(2021-01-06). UN human rights expert 'cautiously' welcomes UK court's refusal to extradite Julian Assange. news.un.org An independent UN human rights expert has welcomed a British court's refusal to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the United States on the basis that he would be exposed to oppressive conditions of imprisonment.
(2021-01-06). Journalists, Activists Condemn UK Decision to Keep Assange Locked Up without Charge. mintpressnews.com 
"To us, that is nothing more than a pretext to keep him detained. This seems unnecessarily punitive and adding insult to injury after the 10 years of hell that he has endured" — Rebecca Vincent, Reporters Without Borders…
(2021-01-06). The Onus Is Now on the SC to Protect Constitutional Rights to Privacy and Free Choice. zcomm.org While the apex court on January 6 will take up pleas for anti-conversion laws, two views of citizen's rights will be in direct contention — one propagated by the right-wing and the other enshrined in the constitution…
(2021-01-05). Julian Assange verdict: Good day for human rights, bad day for journalism. peoplesdispatch.org Renata Avila talks about the verdict in the Julian Assange extradition trial. She says that while it was historic in being the first positive verdict from UK courts in 10 years, the implications for journalism are dangerous due to the statements the judge made…
(2021-01-05). Brutal Human Rights Abuses: Torture, Sanctions and Failure to Address "Economic Rights" globalresearch.ca "Wrong things are done in the name of Islam, worse things are being done in the name of democracy and human rights" (Dr. Mohamed Mahathir, former Malaysian Prime Minister(1)) | Torture — Legal Black Holes | Some philosophers have suggested that …
(2021-01-05). The Irrelevance of Human Rights in US and British Foreign Policy. zcomm.org Historical human rights abuses are not explained well in most school textbooks or by the mainstream media…
(2021-01-05). Draconian NY Police State Assembly Bill: Indefinite Detainment of "Disease Carriers" globalresearch.ca Draconian NY State Assembly Bill A416 calls for indefinitely detainment of residents considered to be "disease carriers (sic)." | It's aimed at seasonal flu/influenza, diabolically disguised as covid. | It's all-about wanting to eliminate fundamental freedoms on the phony pretext of …
(2021-01-05). "This Is Voter Suppression": 198,000 Georgia Residents Were Illegally Purged from Voter Rolls. democracynow.org 
As voters in Georgia cast their ballots in two key runoff races that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, voting rights activists fear many eligible voters will be turned away at the polls. Georgia has been called "ground zero" for Republican voter suppression efforts in the U.S., and in September the ACLU of Georgia revealed 198,000 voters had been wrongly purged from the voting rolls. We air a report into voting in Georgia by investigative journalist Greg Palast, narrated by the actress Debra Messing, and speak with voting rights activist LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund. "I think…
(2021-01-05). "We have fewer rights than animals": The unbearable life in the Greek refugee camp Kara Tepe. wsws.org Anyone wanting to gauge the criminal character of European governments and the European Union (EU) must look to Kara Tepe, the temporary camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.
(2021-01-05). Oil, gas industry suffered most pressure under US sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Iran's First Vice President Es'hagh Jahangiri said the Iranian oil and gas industry suffered the most pressure under the US embargo period.
(2021-01-05). South Korea calls for immediate release of oil tanker seized by Iran. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Jan 5 (efe-epa).- The South Korean government has urged Iranian authorities to immediately release a South Korea-flagged oil tanker and its crew after the vessel was seized by Revolutionary Guards Corps in the waters of the Persian Gulf. The MT Hankuk Chemi vessel was seized and its crew detained on Monday by the Iranian …
(2021-01-05). Family of Slain Memphis Woman Files Suit Against Law Enforcement Agencies. laprensalatina.com MEMPHIS, TN (WREG) — A year after her death, a family has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. The family of Sabrina Nguyen alleges the agencies didn't do enough to protect her from her ex-boyfriend, and they believe she would still be here today had …
(2021-01-05). Minnesota Is Changing The Way It Teaches Social Studies. popularresistance.org Minnesota's K-12 social studies standards are undergoing extensive revisions in search of a more inclusive approach that teaches about people previously left out of the discussion. | A diverse committee's first draft, now open for public comment, gives greater consideration to the Dakota and Anishinaabe tribes and covers for the first time the civil rights struggles of LGBTQ people. | The draft standards, according to Doug Paulson, the state education department's academic standards director, are "more inclusive" and "culturally affirming." | Still, some committee members think the first draft doesn't go far enou…
(2021-01-05). US imposes sanctions on Iranian mining, steel companies. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — The US Treasury said that it has added to the Iran-related sanctions lists as many as 16 companies, most of which are involved with mining and the production of steel.
(2021-01-05). Iran opted for JCPOA-free economy: Araghchi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — A senior Iranian diplomat urged Western countries to stop the delusion that they can set conditions for the lifting of sanctions as Iran has opted for a JCPOA-free economy.
(2021-01-05). 'Think of your noncommitment instead of expressing concern'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — The government spokesman said that the EU, instead of expressing concern over Iran's use of its own rights, should do sth about its noncommitments under JCPOA.
(2021-01-05). S. Korea puts Iranain frozen assets at $9.2bn. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Iranian funds frozen at South Korean banks under US sanctions hovers around 10 trillion won (US$9.2 billion), South Korea says.
