(2021-04-10). In The Spirit Of Abolition, Let's Shut'em Down! popularresistance.org A call to action. National "Shut'em Down" demonstrations August 21st and September 9th. Originally published on the Jailhouse Lawyers Speak blog. | Over the last year prisoners across the country have been holding the longest and largest spontaneous demonstrations in response to covid. With approximately 300,000 (the number is possibly as high as 800,000) people in prison having been infected by covid prisoners have continued to demand basic human rights protections. These demonstrations have been sporadic and largely ignored by the public as prisoners and supporters demanded covid safety and precautions be enact…
(2021-04-10). Indigenous communities march for justice a year on from devastating Amazon oil spill. nationofchange.org "Together with the communities we will continue to fight and pursue all legal options nationally and internationally because the rights of 27,000 Kichwa people and the rights of nature have been clearly violated."
(2021-04-10). Open letter on the assassination of labour and Indigenous activists in the Philippines. samidoun.net 
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network joined with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) Canada and 64 more organizations and individuals in response to "Bloody Sunday," the assassination of 9 labour and Indigenous leaders in the Philippines by the Philippines National Army on 4-7 March 2021. Sixty-five organizations (including churches, trade unions and Filipino associations) and prominent individuals based in Canada have jointly sent a letter calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to publicly condemn the state-sponsored terror perpetrated by the government of Philip…
(2021-04-10). Colombia: Over 3,600 Indigenous Rights Violations In The First Months Of 2021. popularresistance.org The recent upsurge in state and right-wing violence has left all of Colombia reeling, but Indigenous communities have been particularly affected by it. This is evident from recent data published in a report by the Human Rights Observatory of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC). The report revealed that between January 1st and March 9th of this year, a span of little more than two months, over 3674 Indigenous people in Colombia registered human rights violations. | An ONIC press release summarized the harsh realities of the conditions Indigenous people face in the country; "The displacement cau…
(2021-04-10). México — Respuestas baladíes contra opiniones de supervivencia. globalizacion.ca Al dar a conocer la versión 2020 de su Informe anual sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en México, el Departamento de Estado de EU destacó las bajas tasas de procesos legales para castigar crímenes particularmente contra mujeres, periodistas…
(2021-04-10). Canadian Member of Parliament: Sanctions on Venezuela Are Illegal and Immoral. orinocotribune.com April 8 (Special for OrinocoTribune.com) — Don Davies, lawyer and member of Canada's national parliament, confirmed that unilateral coercive measures (UCM) imposed on Venezuela by the US and its allies, including Canada, are "illegal as well as immoral." | Davies characterized the sanctions as a violation of international law. He also attested that "regime" change was the apparent goal of the unilateral coercive measures, in contravention of the United Nations' legal framework. | "These unilateral 'sanctions' are not grounded firmly in international law," said Davies. "I think these 'sanctions' are actually…
(2021-04-10). Turkey Ignores Egypt's Demands, Sends New Batch Of Syrian Mercenaries To Libya. southfront.org 
Illustrative imageustrative image | Turkey has sent a new batch of Syrian mercenaries to Libya where its military maintains a fairly large presence, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on April 8. | According to the London-based monitoring group, the new batch consisted of 380 militants. They were sent to Libya via Turkey's territory."First, the group was moved to Turkey and from there they were sent to Libya," the SOHR said in its report. | In the last few months, a number of reports talked about…
(2021-04-10). Protests In Afrin: Syrian Mercenaries Who Fought In Karabakh Ask For Salaries. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | Dozens of Turkish-backed militants, who fought as mercenaries for Azerbaijan in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh last year, have held a protest in the occupied Syrian area of Afrin to demand their "rights". | A video of the protest surfaced online on April 9. In the video, the militants, some of whom were disabled, acknowledge that they fought against Armenia. The militants go on to reveal that their salaries were stolen by Mohamad Jasim, also known as "Abu Amsha," the leader of the Turkish-…
(2021-04-10). Bahrain releases dozens of prisoners after Covid cases. middleeasteye.net 
Bahrain releases dozens of prisoners after Covid cases | Manama had vowed to release 199 prisoners and detainees, but only 166 have so far walked out of prison
