Monthly Archives: September 2020

2020-09-26: News Headlines

MEE correspondent (2020-09-26). Egypt: At least one protester killed in anti-Sisi protests, hundreds detained. middleeasteye.net Egypt: At least one protester killed in anti-Sisi protests, hundreds detained | Thousands took part in 'day of rage' protests on Friday calling on President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to step down | Sat, 09/26/2020 – 12: 01 | In this file photo, taken on 25 April 2016, Egyptian riot police fire teargas towards protesters as they demonstrate in Cairo (AFP) | Egyptian security forces killed at…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Hamas chief hails Abbas' speech to UN. yenisafak.com Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday hailed President Mahmoud Abbas's speech to the UN General Assembly, according to the official Wafa news agency.This came during a phone call Abbas received from the Hamas leader.Abbas' speech "reflects the moment [the Palestinian people are going through] in this historic stage," Haniyeh said.In his speech on Friday, Abbas said the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has not mandated any party to speak in its name."We will not bow or abandon our rights in spite of the unjust blockade targeting our national decision," Abbas said.The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and…

Ricardo Vaz (2020-09-26). Oil Companies Wind Down Venezuela Dealings as Washington Ramps Up Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The State Department has threatened foreign companies with secondary sanctions.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-26). West Papuans reject Indonesia's plans to extend Special Autonomy Law. peoplesdispatch.org In the twenty years of living under this law, Papuans say that it did not address the contested history of Papua's integration and its outstanding political and human rights issues.

_____ (2020-09-26). Workers' Rights In Globalised Industry. popularresistance.org The Covid-19 crisis and the lockdowns imposed as a result hit the garment industry hard, causing order cancellations and job losses in producer countries. | What can trade unions do to press brands to shield suppliers from the risk of a sudden loss of income that they pass onto their workers? | "This problem emerged early in the pandemic. In April many brands endorsed a call to action, a tripartite initiative led by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) with a commitment by brands to pay for finished goods and goods in production.

Abdul Rahman (2020-09-26). Diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks helped CIA torture victim get justice. peoplesdispatch.org Wikileaks strengthened the case of Khalid El-Masri in the European Human Rights Court which handed first ever punishment to CIA operatives involved in rendition in 2012.

Ikram Ahmed Tunio, Syed Mohammad Qaisar Sajjad, Pakistan Medical Association (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] End curfews in Kashmir. thelancet.com The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) is a national organisation representing medical fraternity of Pakistan. PMA works for the betterment of patients and physicians, and it acts to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care, ethics, education, and health-related human rights for all people.

yenisafak (2020-09-26). 'Turkey will protect its rights with unshakable faith'. yenisafak.com Turkey continues to protect its maritime rights and interests "with a strong will and unshakeable faith," the country's president said on Saturday."With the awareness of how important it is to defend our Blue Homeland, we continue to protect our rights and interests in our seas with a strong will and unshakable faith," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a message ahead of the Turkish Naval Forces Day, marked every year on Sept. 27, the anniversary of the Battle of Preveza."Turkey will continue to strengthen its Naval Forces to protect the Blue Homeland, ensure safety, and deter those who have designs on the country's r…

Health workers & nursing students (2020-09-25). Sunday 9/27: Vigil to Honor Migrant Women and Human Rights Defenders. indybay.org Lake Merritt Amphitheater…

Maryam Jameela (2020-09-25). Lisa Nandy putting Britain first is a classic nationalist dogwhistle. thecanary.co Labour shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy's recent comments on 'putting Britain first' bring with them the weighty context of divisive nationalism and traditionally right-wing rhetoric. | Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today Corbyn's Labour was demonised for championing internationalism and an inclusive collectivism, supporting migrant and minority rights. Now it seems Labour is going out of its way to disassociate from those values. | — rachel shabi (@rachshabi)…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-09-25). 'Recognize What Is at Stake,' Progressives Warn Amid Reports Trump Will Tap Amy Coney Barrett as Ginsburg's Successor. commondreams.org "Barrett is a threat to our healthcare, reproductive freedom, to immigrant rights, equality, and the well-being of American democracy writ large." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-09-25). 'Intentional Cruelty': House Investigation Finds Deadly Medical Neglect in Immigrant Detention Facilities. commondreams.org Despite knowledge of "systemic health and safety issues at immigration detention facilities operated by for-profit contractors," the Trump administration has rewarded these companies with "lucrative contracts." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-09-25). Trump wants the Supreme Court, not the people, to decide the election. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON —When the U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term on the first Monday in October, the symbol of its most important looming development will not be an individual case but an empty chair draped in black. The chair belonged to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the longtime crusader for women's rights, workers' rights, …

