(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, …
(2021-01-27). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). Incitement trial of refugee activist begins. greenleft.org.au Chris Slee reports on a gathering outside the Magistrates Court to support refugee rights activist Chris Breen who is on trial for "inciting" people to support detained refugees.
(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). 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). 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…
(2021-01-27). Sunday 1/31: DxE Circle – Sanctuary Work Party. indybay.org 2785 Franklin Canyon Rd, Martinez, CA 94553-9617, United States…
(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 …
(2021-01-26). Rights group slams Israel's praise for India as protests turn ugly in New Delhi. middleeasteye.net 
Rights group slams Israel's praise for India as protests turn ugly in New Delhi | Israel's government sent several messages of goodwill on India's Republic Day while thousands of farmers in New Delhi rallied for repeal of contentious legislation | Tue, 01/26/2021 – 17: 49 | An Indian farmer throws back a tear gas shell fired by police during a rally against the central government's recent agricultural reforms…
(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). EU delays Turkey sanctions over positive talks with Greece. middleeasteye.net 
EU delays Turkey sanctions over positive talks with Greece | EU momentum with Ankara over eastern Mediterranean dispute could encourage an update to the customs union, officials say | Tue, 01/26/2021 – 11: 40 | Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, pictured in Brussels on 21 January 2021 (AFP)…
(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). Biden administration's coercive Iran policy threatens a serious new regional crisis. thegrayzone.com Team Biden is planning to hold on to what it apparently sees as its "Trump card"— the Trump administration's sanctions against Iran oil exports that have gutted the Iranian economy A close analysis of recent statements by members of President Joseph Biden's foreign policy team indicates his administration has already signaled its intention to treat negotiations with Iran as an exercise in diplomatic coercion aimed at forcing major new concessions extending well beyond the 2105 nuclear agreement. The policy could …
(2021-01-26). Biden admin's coercive Iran policy threatens serious new regional crisis. thegrayzone.com Team Biden is planning to hold on to what it apparently sees as its "Trump card"— the Trump administration's sanctions against Iran oil exports that have gutted the Iranian economy. A close analysis of recent statements by members of President Joseph Biden's foreign policy team indicates his administration has already signaled its intention to treat negotiations with Iran as an exercise in diplomatic coercion aimed at forcing major new concessions extending well beyond the 2105 nuclear agreement. The policy could …
(2021-01-26). Biden Reverses Trump's Trans Military Ban, But Assault on Rights Continues at State Level. democracynow.org 
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order repealing the Trump administration's ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military and ordered the Pentagon to review the files of troops who were forced out because of the ban and to immediately halt discharges of transgender troops now serving. Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLU's LGBT & HIV Project, calls it "an incredibly important development," but warns the attack on transgender rights is continuing at the state level, with a raft of new legislation targeting trans people in education, healthcare and more. "We have…
(2021-01-26). Iranian-American faces spy charges after attempting to leave Iran. middleeasteye.net 
Iranian-American faces spy charges after attempting to leave Iran | Iran's judiciary spokesperson did not identify the Iranian-American arrested for espionage | Tue, 01/26/2021 – 11: 20 | Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has arrested dozens of foreign nationals, mostly on espionage charges. Some have been swapped for Iranians held overseas for evading US sanctions (AFP) | An Iranian-Americ…
(2021-01-26). 'Haven't the Kurds suffered enough?' Hillary Clinton to produce TV drama on Kurdish women fighters. rt.com 
Hillary and Chelsea Clinton are producing a TV series based on the exploits of female Kurdish fighters in Syria. Expect a whitewashed tale of girlboss feminism, that just may be awful enough to finally unite the Kurds and Turks. | The Clintons, through their Hidden Light Productions company, have acquired the TV rights to author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's 'The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice,' Deadline revealed on Monday. The book tells the story of an all-female Kurdish militia group famed for fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in northern Syria — with American help.
(2021-01-26). Biden Reversed Trans Military Ban, But States' Attacks on Trans Rights Continue. truthout.org 
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order repealing the Trump administration's ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military and ordered the Pentagon to review the files of troops who were forced out because of the ban and to immediately halt discharges of transgender troops now serving. Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice with the ACLU's LGBT & HIV Project, calls it "an incredibly important development," but warns the attack on transgender rights is continu…
(2021-01-26). One of the Democrats' Biggest Hawks Is Now Senate Foreign Relations Chair. truthout.org 
Now with a working majority, the Democrats have named Sen. Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey) to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This has rung alarm bells for advocates of peace, human rights and international law, given that Menendez has opposed the Iran nuclear agreement, repeatedly attacked the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, supported unconditional military aid to governments that have used the weapons in the commission of war crimes, and taken other positions…
(2021-01-26). UN rights experts urge Israel to respect international obligations. news.un.org UN independent rights experts on Tuesday, described Israel's conviction of human rights defender Issa Amro earlier this month, as showing disdain for the country's international obligations.
