(2021-01-28). 'Shameful': Amnesty condemns use of French weapons against protesters in Lebanon. middleeasteye.net 
'Shameful': Amnesty condemns use of French weapons against protesters in Lebanon | Rights group identifies French-made weapons including tear gas, rubber bullets, and grenade launchers used to quell protests | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 19: 56 | "> | Amnesty International urged France to halt weapons sales to Lebanon, saying French-manufactured rubber bullets, tear gas grenades and launcher…
(2021-01-28). Venezuela: Oil Corporations Lobby Biden Administration for Sanctions Reversal. venezuelanalysis.com A removal of the ban on swap deals could boost Venezuela's oil production and ease fuel shortages.
(2021-01-28). UK parliament on course to approve law allowing secret agents to commit crime. middleeasteye.net 
UK parliament on course to approve law allowing secret agents to commit crime | The proposed law would protect police and MI5 agents who commit murder, torture or rape while working undercover | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 10: 32 | Since March 2017, police and MI5 have foiled 28 terrorist plots against the country, according to UK's solicitor general (AFP) | A controversial law that will permit agents recruited by th…
(2021-01-28). George Floyd "Narrated His Death," Says Attorney at International Inquiry. zcomm.org George Floyd, who was publicly tortured and lynched by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020, narrated his own death, legendary civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump told the International Commission of Inquiry on Systemic Racist Police Violence Against People of African Descent in the United States…
(2021-01-28). The Biden Administration: Hardening of US Stance on Venezuela. dissidentvoice.org Joe Biden has been sworn in as the President of USA. For Venezuela, nothing has changed. The same belligerence, the same sanctions, and the same imperialism — the American empire continues to be cruelly hostile to the UN-recognized government of Nicolas Maduro. Inviting an Anti-Chavista Criminal Auguries of an ever-intensifying imperialist attack against Venezuela have …
(2021-01-28). 'Palestinian teen's health in danger in Israeli prison'. yenisafak.com Amal Nahla, 17, was taken into custody by Israeli forces on Jan. 21 and has been placed in administrative detention without any charge for six months, with the possibility of the duration being extended, according to Defense for Children International — Palestine.The teenager is suffering "shortness of breath" and a medical checkup showed that he has "chest and respiratory system" issues, the group said in a statement.Nahla has been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a long-term neuromuscular and autoimmune disease, it added.The statement also referred to a report by an Israeli hospital, Shaare Zedek Medical…
(2021-01-28). Argentine province's anti-Covid measures at center of HR controversy. laprensalatina.com By Rodrigo Garcia Buenos Aires, Jan 27 (efe-epa).- The health strategy of the Argentine province of Formosa to obligate people showing any symptoms of Covid-19, and even those without symptoms, to enter detainment centers has sparked heated nationwide controversy with citizens' protests, accusations of human rights violations and warnings from Amnesty International. By far, Formosa, …
(2021-01-28). Blowback: Trump's Sanctions on Yemen Are Already Backfiring. mintpressnews.com 
Experts warned of the humanitarian toll that designating the Houthis would have and indeed the sanctions that followed are already harming civilians. What they didn't foresee was how the move seems to have galvanized even more support for the group.
(2021-01-28). PETA declares meat-eaters 'human supremacists', Twitter cringes & bombs it with mockery. rt.com 
The animal rights group PETA, famous for its shock-tactics publicity stunts, has implied that all non-vegans have something Klanish in them, denouncing meat-eaters as "human supremacists." It certainly caught attention. | "Eating animals is speciesist," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
(2021-01-28). Saudi companies file lawsuit against Saad al-Jabri over embezzlement allegations. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi companies file lawsuit against Saad al-Jabri over embezzlement allegations | A campaign for Jabri's family said lawsuit was part of Saudi crown prince's 'desperate attempt' to distract world from Riyadh's human rights abuses | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 16: 15 | Mohammed bin Salman has centralised power and targeted any and all perceived foes and potential opponents since he outmanoeuvred more senior rivals in 20…
(2021-01-28). Saudi companies file Canadian lawsuit against Saad al-Jabri in embezzlement allegations. middleeasteye.net Saudi companies file Canadian lawsuit against Saad al-Jabri in embezzlement allegations | Campaign for Jabri's family says lawsuit is part of Saudi crown prince's 'desperate attempt' to distract world from Riyadh's human rights abuses | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 16: 15 | Mohammed bin Salman has centralised power and targeted any and all perceived foes since he outmanoeuvred more senior rivals in 2017 to become crown p…
(2021-01-28). MP urges for removal of all sanctions before return to JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 28 (MNA) — An Iranian Lawmaker said that Biden's signature to return to the JCPOA does not matter to Iran, urging the new US administration to lift all the sanctions first.