Staff (2020-09-25). Representative for whistleblower in ICE detention centers sterilization case talks. therealnews.com Transcript: | Dawn Wooten: I became a whistleblower. Now I'm a target. But I'll take a target any day to do what's right and just, than sit and be a part of what's inhumane. | Eddie Conway: Nurse Dawn Wooten has emerged as a whistleblower in the state of Georgia after she reported in the ICE detention centers, some of them are privately owned. They had been sterilizing women for any reason whatsoever. | Speaker 3: You talk about, in the complaint, hearing from women who are detained there talking about a specific doctor performing hysterectomies, referring to him as a "uterus collector." Tell us about how y…

_____ (2020-09-25). Scheer Intelligence: Justice Ginsburg's Life And Legacy. popularresistance.org The documentary filmmakers discuss their film "RBG" on the life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. While Justice Ginsburg did not grant access to filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen right away, eventually she allowed them an intimate look at her life and her career-long fight for equal rights. West and Cohen tell host Robert Scheer that Ginsburg has embraced her recent emergence as a pop culture icon because she believes it is an opportunity to reach a younger generation.

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-25). Trump Regime War on Cuba by Other Means. globalresearch.ca Unlawful US sanctions on nations, entities and individuals are weapons of war by other means. | Since taking office in January 2017, Trump imposed sanctions on numerous countries extrajudicially, including Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba….

Muhammed Shabeer (2020-09-25). Moria tragedy: Chronicle of an imperialist crime. peoplesdispatch.org Progressive political sections and human rights groups across Europe had issued repeated warnings to the authorities of an imminent human tragedy at the overcrowded Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos…

news.un (2020-09-25). Human rights, multilateralism and battling COVID-19, top focus of European Union. news.un.org The European Union has been at the forefront of international cooperation to defeat "the same common enemy", COVID-19, the President of the European Council, told the UN General Assembly on Friday.

Rocco Galati (2020-09-25). Video: Covid-19 and the Derogation of Fundamental Human Rights. Constitutional Lawyer Rocco Galati. globalresearch.ca Renowned Canadian Constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati characterizes the COVID Operation as "the biggest example of misinformation and lies on a global scale that we've seen." | "The Constitutional challenge that he has filed with the Ontario Superior Court seeks to pull …

_____ (2020-09-25). Peavey Park Sanctuary Homeless Camp Evicted. popularresistance.org Minneapolis, MN — A long-dreaded eviction of the sanctuary camp at Peavey Park took place today just after 6: 00 a.m., an hour before sunrise. Minneapolis Park Police, Minneapolis Police, and sheriff's officers were all documented as having taken part in this morning's sweep. The area around Peavey Park was cordoned off with caution tape while the clearing of the park took place. A social media account for supporters of the unhoused community, Twin Cities Encampment Responders, sent out an alert around 6: 20 a.m. that park police were at Peavey.

news.un (2020-09-25). Inclusion and more public participation, will help forge better government policies: Guterres. news.un.org Not only COVID-19, but climate protests, struggles for more inclusive politics, human rights and waning public trust, have put a magnifying glass to the social and economic injustices plaguing societies, the UN Secretary-General said on Friday.

teleSUR (2020-09-25). Pope Francis Demands To Reduce Sanctions Against Countries. telesurenglish.net In his address to the United Nations on Friday, Pope Francis asked that international sanctions against certain countries be eliminated since they prevent their "governments from offering adequate support to their populations." | RELATED: | In making this request, however, the chief The Vatican State did not make further specifications, although it lamented the "erosion of multilateralism" that prevails in the contempora…

Aryeh Neier (2020-09-25). How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Got Her Start at the ACLU. aclu.org Half a century ago, in October 1970, I became the executive director of the ACLU. I had a wish list, and foremost on the list was the establishment of a Women's Rights Project., , I had been involved in a few women's rights cases in my previous post as director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. My wife, who was a young corporate executive at a time when not many women held such posts, encountered discrimination against women on a regular basis. Most importantly, a feminist movement had been reborn in the late 1960s, and I wanted the ACLU to be part of it and to contribute expertise in litigation. T…

Detention Watcyh Network (2020-09-25). Thursday 9/24: Take Action: Defund ICE & CBP And Stop Reproductive Violence. indybay.org Online via livestream…

Benedikt Kern (2020-09-25). Five Theses on the Political-Theological Foundation of Church Asylum. indybay.org Human rights did not just fall from the sky, but had to and must be fought for by those who are not granted them…This includes the unwritten human right to global freedom of movement. Solidarity is directed primarily at those who are enslaved and/or who, in the struggle for liberation, are working to overcome unjust social conditions.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-25). GC reacts to US sanctions on two Iranian judges. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 25 (MNA) — Iranian Guardian Council Spokesman showed reaction to the US imposition of sanctions on two Iranian judges.

sputniknews (2020-09-25). Reproductive Rights; US Spy Planes; Trump Unveils Healthcare Plan. sputniknews.com Three is a gaping hole to fill with the loss of RBG, what will happen next?

