(2020-06-26). Colombia's Other Pandemic: Unchecked State Violence in the Time of COVID-19. counterpunch.org 
The human rights group Indepaz reports that 800 activists have been killed in the past three and a half years in Colombia, since November 24, 2016, the date the government signed "the Peace Accord" with the FARC.[1] Taking advantage of society's fear and distraction, and the demobilization caused by the novel coronavirus, state and paramilitary
(2020-06-26). Mines, mass graves: Haftar's human rights violations. yenisafak.com An Anadolu Agency team in Libya has monitored the evidence of mines, mass graves, and executions left behind by the militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar as they retreated from south of the capital Tripoli as well as the city of Tarhuna, to the southeast. Libya's internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.This March, the Libyan government launched Operation Peace Storm to counter attacks on the capital, and recently retook strategic locations, including Al-Watiya airbase and the city of Tarhuna, Haftar's final stronghol…
(2020-06-26). U.N. Human Rights Council condemns racist violence. workers.org 
In the wake of international uprisings due to the lynching of George Floyd, the U.N. Human Rights Council held an emergency hearing on June 19. The council unanimously passed a resolution condemning systemic racism and racist police brutality against people of African descent in all countries, but particularly in the . . . |
(2020-06-26). Infiltrating Black Lives Matter: Cops, Feds, and White Supremacists. counterpunch.org 
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a major step forward in the ongoing struggle for Civil Rights in the United States and around the world. BLM was founded in 2013, following the acquittal over what organizers describe as 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's murderer, the gated community watchman, George Zimmerman. The organization came to international attention in July
(2020-06-26). Belgian parliament urges sanctions against Israel. yenisafak.com The Belgian federal parliament adopted a resolution on Friday urging the government to prepare a list of countermeasures against Israel in case it annexes the occupied Palestinian territories.The resolution was proposed by the Green party, and passed with 101 votes in favor and 39 abstentions.The text calls the government to "play a leading role at European and multilateral level in order to set up a list of effective countermeasures to respond proportionately to any Israeli annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory."The resolution acknowledges the fact that some states might veto EU sanctions. So it sugge…
(2020-06-26). (Part 2) India's internal emergency: A brutal chapter in authoritarianism. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha talks about India's 19-month internal emergency which was imposed on June 25 1975. This period saw a sustained and brutal attack on democratic rights with the poor and the working class suffering the most. The government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was eventually voted out in 1977 but much of the legacy of those years continues to this day, both in positive and negative ways. | Watch part 1
(2020-06-26). MSM "Fake News" Against Syria. Describe Al Qaeda as "Rebels", Elected President as "Dictator" globalresearch.ca The Editorial Board of They call the Assad government of …
(2020-06-26). EU must weigh in on West Bank annexation: UN expert. yenisafak.com A UN human rights expert on Friday urged the EU to use its "economic weight, diplomatic expertise and aid, trade and investment leverage" to forestall looming Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank and Jordan Valley.Michael Lynk, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, said in a statement that annexation would "lead to a marked worsening of the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and daily lives of millions of Palestinians."He said the planned annexation after July 1 was a continuation of Israel's "illegal extension of sovereignty over P…
(2020-06-26). India grants thousands citizenship rights in Kashmir. yenisafak.com As many as 25,000 people have been granted domicile certificates in Muslim-majority Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir since May 18, which local politicians believe is the beginning of disturbing demographic profile of the region.The certificate, a sort of citizenship right, entitles a person to residency and government jobs in the region, which till last year was reserved only for the local population.Last year on Aug. 5, when India revoked the semi-autonomous status of the region, it also scrapped the local special citizenship law, guaranteed under Article 35 (A) of the Indian Constitution.The law was barrin…
(2020-06-26). Sunday 6/28: 'The Condor & The Eagle' New Film & Discussion on Climate & Indigenous Rights (online). indybay.org Online/virtual…
(2020-06-26). LGBTQ equality: the work is not over. splcenter.org The fight for LGBTQ human rights and equality is far from over.