(2021-01-28). 'window is closing' for Biden to rejoin JCPOA: Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 28 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations has warned the new US administration to act quickly to rejoin the JCPOA "because the window is closing" on Tehran's deadline for Washington to lift economic sanctions.
(2021-01-28). Striking Palestinian Workers Triumph. popularresistance.org After 19 days of an open-ended strike demanding their human and labor rights, Palestinian workers at Yamit have suspended their strike. The workers' committee has reached this decision following an agreement with the company to meet their demands. | The agreement, which still needs to go through legal procedures in Israeli courts states the following: | The workers get back to work and continue the negotiations with Yamit for a period of three months. | During this period, the workers receive an increase of around 200$ on their wages. | The Palestinian workers are paid a holiday usually given to Israeli workers i…
(2021-01-28). The Illusion of Democracy 2: Power and Secrecy. zcomm.org If Britain and the US had genuine democracies, where the views of ordinary people matter, the invasion, slaughter and torture in Iraq would not have happened…
(2021-01-28). Israeli army detains 25 Palestinians in West Bank. yenisafak.com The Israeli army on Thursday detained 25 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian non-governmental organization said.In a press release, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said, the detention of Palestinians, including minors, took place at the dawn.It noted the detainees are from different provinces of the West Bank.The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians.Israel is holding about 4,400 Palestinian prisoners, including 40 women, in its prisons, while the number of child d…
(2021-01-28). NGOs | sue Macron gov't for 'humiliating, degrading' ID checks against | Blacks, Arabs. yenisafak.com Following long-lasting complaints by residents with diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds in France, a group of six non-governmental organizations (NGOs) decided to launch a rare class-action lawsuit against Macron's government, urging authorities to take concrete steps to end racial profiling in ID checks by law enforcement.The NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and four others, contended that French law enforcement particularly stop people of African or Arab descent more often than other ethnic groups during ID checks, an entrenched discriminatory problem, also acknowledged by President E…
(2021-01-28). Iranian Foreign Minister Explains Why US Should Make First Step in Returning to Nuclear Deal. sputniknews.com The new US administration earlier indicated its interest in returning to the Iran nuclear deal, but newly sworn-in Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the Islamic Republic, which had been suffering from US sanctions over the past three years, should be the party to make the first step in reaching the agreement.
(2021-01-28). UK: Corbyn and Owen Jones line-up with anti-China campaign. wsws.org The Labour left's stance has nothing to do with defending the rights of Uighur Muslims, much less the super-exploited Chinese working class. It articulates the interests of a layer of the upper middle class, represented by the Labour and trade union bureaucracy, which advocate economic protectionism to defend British capitalism…
(2021-01-28). Sunday 1/31: DxE Circle – Sanctuary Work Party. indybay.org 2785 Franklin Canyon Rd, Martinez, CA 94553-9617, United States…
(2021-01-27). Diplomatic Tensions Rise After Venezuela Detains Guyanese Vessels. venezuelanalysis.com Caracas and Georgetown have an ongoing territorial dispute over the Essequibo region.
(2021-01-27). Gamba 'deeply concerned' over COVID impact on children caught in conflict. news.un.org Child rights must be considered in measures designed to contain coronavirus spread, the UN's advocate for boys and girls caught in armed conflict said on Wednesday in an appeal to Member States.
(2021-01-27). Central African Republic: Rights expert welcomes transfer of war crimes suspect to ICC. news.un.org The handover of a former Central African Republic (CAR) militia leader and war crimes suspect to the International Criminal Court (ICC) has sent a strong warning to rebel groups, political actors and others who thrive on impunity, a UN independent human rights expert said on Wednesday.