WSWS (2020-09-25). Australian government seeks to ban phones in immigration detention. wsws.org The proposed new laws will allow warrantless searches and the use of sniffer dogs.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-09-25). Civil Rights Groups Claim Victory, Vow to Fight On After Federal Judge Blocks Trump From Ending Census Early. commondreams.org Civil rights advocates celebrated a victory Thursday night in their effort to ensure a fair and complete census count—but warned that the fight is not over—after a federal judge barred President Donald Trump's administration from ending the count on September 30, a month ahead of schedule. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

commondreams (2020-09-25). Amy Coney Barrett is Being Illegitimately Jammed Through Senate to Pack The Court, Strip Away Rights and Freedoms. commondreams.org ______________________________…

teleSUR (2020-09-25). Brazil: Volkswagen Acknowledges Persecution, Torture of Workers. telesurenglish.net Volkswagen announced that it agreed with the State of Sà£o Paulo to compensate its former workers for the damages it caused them during the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil between 1964 and 1985. | RELATED: | The German company pledged to grant US$6.5 million to promote initiatives related to the defense of human rights and the investigation of crimes committed during the dictatorship. Just over US$3 mi…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-24). Assange on Trial: Suicide, Hallucinations and Psychological Torture. counterpunch.org Day 11. Central Criminal Court, London. The prosecutors in the Julian Assange case did their show trial predecessors from other legal traditions proud. The ghosts of such figures as Soviet state prosecutor Andrey Vyshinsky, would have approved of the line of questioning taken by James Lewis QC: suggest that Assange, accused of 17 counts of

_____ (2020-09-24). 'We Demand The Immediate Release Of Julian Assange'. popularresistance.org We, members of the Progressive International Council, support the freedom of Julian Assange against the unlawful and dangerous extradition trial currently setagainst him in London. Julian Assange has been a world-defining journalist, editor, and intellectual whose work has been crucial in promoting global justice. The prosecution by the United States of an Australian citizen for his journalistic activities done in sovereign countries in Europe is a gross violation of human rights and international law.

Michael Jansen (2020-09-24). Failing Palestinian Self-determination. globalresearch.ca The UN is marking its 75th birthday with a virtual opening of the 75th session of the General Assembly. While UN agencies have carried out successful humanitarian assistance and research programmes, peacekeeping missions and efforts to protect the rights of …

Manuela Solé and Ricardo Vaz (2020-09-24). Venezuela: Trump imposes New Sanctions as Maduro Calls for UN Solidarity. venezuelanalysis.com The Venezuelan President reiterated his invitation for the UN to send observers for upcoming parliamentary elections.

A. Majumdar (2020-09-24). PDF of September 24 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Whistleblower: ICE abuses detainees ALSO: Migrant caravan for residency; Defend BLM activist lawyers; Trump, Biden, and U.S. decline; 'Free Palestine' webinar; U.S. Cold War vs TikTok; Is Marxism still relevant? WORKERS ORGANIZE: Illinois; North Carolina. WORLD: Editorial: Ginsburg & SCOTUS. WORLD: Belarus; Bolivia. TEAR DOWN THE . . . |

teleSUR (2020-09-24). El Salvador: Activists Decry Bukele's Silence Over El Mozote. telesurenglish.net Human rights advocates, judges, and attorneys of El Mozote victims have condemned President Nayib Bukele's silence after the army prevented a judge from accessing "El Mozote massacre" documents. | RELATED: | On September 21, law enforcement prevented Judge Jorge Guzman from examining documents filed in the records of the General State of the Armed Forces regarding the massacre of about 1000 farmers from El Mozote i…

MEE correspondent (2020-09-24). Iranian press review: Middle East's highest peak gravely threatened by mining. middleeasteye.net Iranian press review: Middle East's highest peak gravely threatened by mining | Meanwhile, US sanctions lead to flu vaccine shortage and conservatives want the next president to be a military commander | Thu, 09/24/2020 – 12: 35 | Mount Damavand is under threat from mining in its foothills (Greger Ravik/flickr) | Conservatives say next president should be from military : | Conse…

MEE staff (2020-09-24). New York City mayor boycotts summit in Saudi Arabia over rights concerns. middleeasteye.net New York City mayor boycotts summit in Saudi Arabia over rights concerns | Coalition of human rights groups urges world city mayors to speak out 'against injustices' and boycott summit, which is part of G20 | Thu, 09/24/2020 – 20: 50 | New York Mayor Bill de Blasio attends 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York on 11 September (AFP/File photo) | New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is pulling out of a G20 world citi…