(2021-01-26). Merkel welcomes EU-China investment deal but acknowledges divergences. laprensalatina.com Berlin, Jan 26 (efe-epa).- German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday commended the European Union's investment deal with China as adding quality to the relationship between the two superpowers although acknowledged divergences on issues like human rights. Merkel, in her final year as Germany's chancellor, a position she has held since 2005, spoke at the World …
(2021-01-26). US Designation of Houthis as 'Terrorists' Is Wrong and Hurts the Most Vulnerable. commondreams.org Ending America's endless wars should mean not only withdrawing troops but also putting an end to the misuse of terrorist designations and the accompanying destructive economic sanctions. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-01-26). Human rights study exposes brutal conditions in Sri Lankan prisons. wsws.org The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka report is a damning indictment of successive governments.
(2021-01-26). Chile: Senate Commission Debates Pardon To Political Prisoners. telesurenglish.net Chile's Senate Human Rights Commission on Monday approved the discussion of a bill that seeks to grant pardon to political detainees linked to the 2019 social unrest. | RELATED: | On Dec. 9, 2020, Senate President Adriana Muñozel promoted the bill that must also be debated in the Security and Constitution Commissions. | Excepting people prosecuted for terrorist crimes, the bill seeks to annul the criminal liability and cancel the…
(2021-01-26). Biden's First 48 Hours Affirm U.S. 'Greatest Purveyor of Violence'. globalresearch.ca Every year, we fight a battle on the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | On one side is the U.S. state. Forced to offer a concession to the middle-class elements of the Black civil-rights movement in the …
(2021-01-26). Paying Symbolic Tribute to César Chávez Isn't Enough. progressive.org If Biden really wants to honor the civil rights activist, he'd ensure farmworkers have the same protections as other workers.
(2021-01-25). Human rights groups urge new US administration to reverse Houthi 'terrorist' tag. peoplesdispatch.org The groups warn that the decision could have serious negative consequences, such as affecting the import and supply of humanitarian goods, medicines, fuel, and other essential items to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen…
(2021-01-25). Covid-19: Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Israelis protest over lockdown rules. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Israelis protest over lockdown rules | Anger has mounted as the government has moved to close illegal religious schools and seminaries | Mon, 01/25/2021 – 10: 16 | Policemen detain an ultra-Orthodox Jew during a protest over coronavirus restrictions in Ashdod, Israel on 24 January 2021 (Reuters) | Hundreds of members of Israel's ultra-Orthodox community…
(2021-01-25). Turkey and Greece resume talks over eastern Mediterranean after five-year hiatus. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey and Greece resume talks over eastern Mediterranean after five-year hiatus | Ankara and Athens have made little progress on the issue, despite 60 rounds of negotiations between 2002 and 2016 | Mon, 01/25/2021 – 13: 34 | The Turkish seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis. Ankara hoped to improve relations with the European Union after it had threatened to sanction Turkey (Reuters) | Turkey a…
(2021-01-25). Activists demand justice for Giulio Regeni who was kidnapped and murdered in Egypt. peoplesdispatch.org 
Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Ph.D. student at Cambridge University, was kidnapped on January 25, 2016 from Cairo. His body was found a few days later with torture marks. He had been working on Egyptian trade unions for his dissertation…
(2021-01-25). Sri Lanka: 'Forced' cremation of COVID victims' bodies must stop – UN rights experts. news.un.org The Sri Lankan Government should end its policy of compulsorily cremating victims of COVID-19, independent UN human rights experts said on Monday.
(2021-01-25). End the Filibuster: Calls Grow to Retire Relic of Slavery & Jim Crow to Make Senate More Democratic. democracynow.org 
President Joe Biden has promised swift action on the pandemic, the economic crisis and more, but much of his agenda hinges on whether he can get enough support in the Senate, where an unprecedented number of bills in recent years has required a 60-vote supermajority in order to overcome filibusters. Many progressives and civil rights groups have urged Democratic leaders to kill the filibuster, warning that if they don't, Senate Republicans will obstruct Biden's plans just as they did with the Obama administration. Former Senate aide Adam Jentleson, author of the new book "Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senat…
(2021-01-25). Trump administration eased sanctions against Israeli billionaire during final days. middleeasteye.net 
Trump administration eased sanctions against Israeli billionaire during final days | Sanctions were levied against Dan Gertler in 2017 for corrupt mining practices in DR Congo, which resulted in more than $1.36bn in lost revenue | Mon, 01/25/2021 – 17: 26 | US Treasury Department initially levied sanctions against Israeli mining tycoon Dan Gertler in 2017 (AFP/File photo) | Days before the Trump administration…
(2021-01-25). There's only one Daniel Agger? Ex-Liverpool star clears up bizarre rumors he was arrested at Navalny protests in Moscow. rt.com 
Liverpool fans became somewhat concerned about the welfare of one of their former heroes after news emerged that Daniel Agger had been arrested during the Moscow protests in support of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | The story began when it was reported that a man by the name of Daniel Agger had been taken into custody on January 23 during the protests in Moscow. | Fanning the confusion was a tweet by Russian news outlet Novaya Gazeta which screamed: "Former Liverpool footballer and Danish captain Daniel Agger was detained during protests in Moscow. He spent two days in the police department, and t…