(2021-01-27). 'This Is Not a Game': Internet Defenders Warn Against Gutting of Section 230—Key Law for Online Speech. commondreams.org "Section 230 is one of the most important laws protecting freedom of expression and human rights in the digital age." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-01-27). Saudi Arabia begins repatriation of detained workers to Ethiopia. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia begins repatriation of detained workers to Ethiopia | Ethiopian migrants said they were chained and forced to relieve themselves on the floor of their cells | Wed, 01/27/2021 – 11: 39 | Ethiopian officials hope to repatriate at least 1,000 workers every week and aim to increase that number (Screengrab) | Saudi Arabia has begun repatriating thousands of Ethiopians who have been held in detent…
(2021-01-27). UAE activist Ahmed Mansoor being held in shocking conditions: HRW. middleeasteye.net 
UAE activist Ahmed Mansoor being held in shocking conditions: HRW | Report says poet held in solitary confinement since 2017 and that his trial in 2018 and subsequent appeals were a sham | Wed, 01/27/2021 – 09: 13 | Mansoor, a 51-year-old Emirati engineer, poet, and father of four was arrested in March 2017 in relation to his human rights advocacy in the UAE (YouTube) | Human Rights Watch (HRW) has published a…
(2021-01-27). Honduran women mobilize against attacks on their rights and an increase in violence. peoplesdispatch.org 
Abortion is illegal in Honduras in all circumstances. According to the UN, between 51,000 and 82,000 abortions are performed in unsafe and clandestine conditions in the country each year…
(2021-01-27). Freedom: The Burden of Accountability — Part 2. realprogressives.org 
"Great power involves great responsibility" -Franklin Delano Roosevelt | The following article is part of a larger, five—part series on accountability and reform as they pertain to freedom. Focusing primarily on American politics and history, the series draws on America's continual struggle towards that "more perfect society.". "Our hopes have been blasted and our dreams have been shattered. The promise of a great society was shipwrecked."Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, "The Three Evils of Society" | We all think we know the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the Civil Rights mo…
(2021-01-27). Freedom: The Burden of Accountability — Part 2. realprogressives.org 
"Great power involves great responsibility" -Franklin Delano Roosevelt | The following article is part of a larger, five—part series on accountability and reform as they pertain to freedom. Focusing primarily on American politics and history, the series draws on America's continual struggle towards that "more perfect society.". "Our hopes have been blasted and our dreams have been shattered. The promise of a great society was shipwrecked."Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, "The Three Evils of Society" | We all think we know the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the Civil Rights mo…
(2021-01-27). I'm Nonbinary. My Passport Should Show That. aclu.org 
My driver's license is just like yours. It has my photo, date of birth, and other standard descriptors. Under gender, however, you'll find not M or F, but X., , In 2017, I became the first person in the country to obtain an official nonbinary, gender-neutral X-marker on my driver's license. I live in Washington D.C., which was among the first jurisdictions in the U.S. to officially offer an X marker to recognize nonbinary people as well as those who simply want a gender-neutral form of ID. At the same time, D.C. also removed requirements for a medical or third-party certification of gender to correct a gender…
(2021-01-27). NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Yang doubles down on anti-BDS remarks. middleeasteye.net 
NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Yang doubles down on anti-BDS remarks | After accusing BDS of 'unfair economic punishment', Yang asserts his opposition is based on the movement's 'refusal to condemn violence' | Wed, 01/27/2021 – 19: 18 | Andrew Yang, a NYC mayoral candidate, has drawn criticism for his stance against the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement (AFP/File photo)…
(2021-01-27). B'nai B'rith Smears Leading Palestine Solidarity Activist. dissidentvoice.org 
Recently Israel's largest human rights organization concluded the country was run based on a regime of Jewish supremacy. B'Tselem wasn't only referring to the occupied West Bank but an "apartheid" system in place from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. A week after B'Tselem's report was released, one of Canada's leading lobbyists for the …
(2021-01-27). B'Tselem's historic declaration, "A Regime of Jewish Supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is Apartheid" juancole.com ( Middle East Monitor ) — "A Regime of Jewish Supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is Apartheid," was the title of a January 12 report by the Israeli rights group B'Tselem. No matter how one is to interpret B'Tselem's findings, the report is earth-shattering. The official Israeli response merely confirmed …
(2021-01-27). Israel worried by US plans to lift ICC sanctions. yenisafak.com Israel has voiced concern over US plans to lift sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the former administration of Donald Trump, according to local media on Wednesday. | The Jerusalem Post newspaper said Washington, by this move, would allow ICC's Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open a full investigation into suspicions of Israeli war crimes against Palestinians. | The daily warned that the ICC investigation could "come with arrest warrants for prominent Israeli military and diplomatic officials, past and present". | "We would hope that we can find common ground with the incoming admin…
(2021-01-27). Thousands of Human Rights Activists, Scholars, and Cultural Figures Sign Open Letter Calling on Facebook to Allow Users to Hold Israeli Government Accountable. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-01-27). Human Rights Campaign Launched to Prevent Facebook From Adding Word "Zionist" to Hate Speech Policy. commondreams.org "Treating 'Zionist' as a proxy for 'Jew' would undermine efforts to dismantle real antisemitism… and help the Israeli government avoid accountability for violations of Palestinian rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-01-27). Russian bank in talks with Iran to boost currency exchanges. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 27 (MNA) — Referring to the growth of Iran-Russia trade relations despite the sanctions, the head of the Russian Embassy's Trade Representation said a Russian bank was in Tehran last week to expand monetary exchanges with the country.
(2021-01-27). Iran amb. urges Biden to remove sanctions in short order. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 27 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations urged the new US administration to meet its JCPOA obligations and remove sanctions in short order.
(2021-01-27). Zarif stresses respecting intl. law, minorities rights. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 27 (MNA) — In his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister, Iranian Foreign Minister stressed respecting international law, the rights of minorities and territorial integrity.