(2020-06-25). Indian rights groups demand bail for political prisoners. peoplesdispatch.org The letter by prominent human rights organizations comes days after reports emerged of the appalling conditions in the quarantine facility in the State of Maharashtra in which activist Gautam Navlakha is currently lodged in…
(2020-06-25). Boycotting Israel Is Not A Crime, Says European Human Rights Court. therealnews.com 
The EHRC overturned the French court's convictions of 12 BDS activists for "incitement to discrimination" in a watershed ruling for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.
(2020-06-25). Digital tools being used to track people as never before, warns UN rights chief. news.un.org The internet and new digital tools are being manipulated as never before to infringe on people's right to free assembly, the UN's top rights official said on Thursday, in a call for a moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology during peaceful demonstrations.
(2020-06-25). A month after George Floyd's death, what has changed? peoplesdispatch.org A month has passed by since the brutal killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The protests that erupted across the United States and continue to rage on have significantly altered the political landscape of the nation's politics. Much like the protests of 2014-15 sparked by the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, the protests happening today have brought some of the perennial questions and unfinished business of the Civil Rights Movement. | From talks about police reforms to abolition of the police, from the lingering Confederate legacy to colonial-settler and slave-ow…
(2020-06-25). FROM THE FIELD: Sudanese women ready to 'break taboos' and run for office. news.un.org Since the 2019 Sudan protests, which ushered in a transitional government, and the promise of more rights, over a thousand women have felt emboldened to enter politics in a bid to enact lasting democratic change.
(2020-06-25). Massive Uprisings Confront White Supremacy. popularresistance.org On May 25, a Minneapolis police officer tortured George Floyd to death in what his brother, Philonise Floyd, called "a modern-day lynching in broad daylight." Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in all 50 states and Washington D.C.; the anti-racist uprisings continue. | Why do a majority of people in this country now support the Movement for Black Lives? Why have calls to defund and abolish the police entered the mainstream discourse? Why are people risking the deadly coronavirus to join the protests? And why are we seeing what may be the broadest popular movement in the history of the United Stat…
(2020-06-25). Why You Should Give a F*ck | Ep. 3 | Labor Rights. therealnews.com 
We explore the different areas of labor rights and the role we all play in their enforcement, while digging deeper into the aspect of mental health as it relates to our rights as workers.
(2020-06-25). Role of sanctions in U.S. plan for world domination — a commentary. workers.org 
By Samuel Thomas Sanctions: This is the well-known method of spreading democracy and prosperity through death, starvation, shortages and economic collapse. Throughout U.S. history, this method of regime change, ostensibly intended to be implemented against countries at war or allied to a country at war with the U.S., they are . . . |
(2020-06-25). Iraqi forces raid HQ of Iran-backed militia as US coalition denies any involvement. rt.com 
Iraqi security forces have raided the headquarters of Kataib Hezbollah, capturing several leaders of the militia at the heart of US-Iranian conflict early this year. The US coalition rushed to distance itself from the operation. | Special forces from the Counter Terrorism Service carried out the raid in the early hours of Friday local time, at a base south of Baghdad, reportedly arresting nearly two dozen militiamen and several commanders. | Their fate remains unclear, however, as government officials insist they are in the custody of security services, while paramilitary sources claim all those detained have…
(2020-06-25). US Embassy in Moscow flies rainbow flag to honor Pride flag day. rt.com 
The US Embassy in Moscow is flying the rainbow pride flag alongside the country's famous Stars and Stripes as a show of support for the LGBT community. | The move comes as Russians begin to head to the polls to vote on proposed constitutional amendments, including the definition of marriage as a union between a man and woman. | "LGBTI rights are human rights. Human rights are universal," said the caption on the embassy's Instagram page. "Pride Month is designed to emphasize that everyone deserves to live a life free of hate, prejudice, and persecution." | In the USA, LGBT Pride Month occurs in June, on the…
(2020-06-25). How a US & Qatari regime change deception produced the 'Caesar' sanctions driving Syria towards famine. thegrayzone.com Like the mysterious figure it is named for, the Caesar sanctions bill is the product of an elaborate deception by…
(2020-06-25). How a US and Qatari regime change deception produced 'Caesar' sanctions driving Syria towards famine. thegrayzone.com Like the mysterious figure it is named for, the Caesar sanctions bill is the product of an elaborate deception by…
(2020-06-25). Egyptian authorities arrest journalist Nora Younis. peoplesdispatch.org Founder and editor-in-chief of al-Manassa news agency, Nora Younis, has been a critic of the Egyptian government's track record on human rights. She is the third woman journalist to be arrested by the Egyptian authorities in recent weeks…
(2020-06-25). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (18 — 24 Jun 2020). imemc.org Summary Israeli forces continued to commit crimes and multifaceted violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including invasions into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians. This week, the Israeli military's excessive use of force killed 1 civilian, rendered 22 injuries …
(2020-06-25). Speak out against torture, an 'abhorrent denial of human dignity', urges UN chief. news.un.org Torture is an "egregious abuse of human rights", UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday, the International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture.