Ali Harb (2020-09-24). Arab states are forging ties with Israel to please US, Ted Cruz says. middleeasteye.net Arab states are forging ties with Israel to please US, Ted Cruz says | US senator rejects criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, says Riyadh played 'major role' in brokering Arab peace with Israel | Thu, 09/24/2020 – 18: 34 | Cruz says Donald Trump's 'clarity' in favouring Israel pushed Arab countries to embrace normalisation (AFP/File photo) | Ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in…

MEE staff (2020-09-24). Three UK Labour MPs demoted over opposition to torture prosecution bill. middleeasteye.net Three UK Labour MPs demoted over opposition to torture prosecution bill | Nadia Whittome, Beth Winter and Olivia Blake defied a Labour Party whip to oppose Overseas Operations Bill against 'vexatious' lawsuits

| Thu, 09/24/2020 – 14: 31 | Kuwaiti and British soldiers take part in exercises about 40km north of Kuwait City (AFP) | Three Labour MPs have lost their roles in the United Kingdom shadow cabine…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-24). Groups from across the world ask UN General Assembly to act against Israeli apartheid. peoplesdispatch.org More than 450 civil society and human rights groups from across the globe released a letter addressed to the ongoing 75th session of the UNGA asking it to revive its anti-apartheid bodies and take action to end Israeli occupation of Palestine…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-09-24). Advocates Demand Facebook #StopCensoringPalestine After Platform Blocks Livestream Featuring Palestinian Rights Defenders. commondreams.org "When it comes to speech advocating for Palestinians. Facebook swiftly censors and removes content, often with no explanation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-24). Russia Intends Military Cooperation with Iran When UN Arms Embargo Expires. globalresearch.ca On issues related to the JCPOA nuclear deal and expiring UN arms embargo on Iran next month, the Trump regime is isolated on the world stage. | Commenting on its unlawful imposition of what it called "snapback" sanctions on Iran, its …

Kenn Orphan (2020-09-24). RBG and America's Priestly Class. counterpunch.org "It would be naive to depend on the Supreme Court to defend the rights of poor people, women, people of color, dissenters of all kinds. Those rights only come alive when citizens organize, protest, demonstrate, strike, boycott, rebel, and violate the law in order to uphold justice." — Howard Zinn The history of most ancient

yenisafak (2020-09-24). US to announce more Iran sanctions on Thursday, top envoy says. yenisafak.com The United States will slap new sanctions on a number of Iranian officials and entities including a judge who sentenced Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari to death, U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela Elliott Abrams told a hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday.Navid Afkari was executed earlier this month after being convicted of stabbing a security guard to death during anti-government protests in 2018, Iranian state media reported, in a case that has sparked international outcry. Iran's Supreme Court rejected a review of the case in late August.

_____ (2020-09-24). A Doctor Smuggles Lifesaving Equipment. popularresistance.org He bought it in the United States, shipped it to a friend through Europe and into Lebanon, and found a way to smuggle it by road into Syria. But this was a piece of contraband only made illegal by the United States' cruel policy of sanctions toward Syria—a critical part needed to fix a broken CT scanner, the sole machine in a city of over 100,000 people in Syria. | Last year, Dr. Farid, a Syrian physician based in the United States, opened a large medical and cancer center in Syria. (He asked that neither his real name nor the name of his city be used for safety reasons.)…

WSWS (2020-09-24). Further revelations about sterilizations and medical malpractice at ICE detention facility in Georgia. wsws.org The latest revelations, including the naming of the doctor who performed them, strengthens the account given in a recent whistleblower complaint, while giving lie to the US government's dismissals.

Duncan Hosie (2020-09-24). When will DeSantis listen to his own voters on ex-felons' voting rights? aclu.org On Sept. 11, Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Republican leaders won their legal battle to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of people with prior felony convictions. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit embraced Republican politicians' specious arguments that ex-felons should be required to pay all fines and fees before voting., , This decision dealt a blow to Floridians who care about racial justice and basic principles of democracy. The ruling also spited an unlikely and less discussed constituency: Republican voters., , This story starts in 2018, when DeSantis and Republican politicians camp…

_____ (2020-09-24). The Man Who Inspired A Generation. popularresistance.org My encounter with the Al-Araj family began in 2009, the year I met Basil and Shireen and started joining them in demonstrations in Al-Walaja village. On 6 March 2017, Basil was murdered by the Israeli army. He was 31 years old. Others will speak of his martyrdom, I will speak of his life and what he told me. Basil would have wanted it told this way. I learned intimate details about Basil and his family life the third time we were detained together. He was 24 years old, I was twice his age. This was in what Basil accurately described as "a holding pin not fit for animals" which I and many Palestinian males shared…

2020-09-25: News Headlines

Health workers & nursing students (2020-09-25). Sunday 9/27: Vigil to Honor Migrant Women and Human Rights Defenders. indybay.org Lake Merritt Amphitheater…

Benedikt Kern (2020-09-25). Five Theses on the Political-Theological Foundation of Church Asylum. indybay.org Human rights did not just fall from the sky, but had to and must be fought for by those who are not granted them…This includes the unwritten human right to global freedom of movement. Solidarity is directed primarily at those who are enslaved and/or who, in the struggle for liberation, are working to overcome unjust social conditions.