| Sat, 04/10/2021 – 13: 51 | Bahrain says a vaccination campaign has been completed in Faw prison (AFP) | Dozens of detainees, including long-term political prisoners, have been released following protests by their families over Covid-19 case…
(2021-04-10). US: Congress Advances Slavery Reparations Bill. eurasiareview.com 
The US Congress will take a historic step on April 14, 2021 when a congressional committee is to vote on a slavery reparations bill, Human Rights Watch said Friday. The House Judiciary Committee announced on April 9 its upcoming vote on H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. | H.R. 40 would establish a federal commission to study the legacy of slavery in the United States and its ongoing harm and develop proposals for redress and repair, including reparations. The bill has been introduced at every congressional session since 1989 but has never before reache…
(2021-04-10). Sri Lanka: Buddhist Monks And Security Issues Set To Derail Elections — Analysis. eurasiareview.com 
While there is pressure on Sri Lanka from India and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to hold the long-delayed Provincial Council (PC) elections, there are a number political factors preventing the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government from holding the polls in the foreseeable future. | Government ministers have said that the polls could be held at the end of 2021. But that seems more and more unlikely with every passing day. | Firstly, the delimitation of constituencies for holding elections under the First Past…
(2021-04-10). Aramco Agrees $12.4 Billion Pipeline Deal With EIG. eurasiareview.com 
Aramco has agreed a $12.4 billion leaseback deal with a consortium led by EIG Global Energy Partners in one of the biggest energy infrastructure transactions. | It represents a continuation of Aramco's strategy to unlock the potential of its asset base and maximize value for its shareholders, it said in a statement. | A newly-formed unit called Aramco Oil Pipelines Company will lease usage rights in Aramco's stabilized crude oil pipelines network for a 25-year period. | In return, Aramco Oil Pipelines Company will receive a tariff payable by Aramco for the stabilized crude oil that flows through the network, b…
(2021-04-10). Why Is Iranian Regime Afraid Of Negotiating With The US? — OpEd. eurasiareview.com 
After three months, President Biden in an effort to curb the expansion of Iranian regime's nuclear program within the framework of JCPOA, indirectly through his European partners, started negotiation with the Iranian representatives in Vienna, Austria. Although Iran's representatives have ostensibly stated that they will not negotiate directly or indirectly with the United States until the lifting of sanctions by the United States, it is clear to observers that the meeting in Vienna was a kind of negotiation between the two countries. | The meeting even provoked some reactions from opponents of negotiations wi…
(2021-04-10). Why Biden Will Regret Seeking A 'Quick Win' On Iran — OpEd. eurasiareview.com 
By Baria Alamuddin* | Positive statements by Iranian officials after last week's meeting in Vienna suggest that if the Americans and Europeans are considering additional demands in an updated Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), nobody has told the Iranians. | State Department comments about readiness to lift "sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA" also suggest that Biden may have chosen the path of least resistance for returning to a flawed and limited nuclear deal, with no mechanism for addressing Tehran's terrorism, paramilitarism, expansionism, missile proliferation and warmongering. It is…
(2021-04-10). Human Rights for Children: Saving Children from Covid Measures Abuses. dissidentvoice.org Background The Geneva Academy of international Humanitarian Law and Human Rights is a postgraduate joint center located in Geneva, Switzerland. The faculty includes professors from both founding institutions and guest professors from major universities. The Geneva Academy is affiliated with the University of Geneva. Dr. Nils Melzer has been the Swiss Human Rights Chair (HR …
(2021-04-10). Ban on Xinjiang cotton called anti-China ploy. ecns.cn The United States' ban on Xinjiang-grown cotton over allegations of "forced labor" is aimed at destabilizing China, said some peace activists who also accuse the U.S. government of failing to address its own human rights violations.
(2021-04-10). China will take necessary measures to uphold rights of Chinese companies. ecns.cn China said on Friday it would take necessary measures to uphold the rights and interests of Chinese companies, after the United States added Chinese supercomputing entities to an economic blacklist.
(2021-04-10). Chinese envoy urges U.S. to immediately lift unilateral sanctions against Iran. ecns.cn The U.S. promise on lifting unilateral sanctions against Iran must be put into action immediately, said Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, on Friday.
(2021-04-10). China to take necessary actions against U.S. sanctions. ecns.cn China to take necessary actions against U.S. sanctions on 7 more Chinese tech firms, says Chinese Foreign Ministry.