(2020-06-25). Israeli Soldier Given Derisory Sentence for the Unlawful Killing of a Palestinian Fisherman. imemc.org Press Release By Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights: On 15 June 2020, an Israeli military court sentenced an Israeli soldier, who shot and killed 23-year-old Palestinian fisherman, Nawwaf al-Attar, off the coast of Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip, to a derisory 45-day prison sentence to be served through military-related …
(2020-06-25). US sanctions against international court staff a 'direct attack' on judicial independence. news.un.org The decision by the United States to authorize sanctions targeting staff at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is "a direct attack to the institution's judicial independence", UN human rights experts said on Thursday.
(2020-06-25). The Struggle against Racism in the United States. globalresearch.ca "We beseech independent African states to help us bring our problem before the United Nations, on the grounds that the United States Government is morally incapable of protecting the lives and the property of 22 million African-Americans. And on the …
(2020-06-25). Israeli Court Sentences A Detainee To Four Life Terms In Prison. imemc.org An Israeli court on Wednesday sentenced a Palestinian detainee to four life terms, in addition to imposing a fine of 16 Million Shekels after convicting him of killing two Israeli soldiers and of wounding 7 settlers (causing a young woman to miscarry) in two separate incidents in the year 2018, …
(2020-06-25). EU covering up Greek human rights violations, says Turkish spox. yenisafak.com Turkey on Thursday slammed remarks by Greek and EU officials critical of Ankara's handling of the migrant issue along its borders, calling them an attempt to whitewash Athens' human rights violations.The remarks this Wednesday by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell at the Turkish-Greek border show Greece's effort to cover up its crimes against asylum seekers under the EU umbrella, said Hami Aksoy, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman."The fact that the EU Commission is a partner to this is exemplary," Aksoy said.Aksoy cited the words of Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Euro…
(2020-06-25). Friday 6/26: The Stonewall Inn: Birthplace of the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement (online). indybay.org Online on YouTube…
(2020-06-25). LGBTQI Rights Are Human Rights. thenation.com LGBTQI Rights Are Human Rights…
(2020-06-24). Mapping Police Violence Across The USA. popularresistance.org Police forces across the United States have committed widespread and egregious human rights violations in response to largely peaceful assemblies protesting systemic racism and police violence, including the killing of Black people. | Amnesty International has documented 125 separate incidents of police violence against protesters in 40 states and the District of Columbia between 26 May and 5 June 2020. These acts of excessive force were committed by members of state and local police departments, as well as by National Guard troops and security force personnel from several federal agencies. Among the abuses docum…
(2020-06-24). Popularity of Bail Funds Continue Protests' Momentum. therealnews.com 
ATLANTA—On June 1, police officers had 20-year-old William Lefforge, and about 50 other protesters, boxed in on the sidewalk near Atlanta City Hall. The officers warned the protesters they had three minutes to leave, but according to Lefforge, the group could not get by the police. The police arrested them and transported Lefforge and his group to the Atlanta Detention Center. Lefforge estimated his arrest happened around 4 p.m., well before the 9 p.m. curfew that Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has since lifted. | Lefforge called his mother, Jen, who in turn reached out to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. Thanks to…
(2020-06-24). Kangaroo Point refugees have endured seven years of slow torture. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-06-24). Detroit cops made first known wrongful arrest based on faulty facial recognition software, ACLU complaint claims. rt.com 
A case involving a black man who was wrongfully detained due to an incorrect facial recognition match could be the first of its kind, the ACLU has said. The civil liberties group has filed a complaint with Detroit police. | The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a formal letter of protest on Wednesday over the arrest and treatment of Robert Williams, who was cuffed on his front lawn by Detroit officers after being suspected of stealing watches from a boutique. The arrest, which was made in January, came about after Williams was flagged by a facial recognition system used by the Detroit Police Dep…
(2020-06-24). US sanctions five Iranian ship captains for bringing oil to Venezuela. yenisafak.com Speaking to reporters, Pompeo also said the United States continues to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. Washington, which seeks the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and most other Western governments have recognized Guaido as the legitimate leader of the OPEC nation.