(2021-01-27). Right Wing Laws to "protect religious freedom" Enable Fundamentalists to Discriminate. zcomm.org Across America, right-wing politicians pass "religious freedom" laws that have a single purpose: to let narrow-minded believers discriminate against gays — an intolerance that is illegal for other people under human rights laws…
(2021-01-27). Incitement trial of refugee activist begins. greenleft.org.au Chris Slee reports on a gathering outside the Magistrates Court to support an activist on trial for "inciting" people to support detained refugees.
(2021-01-27). Erdogan announces upcoming reform packages for Turkish parliament. yenisafak.com Turkey's parliament can expect to get new reform proposals shortly, the nation's president said Wednesday."Soon we will begin to submit new reform packages, which we are about to complete, for parliament's consideration," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's parliamentary group.The public will see "that these reform packages contain very fundamental and important regulations that will carry our country to 2023 and beyond," he added, referring to the Republic of Turkey's centennial year.The sweeping reforms "will prepare Turkey for the future in a wide area from basic rights an…
(2021-01-27). UK Foreign Undersecretary Vows to Freeze Russian Assets If London Finds Them Life Threatening. sputniknews.com London introduced a number of sanctions and other punitive measures against Russia over the last several years, accusing it of purported meddling in its elections and being responsible for the alleged poisoning of the former GRU spy Sergei Skripal in March 2018. The UK, however, never presented solid evidence supporting these claims.
(2021-01-27). Biden Nominee for UN Envoy Reveals State Department Plans to Designate China's Actions as 'Genocide'. sputniknews.com Earlier, the US Congress passed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, calling on all countries to condemn Beijing's alleged human rights violations towards the Muslim population of Xinjiang.
(2021-01-27). Honduran Women Reject Congress' Ban on Safe, Legal Abortion. telesurenglish.net Honduras' feminist organizations Tuesday took to Tegucigalpa's streets to reject a constitutional reform establishing an absolute prohibition of abortion. | RELATED: | The new legislation passed by three-quarters of the 128-member Parliament gives a fetus the same legal status that a person has. | "The country has just gone back decades in terms of public policies in favor of the rights of women who are often victims of violence and mistreatment," Quality of Life orga…
(2021-01-27). People's Park Fenced Off by University of California Berkeley. indybay.org For 50 years, UC administrators have schemed to take People's Park back from those who turned a dirt lot into a lush, community-focused public sanctuary. Now, UCB is on the verge of permanently destroying the park. Fencing has gone up while soil is tested in anticipation of construction of a 16-story housing complex in 2022. Surveillance units have been installed to deter resistance. Unless large numbers of people unite to fight back, and soon, People's Park will become lost forever.
(2021-01-27). Freedom: The Burden of Accountability — Part 2. realprogressives.org "Great power involves great responsibility" -Franklin Delano Roosevelt | The following article is part of a larger, five—part series on accountability and reform as they pertain to freedom. Focusing primarily on American politics and history, the series draws on America's continual struggle towards that "more perfect society.". "Our hopes have been blasted and our dreams have been shattered. The promise of a great society was shipwrecked."Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, "The Three Evils of Society" | We all think we know the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the Civil Rights mo…
(2021-01-26). US Targets China over Tibet. thealtworld.com The US Congress has recently passed the so-called Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA) — slipped into a COVID-19 relief package and a 1.4 trillion dollar government spending bill, US State Department-funded Voice of America reported in their article, "US Congress Passes Landmark Bill in Support of Tibet." | The article would claim: | The U.S. Congress on Monday passed a bill that is expected to upgrade U.S. support for Tibetans in key areas, including sanctioning Chinese officials if they try to appoint the next Dalai Lama. | VOA would also report that: | It will pave the way for the U.S. government to i…
(2021-01-26). Fred Hampton: The Fight for Truth. truthout.org 
The event will take place at 7 pm ET, January 26, 2021. | Long-time civil rights attorneys Flint Taylor and Jeffrey Haas will join Defending Rights & Dissent (DRAD) and Truthout as DRAD Policy Director and Still Spying Podcast host Chip Gibbons discusses the latest revelations about the FBI's role in Fred Hampton's death and why it matters. | Fifty-one years ago, the Chicago Police raided the office of the Illinois Black Panther Party, killing Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. The police initially claimed they acted in self-defense, but this w…
(2021-01-26). Law Pod UK New Episode: "Historical" Crimes: Ireland's unmarried mothers and their children. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In episode 135 of Law Pod UK, Emma-Louise Fenelon speaks to Máiréad Enright about Ireland's recent Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation Report which prompted an official State apology from the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin. Máiréad Enright is a Leverhulme Research Fellow and Reader in Feminist Legal Studies at Birmingham Law School. Her current work is …