death of nine human rights defenders since the beginning of this year marks "the emergence of a truly alarming trend", an independent UN rights expert said on Friday, calling on Afghanistan to prevent any further killings.
(2020-08-14). How the Covid-19 Crisis Affects Individual Rights and Freedoms. A New Crisis in International Law? globalresearch.ca One of the direct impacts of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 is challenging human rights. The pandemic not only created and still creating health issues, economic challenges, political crises and social conflicts around the world, it also affects individual …
(2020-08-14). UN chief: Belarusians must be able to exercise their 'civil and political rights'. news.un.org Closely following the developments in Belarus, Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement on Friday underlining the importance of enabling all Belarusians to "exercise their civil and political rights".
(2020-08-14). The Black Women Behind the Ongoing Fight for Suffrage. aclu.org The 19th Amendment inked women's suffrage into American history, a culminating moment in an effort to win political power. But as the 100th anniversary of its ratification fast approaches, it's essential to reflect on who the 19th Amendment excluded in practice if not on paper, and what the popular historical record of this movement leaves out. , , "Black women know as 1920 unfolds that many of them are still going to be disenfranchised," professor and author Martha S. Jones tells At Liberty. "That's not a secret. That's an open premise of the 19th Amendment., , Jones joined…
(2020-08-14). EU Won't Accept Belarus Election Results, Sanctions Coming. telesurenglish.net The European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced on Friday that the block is refusing to recognize the presidential election results in Belarus, in which President Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected for a sixth consecutive term. | RELATED: | After a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Borrell twitted: "EU doesn't accept election results…
(2020-08-14). BLM Activists Hospitalized After Police Kneel On Her Neck. popularresistance.org Protesters said Jae Passmore had been leaving a demonstration in downtown Tampa on Wednesday night when she was detained by police, The Tampa Bay Times reported. | In on video shared on Instagram, Passmore is seen being pinned to the ground by several officers as protesters shout at them to free her. | "Stop! Get your knee off her neck!" A protester can be heard repeatedly yelling. Another is heard screaming: "Get off of her like that!"
(2020-08-14). US Seizes Iranian Oil From Four Tankers En Route To Venezuela. popularresistance.org The Trump administration has seized the cargo of four tankers it was targeting for transporting Iranian fuel to Venezuela, U.S. officials said Thursday, as it steps up its campaign of maximum pressure against the two heavily sanctioned allies. | Last month, federal prosecutors in Washington filed a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that the sale was arranged by a businessman with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. At the time, sanctions experts thought it would be impossible to enforce the U.S. court order in international waters. | A senior U.S. official…
(2020-08-14). Muslim scholars slam UAE-Israel deal as 'high treason'. yenisafak.com The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) deal to normalize ties with Israel is tantamount to "high treason," a leading group of Muslim scholars said on Friday.In a statement, the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) urged the Muslim world to take a "decisive position against such concessions … and to exert efforts to preserve the full rights of the Palestinian people." | The group also rejected UAE's claim that the deal will halt Israel's annexation of more Palestinian territory, citing the Israeli premier's comments that he "achieved this agreement and others without any concession." | The deal to normalize U…
(2020-08-14). Syed Ali Geelani: Adamant fighter for Kashmiri rights. yenisafak.com In recognition of his lifelong struggle for Kashmiris, Pakistan on its 74th Independence Day on Friday, awarded veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani Nishan-e-Pakistan — country's highest civilian honor.Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Queen Elizabeth II, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also among the recipients of the prestigious award.In late June, the 90-year-old leader stepped down from the leadership of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a forum of more than two dozen Kashmir-based pro-freedom parties.The Nishan-e-Pakistan award, on behalf of Geelani, was received by APHC leaders from Pa…
(2020-08-14). Turks in Greece still being denied their rights. yenisafak.com For decades, the Turkish minority in Greece has faced government-imposed hurdles to exercising its fundamental rights on education, religious affairs, and the recognition of its ethnic identity. | Greece's Western Thrace region — in the country's northeast, near the Turkish border — is home to a substantial, long-established Muslim Turkish minority numbering around 150,000. | Several recent developments have cast a harsh spotlight on the problems of Turks in Greece, including a decree restricting the autonomy of the mufti Muslim clerics, land belonging to a Muslim religious foundation being sold off t…
(2020-08-14). Denounced as Going 'Too Far' When Sanders Said It—American Bar Association Backs Full Voting Rights for Incarcerated People. commondreams.org Bolstering a proposal which was denounced by centrists and conservatives as going "too far" in the fight for voting rights when Sen. Bernie Sanders backed it, the American Bar Association announced its support for full enfranchisement for current and former prison inmates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-14). How Men's Rights Groups Helped Rewrite Regulations on Campus Rape. thenation.com How Men's Rights Groups Helped Rewrite Regulations on Campus Rape…