Detention Watcyh Network (2020-09-25). Thursday 9/24: Take Action: Defund ICE & CBP And Stop Reproductive Violence. indybay.org Online via livestream…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-24). Assange on Trial: Suicide, Hallucinations and Psychological Torture. counterpunch.org Day 11. Central Criminal Court, London. The prosecutors in the Julian Assange case did their show trial predecessors from other legal traditions proud. The ghosts of such figures as Soviet state prosecutor Andrey Vyshinsky, would have approved of the line of questioning taken by James Lewis QC: suggest that Assange, accused of 17 counts of

_____ (2020-09-24). 'We Demand The Immediate Release Of Julian Assange'. popularresistance.org We, members of the Progressive International Council, support the freedom of Julian Assange against the unlawful and dangerous extradition trial currently setagainst him in London. Julian Assange has been a world-defining journalist, editor, and intellectual whose work has been crucial in promoting global justice. The prosecution by the United States of an Australian citizen for his journalistic activities done in sovereign countries in Europe is a gross violation of human rights and international law.

Michael Jansen (2020-09-24). Failing Palestinian Self-determination. globalresearch.ca The UN is marking its 75th birthday with a virtual opening of the 75th session of the General Assembly. While UN agencies have carried out successful humanitarian assistance and research programmes, peacekeeping missions and efforts to protect the rights of …

Manuela Solé and Ricardo Vaz (2020-09-24). Venezuela: Trump imposes New Sanctions as Maduro Calls for UN Solidarity. venezuelanalysis.com The Venezuelan President reiterated his invitation for the UN to send observers for upcoming parliamentary elections.

A. Majumdar (2020-09-24). PDF of September 24 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Whistleblower: ICE abuses detainees ALSO: Migrant caravan for residency; Defend BLM activist lawyers; Trump, Biden, and U.S. decline; 'Free Palestine' webinar; U.S. Cold War vs TikTok; Is Marxism still relevant? WORKERS ORGANIZE: Illinois; North Carolina. WORLD: Editorial: Ginsburg & SCOTUS. WORLD: Belarus; Bolivia. TEAR DOWN THE . . . |

teleSUR (2020-09-24). El Salvador: Activists Decry Bukele's Silence Over El Mozote. telesurenglish.net Human rights advocates, judges, and attorneys of El Mozote victims have condemned President Nayib Bukele's silence after the army prevented a judge from accessing "El Mozote massacre" documents. | RELATED: | On September 21, law enforcement prevented Judge Jorge Guzman from examining documents filed in the records of the General State of the Armed Forces regarding the massacre of about 1000 farmers from El Mozote i…

MEE staff (2020-09-24). New York City mayor boycotts summit in Saudi Arabia over rights concerns. middleeasteye.net New York City mayor boycotts summit in Saudi Arabia over rights concerns | Coalition of human rights groups urges world city mayors to speak out 'against injustices' and boycott summit, which is part of G20 | Thu, 09/24/2020 – 20: 50 | New York Mayor Bill de Blasio attends 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York on 11 September (AFP/File photo) | New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is pulling out of a G20 world citi…

MEE correspondent (2020-09-24). Iranian press review: Middle East's highest peak gravely threatened by mining. middleeasteye.net Iranian press review: Middle East's highest peak gravely threatened by mining | Meanwhile, US sanctions lead to flu vaccine shortage and conservatives want the next president to be a military commander | Thu, 09/24/2020 – 12: 35 | Mount Damavand is under threat from mining in its foothills (Greger Ravik/flickr) | Conservatives say next president should be from military : | Conse…

Ali Harb (2020-09-24). Arab states are forging ties with Israel to please US, Ted Cruz says. middleeasteye.net Arab states are forging ties with Israel to please US, Ted Cruz says | US senator rejects criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, says Riyadh played 'major role' in brokering Arab peace with Israel | Thu, 09/24/2020 – 18: 34 | Cruz says Donald Trump's 'clarity' in favouring Israel pushed Arab countries to embrace normalisation (AFP/File photo) | Ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in…