(2020-06-24). Trump Sanctions the International Criminal Court. counterpunch.org On June 11, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency. Is the emergency the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed 450,000 people worldwide, including 110,000 in the US? Is it racist cops killing Black Americans? Is it the nation's sky-high unemployment and the threat of a second Great Depression? No, no, and no. It's the International Criminal Court's investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan.
(2020-06-24). Will Biden Remain Tone Deaf to Palestinian Rights? dissidentvoice.org 
Joe Biden wants you to believe that he is opposed to Israel's likely annexation of parts of the West Bank that Netanyahu plans to carry out in July. "I do not support annexation," he said during a call with American Jewish donors on June 16. But only a month ago, Biden senior foreign policy advisor …
(2020-06-24). Two years of US sanctions against Iran. peoplesdispatch.org 
The US withdrew the last set of exemptions provided to some foreign companies to work on Iranian nuclear sites in May, which also marked the second anniversary of Donald Trump administration's renewed aggression against Iran.
(2020-06-24). Bolton weaves a tall tale in his Venezuela chapter. peoplesdispatch.org 
Per Bolton, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro remains in power only because the Trump administration lacked the determination to keep the pressure on. He argues that sanctions were neither strict nor swiftly applied. Yet during Bolton's tenure, the Trump administration blocked Venezuela's ability to trade gold, froze the assets of state oil company PDVSA (including US based subsidiary Citgo Petroleum), sanctioned Venezuela's Central Bank, and imposed an economic embargo. All of this occurred between November 2018 and August 2019, during Bolton's tenure as Trump's National Security Advisor. | Four major sanction…
(2020-06-24). US Sanctions Iranian Ship Captains as Russia Hosts Venezuelan FM. venezuelanalysis.com Russian FM Sergei Lavrov reiterated his opposition to US aggression in Venezuela.
(2020-06-24). 'A Historic Day': Boston City Council Bans Facial Recognition Surveillance. commondreams.org "Boston should not use racially discriminatory technology that threatens the privacy and basic rights of our residents." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-06-23). Palestinian Citizens Of Israel Protest Land Grab In Negev Desert. popularresistance.org Hundreds of Palestinian citizens of Israel protested on Monday in the Negev region to denounce the Israeli government policy of house demolitions and evacuation orders in the village of Khirbet al-Watan. | Marwan Abu Frieh, a coordinator and field researcher for the Adalah human rights centre in Israel, told Middle East Eye that Israel's Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Israel Land Authority (ILA) were planning to plant hundreds of trees on lands from five Bedouin villages, including Khirbet al-Watan, which had all received demolition orders and faced the displacement of thousands of residents "in the name of d…
(2020-06-23). Is the JCPOA Nuclear Deal Doomed? globalresearch.ca Trump regime hardliners want the landmark JCPOA nuclear deal eliminated to facilitate escalation of sanctions war on Iran — risking things turning hot. | Decades of US hostility toward the country are all about wanting it transformed into a vassal state …
(2020-06-23). Australian High Court rules tear-gassed youth detainees entitled to damages. wsws.org Little has changed at the infamous Don Dale Youth Detention Centre since the high-profile 2014 incident.