(2020-08-13). Tennessee GOP Targets Racial Justice Movement by Turning Encampment Protests Into Felonies Punishable by Prison Term. commondreams.org "Bonus penalty for exercising your protest rights in an unapproved manner: you lose your voting rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-13). The Ongoing Torture and Medical Neglect of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Published by The Lancet on June 25, 2020. | **** | On Feb 17, 2020, Doctors for Assange demanded an end to the torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange.1 Yet no responsible authority has acted. Nils Melzer, the UN …
(2020-08-13). How the US helped push Lebanon to the brink of collapse, and now threatens more sanctions. thegrayzone.com While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the US government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to…
(2020-08-13). Review: 'Crip Camp,' an inspiring flick on the struggles of the disabled. peoplesworld.org 
The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act is celebrating its 30th birthday. But the moment also calls for celebrating the movement that birthed it. Winning the ADA, legislation on par with the Civil Rights Act of 1965, was the culmination of years of struggle, extraordinary courage, and perseverance of the disability community and its allies. However, …
(2020-08-13). Teaching Torture: The Death and Legacy of Dan Mitrione. counterpunch.org 
In the pre-dawn darkness of Monday, August 10, 1970, Dan Mitrione's bullet-ridden body was discovered in the back seat of a stolen Buick convertible in a quiet residential neighborhood of Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital. He had just turned 50, and he had recently started a new dream job, although it was thousands of miles from his home in Richmond, Indiana. Who was Dan Mitrione, and what work was he doing in Uruguay that led him to such an early and violent end? |
(2020-08-13). All protesters detained in Minsk amid Belarus post-election chaos to be released by Friday morning — police chief. rt.com 
Belarusian deputy police chief Alexander Barsukov has vowed that all of those who were taken into temporary custody amid unrest that has gripped Minsk since Sunday's presidential election will be released by 6am local time on Friday. | The official made the announcement as he was visiting a temporary detention facility in one of the capital's boroughs, amid allegations that officers were brutalizing detainees there. Barsukov has rejected the claim. | Cities across Belarus have been swept by a wave of protests, occasionally escalating into violence and scuffles between demonstrators and law enforcement, after e…
(2020-08-13). DOJ accuses Yale of racial discrimination against WHITE and ASIAN applicants after 2-year-long probe. rt.com 
A Department of Justice investigation has found that Yale University is discriminating against white and Asian applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, but the school calls the accusation "meritless." | "Yale's race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants, including in particular Asian-American and white applicants," Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband
(2020-08-13). Pompeo says US may impose sanctions & suspend oil deliveries for Belarus amid post-election crackdown. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted that sanctions may be in store for Belarus following the state's heavy-handed response to opposition protesters, who have disputed the result of the recent presidential election. | Asked how Washington would respond to the opposition crackdown during an interview with Radio Free Europe on Wednesday, Pompeo said that both sanctions and trade penalties were on the table, suggesting the US could also halt oil shipments to the east European nation. | "What is it that we believe that we can do, not just the United States unilaterally, but in a multilateral way to deliver goo…
(2020-08-13). Palestinian Rights Advocates Refuse to Applaud Israel-Trump-UAE Deal That Upholds 'Ongoing, Devastating Apartheid'. commondreams.org "The Trump administration hit upon the Nobel Peace Prize-winning idea that you can supposedly solve the Israel-Palestine conflict by pretending Palestinians don't exist." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-13). Venezuelan Oil Output Remains at Historic Lows as Sanctions Continue to Bite. venezuelanalysis.com US sanctions have caused the Caribbean nation to lose three oil supertankers.
(2020-08-13). UN rights experts express 'outrage' at Belarus police violence against peaceful protesters. news.un.org UN human rights experts on Thursday, strongly criticized the level of violence being used by security forces across Belarus against peaceful protesters and journalists, following five days of demonstrations over the disputed presidential election.
(2020-08-13). UN rights experts call for accountability following Beirut's 'unprecedented' lethal explosion. news.un.org The catastrophic blast which led to the deaths of more than 200 in Beirut on 4 August, has prompted more than three dozen independent rights experts on Thursday, to issue a call for justice and accountability on behalf of the Lebanese people.
(2020-08-13). US sanctions against Iran failed: Nobakht. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Head of Plan and Budget Organization (PBO) Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said that the implementation of economic plans and development projects in the country indicates that US sanctions against Iran have failed.