MEE staff (2020-09-24). Three UK Labour MPs demoted over opposition to torture prosecution bill. middleeasteye.net Three UK Labour MPs demoted over opposition to torture prosecution bill | Nadia Whittome, Beth Winter and Olivia Blake defied a Labour Party whip to oppose Overseas Operations Bill against 'vexatious' lawsuits

| Thu, 09/24/2020 – 14: 31 | Kuwaiti and British soldiers take part in exercises about 40km north of Kuwait City (AFP) | Three Labour MPs have lost their roles in the United Kingdom shadow cabine…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-24). Groups from across the world ask UN General Assembly to act against Israeli apartheid. peoplesdispatch.org More than 450 civil society and human rights groups from across the globe released a letter addressed to the ongoing 75th session of the UNGA asking it to revive its anti-apartheid bodies and take action to end Israeli occupation of Palestine…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-09-24). Advocates Demand Facebook #StopCensoringPalestine After Platform Blocks Livestream Featuring Palestinian Rights Defenders. commondreams.org "When it comes to speech advocating for Palestinians. Facebook swiftly censors and removes content, often with no explanation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-24). Russia Intends Military Cooperation with Iran When UN Arms Embargo Expires. globalresearch.ca On issues related to the JCPOA nuclear deal and expiring UN arms embargo on Iran next month, the Trump regime is isolated on the world stage. | Commenting on its unlawful imposition of what it called "snapback" sanctions on Iran, its …

Kenn Orphan (2020-09-24). RBG and America's Priestly Class. counterpunch.org "It would be naive to depend on the Supreme Court to defend the rights of poor people, women, people of color, dissenters of all kinds. Those rights only come alive when citizens organize, protest, demonstrate, strike, boycott, rebel, and violate the law in order to uphold justice." — Howard Zinn The history of most ancient

yenisafak (2020-09-24). US to announce more Iran sanctions on Thursday, top envoy says. yenisafak.com The United States will slap new sanctions on a number of Iranian officials and entities including a judge who sentenced Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari to death, U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela Elliott Abrams told a hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday.Navid Afkari was executed earlier this month after being convicted of stabbing a security guard to death during anti-government protests in 2018, Iranian state media reported, in a case that has sparked international outcry. Iran's Supreme Court rejected a review of the case in late August.

_____ (2020-09-24). The Man Who Inspired A Generation. popularresistance.org My encounter with the Al-Araj family began in 2009, the year I met Basil and Shireen and started joining them in demonstrations in Al-Walaja village. On 6 March 2017, Basil was murdered by the Israeli army. He was 31 years old. Others will speak of his martyrdom, I will speak of his life and what he told me. Basil would have wanted it told this way. I learned intimate details about Basil and his family life the third time we were detained together. He was 24 years old, I was twice his age. This was in what Basil accurately described as "a holding pin not fit for animals" which I and many Palestinian males shared…

WSWS (2020-09-24). Further revelations about sterilizations and medical malpractice at ICE detention facility in Georgia. wsws.org The latest revelations, including the naming of the doctor who performed them, strengthens the account given in a recent whistleblower complaint, while giving lie to the US government's dismissals.

_____ (2020-09-24). A Doctor Smuggles Lifesaving Equipment. popularresistance.org He bought it in the United States, shipped it to a friend through Europe and into Lebanon, and found a way to smuggle it by road into Syria. But this was a piece of contraband only made illegal by the United States' cruel policy of sanctions toward Syria—a critical part needed to fix a broken CT scanner, the sole machine in a city of over 100,000 people in Syria. | Last year, Dr. Farid, a Syrian physician based in the United States, opened a large medical and cancer center in Syria. (He asked that neither his real name nor the name of his city be used for safety reasons.)…

Duncan Hosie (2020-09-24). When will DeSantis listen to his own voters on ex-felons' voting rights? aclu.org On Sept. 11, Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Republican leaders won their legal battle to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of people with prior felony convictions. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit embraced Republican politicians' specious arguments that ex-felons should be required to pay all fines and fees before voting., , This decision dealt a blow to Floridians who care about racial justice and basic principles of democracy. The ruling also spited an unlikely and less discussed constituency: Republican voters., , This story starts in 2018, when DeSantis and Republican politicians camp…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-24). Algerian journalist Belkacem Djir acquitted of all charges by Algiers court. peoplesdispatch.org 34-year-old Djir was accused of 'blackmail' and using a 'false identity' and sentenced to three years in prison in a common law case. He is now expected to be released soon after over a year in detention…

Families Belong Together (2020-09-24). Sunday 9/27: #FreeTheFamilies Vigil for ICE Detainees in Walnut Creek. indybay.org Civic Park, 1375 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek, CA 94596…

yenisafak (2020-09-24). UK preparing sanctions against Belarus: Minister. yenisafak.com The British foreign secretary announced on Thursday the UK was preparing sanctions against Belarus over alleged human rights abuses.Speaking at the House of Commons, Dominic Raab said that Alexander Lukashenko, who was sworn in as Belarus' president last week, has "a wholesale lack of legitimacy."Protests in Belarus broke out after Lukashenko, who has served as president since 1994, was declared the winner of Aug. 9 polls. Opposition candidates, however, accused the administration of rigging the vote.Raab said the UK did not accept the rigged election results, and slammed the "thuggery" used against protestors."I…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-09-24). As Trump Sows Chaos, Democrats Urged to Increase Push for In-Person Voting—Early If Possible. commondreams.org Biden and his party are "walking into a trap in the battleground states," warned one voting rights expert. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