(2021-01-05). New Year's resolutions: Here's why I'll be joining a Trade Union in 2021. thecanary.co I think it's fair to say that the UK is glad to see the back of 2020. While exercising more, eating healthier, or quitting smoking might seem like more typical resolutions to put on the list for lockdown in 2021, this year I plan to join a Trade Union. | Exit stage right: | In the unlikely event that, like me, you have spent the past week pouring over the 1,200-page trade deal that the UK has agreed with the EU, then you may share my concern that it contains scant protection for workers' rights. | If there's one thing that's clear from the mammoth document, its that the trade and cooperation agreement wil…
(2021-01-04). Worldwide Activists Back UK Verdict Against Assange's Extradition. telesurenglish.net Human rights defenders, social activists, and political figures worldwide Monday reacted with joy to the United Kingdom Criminal Court's refusal to extradite Australian journalist Julian Assange to the U.S. | RELATED: | Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who denied the extradition on health grounds and high risk of Assange committing suicide, "accepted all the U.S. persecution motives," Former Consul of Ecuador in the U.K. Fidel Narvaez condemne…
(2021-01-04). Protesters Gather In DC In Solidarity With Assange. popularresistance.org Press freedom activists and independent journalists endured the cold and rain outside the British Embassy in Washington D.C. on Sunday Jan. 3. With less than 24 hours until a potential blow to the future of press freedom, the crowd of free speech advocates was there to make as much noise as possible. | On Monday, Jan. 4, U.K. judge Vanessa Baraitser will announce if the U.K. government will extradite Australian journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison for charges under the Espionage Act. Leading press freedom and human rights groups have acknowl…
(2021-01-04). Chile: Piñera Seeks To Redeem Himself With Victims of Crime. telesurenglish.net Chile's President Sebastian Piñera Sunday signed a bill that seeks to implement a new institutional framework to strengthen victims' access to justice in case of human rights violations. | RELATED: | The project creates the National Service for Access to Justice (SNAJ) and an Ombudsman's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), thus unifying other existing legal defense public organizations and specialized aid programs such as "My Lawyer" (fo…
(2021-01-04). World Braille Day highlights importance of accessible information. news.un.org The United Nations is commemorating World Braille Day on Monday, highlighting the importance of the universal touch-based communication system for the full realization of human rights for blind and partially sighted people.
(2021-01-04). Soleimani assassination unlawful under human rights law. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 04 (MNA) — The UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions Agnes Callamard | believes martyrdom of the IRGC Cmdr. Lt. Gen Soleimani by the US has been unlawful under human rights law.
(2021-01-04). Indonesia was a Model for Anticommunist Massacres and the US Was Complicit. counterpunch.org 
In a plot of obscure origin, six Indonesian Army generals were murdered on September 30, 1965. Blame fell on the PKI and soon soldiers, paramilitaries, and thugs were killing or disappearing members of the PKI and its affiliates. Army General Suharto assumed dictatorial powers which he retained until 1998. President Sukarno was sidelined. Deaths approached one million; a million more people ended up in concentration camps. Torture was rampant.
(2021-01-04). Hopes and sacrifices: Refugees share why they risked everything to reach the UK. thecanary.co People who have risked their lives by trying to cross from France to Britain have told the PA news agency how they faced violence, enslavement and were threatened at gunpoint. | Men, women and children have been charged thousands of pounds for spaces aboard tiny boats that are often unseaworthy and dangerous while others have stowed away in lorries. | Many have fled warzones and have experienced violence and torture as they travelled thousands of miles from their home countries in search of safety. | Over the course of 2020, the PA news agency sought to give voice to people who have crossed the English Channel in…
(2021-01-04). Australian woman activist arrested in Tanzania over social media post. laprensalatina.com Sydney, Australia, Jan 4 (efe-epa).- An Australian activist, who has renounced her Islamic faith and now campaigns for women's rights, has been arrested and charged in Tanzania over a social media post. The activist had criticized the president of the African country for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. A Foreign Ministry official told EFE …
(2021-01-04). Venezuela Denounces Obstacles To Access COVID-19 Vaccines. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday denounced the blocking of resources by international banks and western nations against the country to prevent the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines, noting the moves are in line with the U.S. unilateral sanctions. | RELATED: | The Venezuelan assets to buy COVID-19 vaccines "have been stolen and frozen by the U.K, Portugal, Spain, and the U.S.," Maduro pointed out, recalling that his administration has ma…
(2021-01-04). Argentina legalises abortion in historic victory for reproductive rights. thecanary.co 
Argentina has The new law will allow abortions until the 14th week of pregnancy, where they were previously only allowed if the mother's health was at risk or if she had been raped. | The Argentine Senate voted in favour of the bill at the end of December, after the lower house did the
(2021-01-04). West refusing to unfreeze Caracas funds for vaccine purchase. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 04 (MNA) — Venezuelan President says the EU nations and the United States have refused Venezuela's request to unfreeze its assets so that the sanctions-hit country could purchase a coronavirus vaccine.
(2021-01-04). Iran seizes South Korean-flagged oil tanker in Gulf. laprensalatina.com Tehran, Jan 4 (efe-epa).- The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Maritime Force seized a South Korean-flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf on Monday. The seizure comes amid tensions between Iran and South Korea surrounding $7 billion worth of Iranian funds that are blocked in a South Korean account because of United States sanctions relating to Tehran's …
(2021-01-03). Press Freedom On Trial With Assange, Ruling Expected. telesurenglish.net Journalism and press freedom will be tried along with Julian Assange as he prepares to receive the verdict on his extradition to the United States where he faces a 175 years sentence for his work exposing war crimes and human rights abuses. | RELATED: | Assange faces 17 charges for receiving, possessing and disclosing classified documents related to the national defence, and one charge for computer misuse under the Espionage Act and the Computer Fraud and Abu…
(2021-01-03). Only option left for Washington lifting anti-Iran sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (MNA) — Alli Shamkhani said that the complete lifting of all anti-Iran sanctions is the only option left for Washington to return back from Trump's failed strategy of maximum pressure.