ACLU (2020-09-24). Facebook's Discrimination Against the LGBT Community. aclu.org My wife and I have made music together for the past 8 years, in an independent band named Unsung Lilly. We are passionate about creating epic, empowering pop music., , As a same-sex couple, we have been heartened recently by the improved representation of LGBTQ people on television, and we are grateful that most people we meet are accepting of our relationship. It's enough to make you think that maybe society has fully accepted that 'love is love.', Unfortunately, our recent experience with Facebook suggests otherwise. When Facebook's platform refused to allow us to fully express ourselves as both artists and…

Alan Macleod (2020-09-23). Hoping to Force an Outcome, US Sanctions Opposition Parties in Venezuela Ahead of Elections. mintpressnews.com Sanctions on Venezuela are nothing new. But Secretary of State Pompeo recently took the unusual step of sanctioning leaders of local opposition parties in an attempt to pressure them to pull out of upcoming elections.

Anya Parampil (2020-09-23). US & allies ignore Colombia political assassinations. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with human rights lawyer Santiago Salinas Miranda about a wave of massacres and political assassinations sweeping Colombia. They discuss the Colombian government's role in the murders and ask why the international community has turned a blind eye to the killings.

WSWS (2020-09-23). Assange faces "very high risk of suicide," medical expert tells court. wsws.org Kopelman's evidence confirms the warnings made since November 2019 by Doctors for Assange that Assange is suffering "psychological torture" and "could die in prison."

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-23). Assange's Eleventh Day at the Old Bailey: Suicide, Hallucinations and Psychological Torture. dissidentvoice.org September 22. Central Criminal Court, London. Today, the prosecutors in the Julian Assange case did their show trial predecessors from other legal traditions proud. The ghosts of such figures as Soviet state prosecutor Andrey Vyshinsky, would have approved of the line of questioning taken by James Lewis QC: suggest that Assange, accused of 17 counts …

Craig Murray (2020-09-23). Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 14. globalresearch.ca Monday was a frustrating day as the Assange Hearing drifted deep into a fantasy land where nobody knows or is allowed to say that people were tortured in Guantanamo Bay and under extraordinary rendition. The willingness of Judge Baraitser to …

_____ (2020-09-23). The End Of The 'Rules Based International Order'. popularresistance.org The 'western' countries, i.e. the United States and its 'allies', love to speak of a 'rules based international order' which they say everyone should follow. That 'rules based order' is a way more vague concept than the actual rule of law: | The G7 is united by its shared values and commitment to a rules based international order. That order is being challenged by authoritarianism, serious violations of human rights, exclusion and discrimination, humanitarian and security crises, and the defiance of international law and standards. | As members of the G7, we are convinced that our societies and the world have rea…

Brigitte Amiri (2020-09-23). Reproductive Abuse is Rampant in the Immigration Detention System. aclu.org Last week, a hideous allegation emerged in a

UCSF Preterm Birth Initiative (2020-09-23). Thursday 9/24: Healthcare as Sanctuary: ICE, Birthing People, and Justice for Immigrants. indybay.org Online (FREE)…

Dianne Mathiowetz (2020-09-23). Whistleblower exposes: ICE abuses detainees. workers.org EDITOR'S NOTES: As we go to press, a Sept. 21 press release from Georgia Detention Watch announced that Cipriano Chavez-Alvarez, 61, is the third detainee at the Stewart Detention Center located in Lumpkin, Georgia to die of COVID-19. Press conference on ICE abuse, Ocilla, Ga., Sept. 15. Whistleblower Dawn Wooten . . . |

Chauncey K. Robinson (2020-09-23). American horror story of the 21st century: U.S. immigration detention centers. peoplesworld.org Halloween may be fast approaching, but you don't have to wait until Oct. 31 for a truly scary tale. Damning reports and allegations have come out detailing the nightmarish conditions at immigration detention camps in the United States. Things were already bad inside the centers, but the situation is now exacerbated by a deadly global …

Workers World Party (2020-09-23). Stop forced sterilizations! Shut down all detention centers! workers.org The Prisoner Solidarity Committee of Workers World Party commends the heroic action of Dawn Wooten, a licensed practical nurse, for exposing forced sterilizations at the Irwin County, Georgia ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) Detention Center operated by LaSalle Corrections, a private for-profit prison. Project South, one of the advocacy groups . . . |

MEE staff (2020-09-23). Saudi dissidents launch new party calling for democracy in kingdom. middleeasteye.net Saudi dissidents launch new party calling for democracy in kingdom | New group calls for independent judiciary, elected parliament and equality under law | Wed, 09/23/2020 – 23: 01 | NAAS aims to 'establish a path to democracy as a governing system' in Saudi Arabia (Twitter) | Exiled Saudi activists have formed a political party calling for democracy and respect for human rights in the kingdom, a move that bri…

Ian Cobain (2020-09-23). UK troops to be shielded from torture prosecutions under proposed law. middleeasteye.net UK troops to be shielded from torture prosecutions under proposed law | The Overseas Operations Bill would protect British troops from murder or torture prosecutions once five years have passed since the alleged crime | Wed, 09/23/2020 – 19: 56 | A British soldier searches Iraqis at a checkpoint on the road to Basra in 2003 (AFP/File photo) | Members of the UK parliament have voted to back a new law proposi…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-09-23). Washington Is Left Isolated as It Passes Renewed Sanctions Against Iran. globalresearch.ca After the US State Department claimed that Tehran did not meet the terms of the "nuclear deal," Washington renewed its anti-Iranian sanctions on Monday. The UN and the EU found the claims made by Washington to be unconvincing and refused …

Peter Koenig (2020-09-23). Iran — US Sanctions — Unilateralism — Turning the Clock Back to Before the Nuclear Deal. globalresearch.ca Background | Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has slammed US sanctions against his country, saying they are a flagrant violation of the UN charter. | In an address to the UN General Assembly, Rouhani said the Iranian nation successfully withstood the US maximum …

Staff (2020-09-23). Front-Runner to Replace RBG Is Anti-Abortion Member of Catholic Group. truthout.org We look at President Trump's top pick for a woman to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who is a devout Catholic who has taken conservative stances on abortion, gun rights, immigration and LGBTQ rights. Barrett's involvement with the conservative Catholic group People of Praise, whose members pledge a lifelong loyalty oath to the group, has also raised questions about her ability to rule independen…

_____ (2020-09-23). US Bully In Last Chance Saloon. popularresistance.org US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced this week the reimposition of international sanctions against Iran. Trouble is nobody is listening to Washington's remonstrations any longer. Not only has the emperor no clothes, he's lost bullying power too. | The Trump administration asserts it has the legal right to invoke "snapback" UN sanctions on Iran over Washington's baseless allegations that Tehran is in breach of the 2015 international nuclear accord. This is in spite of the fact that the American side forfeited its legal rights when it unilaterally quit the nuclear deal in May 2018.

news.un (2020-09-23). Mali: Rights expert calls for 'immediate release' of former officials detained during coup. news.un.org An independent UN human rights expert has called on Mali's coup leaders to release former government officials, who have been detained for more than a month.

news.un (2020-09-23). Guterres advocates for digital world that 'strengthens human rights, advances peace'. news.un.org Amidst a technological era that "beckons with vast opportunity", new risks exist to global peace, stability and development, the UN chief told a side event of the General Assembly on Wednesday, aiming to help ensure access to digital technologies for all.

Press TV (2020-09-23). Iran: US Sanctions Unilateralism. dissidentvoice.org PressTV Interview — slightly enhanced transcript Background Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has slammed U-S sanctions against his country, saying they are a flagrant violation of the UN charter. In an address to the UN General Assembly, Rouhani said the Iranian nation successfully withstood the U-S maximum pressure campaign. He added, Iran even flourished under the …

Louise Melling (2020-09-23). For Justice Ginsburg, Abortion Was About Equality. aclu.org Justice Ginsburg is often quoted as having said, "Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." She did exactly that when it came to reproductive rights and abortion in particular. Justice Ginsburg fought, she cast decisive votes, and she led in a way to bring others along by speaking the truth about why abortion matters: Abortion rights are about equality, restrictions on abortion about the forever story to treat women as second-class citizens. Her mark is in the jurisprudence, it's on our protest posters, and it's in our hearts., , Writing in dis…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-23). Why are Indian farmers protesting Modi's agriculture bills? peoplesdispatch.org During this pandemic, the Narendra Modi led BJP government in India has pushed through multiple legislations that are a direct assault on people's rights. The latest among these are three bills on agriculture. The government passed these three bills brazenly flouting parliamentary rules and ignoring the protesting farmers across the country.

_____ (2020-09-23). VIDEO: The Creeping Socialism Republicans Cannot Understand. strategic-culture.org Republicans have double standards when it comes to "Socialism" they are apt to point out the poverty of nations like Venezuela and Cuba but neglect to mention that it was the West who put them under further sanctions. Watch the video and read more in the