(2021-04-10). Sunday 4/18: "The Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution" Film & Panel w/ Filmmaker. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-04-10). Book Review: The Revolution Won't Be Stopped. popularresistance.org Republican strategist Karl Rove often advised his clients to attack not the enemy's weaknesses but its strengths. The bipartisan US foreign policy disinformation machine has taken Rove's advice with tedious devotion. So, to attack Nicaragua, the machine's fabrications and propaganda have targeted some of that country's strengths: gender equity, Indigenous rights and autonomy, democracy, sovereignty, and a successful response to the pandemic, as well as the Sandinista government's great popularity. | This should not surprise. It's the same Rovian method used against Nicaragua's friends and allies and countries the…
(2021-04-09). Court hearing of Communist Party of Kenya members postponed to Monday. peoplesdispatch.org The court hearing of 12 members of the Communist Party of Kenya who were detained on Wednesday has been postponed. The police action against them came as the party was organizing a movement against the skewed COVID-19 strategy of the government…
(2021-04-09). China rejects U.S.' human rights hypocrisy, points to repression of Black Lives Matter. peoplesworld.org 
Top officials from China and the United States exchanged verbal blows at the Alaska Summit last week, after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan opened the session by making false and unwarranted accusations about China's governance and international affairs. In the summit's opening remarks, Blinken accused China of …
(2021-04-09). The Judicial Persecution of Steven Donziger. counterpunch.org 
For some, call them criminal justice ingenues, it may be hard to believe this is happening in the United States, that our famed judiciary has sunk this low. But in the U.S., a judge acts as prosecutor and jury on behalf of a giant oil company, Chevron, as it destroys the life and career of human rights lawyer Steven Donziger. His crime? Daring to win a judgment against Chevron in an Ecuadorian court. For those less enchanted with the U.S. justice system, this is no surprise. But there it is. This judicial travesty is occurring in New York state. And the Chevron friendly judges — first Lewis A. Kaplan and hi…
(2021-04-09). Biden's Empty Gesture: Houthis No Longer "Terrorists" but Yemen's Suffering Only Grows. mintpressnews.com 
Human rights groups have warned that levels of famine in Yemen are now among the highest recorded since 2015, suggesting that suffering in the country has actually grown worse under the Biden administration.
(2021-04-09). New Revelations on Germ Warfare: It's Time for a Reckoning with Our History from the Korean War. counterpunch.org 
The New York Times, which for years has maintained that U.S. airmen's statements about use of biological weapons during the Korean War were "false confessions" obtained by Chinese and North Korean torture, never acknowledged the following submission sent to its opinion section in November 2020. I am publishing the article instead at CounterPunch, which is
(2021-04-09). UNHCR Urges New Resettlement Plan for Refugees in Kenyan Camps. telesurenglish.net The United Nations refugee agency said Friday it has shared with Kenya a proposed set of sustainable and rights-based measures aimed at identifying solutions for refugees living in camps in Kenya. | RELATED: | The Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps, located in northern Kenya, host some 430,000 refugees and asylum-seekers of more than 15 nationalities. | Fathiaa Abdalla, the UNHCR representative in Kenya, said the UN agenc…
(2021-04-09). Senate Unveils Sweeping Legislation To Confront China. popularresistance.org The Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced a new piece of bipartisan legislation to confront China through prioritized military spending and more arms sales in the Indo-Pacific, sanctions, money for "democracy promotion" in Hong Kong, and other areas where the US seeks to counter Beijing. | The legislation still needs to go through the Committee before being introduced in the Senate, but a draft of the bill, titled the Strategic Competition Act of 2021, was released by Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the Committee chairman. Menendez negotiated the bill with Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID). | In a rel…
(2021-04-09). Global Proposal Against the Economic Blockade. orinocotribune.com By Pasqualina Curcio — Apr 5, 2021 | At least twenty countries are formally victims of US "sanctions". Since 1992, in the United Nations General Assembly, all countries except the US and Israel have voted against the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States on Cuba. Despite the evident majority, the US has ignored them. Good wishes, denunciations and calls to lift the blockades have not been enough to prevent these genocidal actions against entire peoples. | To put an end to these interference practices, we must make amends for two serious mistakes we made as humanity in 1944 and 1971. To do…
(2021-04-09). International Law Uncanceled: Biden Lifts Sanctions Against ICC, But It's Not Enough. counterpunch.org When the loony right gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference back in February, the theme of the Trump-heavy gathering was "America Uncanceled." Speaker after speaker railed against "political correctness" in American culture, from "woke mobs" to "censorship" in the mainstream news media. Incredibly, they tried to transform so-called cancel culture into the single greatest
(2021-04-09). HTS Terrorist Attack On School Thwarted In Crimea (Video). southfront.org 
ROSTOV-ON-DON REGION, RUSSIA — JULY 15, 2019: Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers detain two members of a cell of the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia). Video screen grab/ Russian Federal Security Service/TASS | On April 9, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) thwarted a terrorist attack in the city of Simferopol, the capital of Crimea. | In a statement, the FSB's Public Relations Center announced that two supporters of the Syria-based terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) [m…
(2021-04-09). UN concerned by 'lack of transparency' over arrests in Jordan. middleeasteye.net 
UN concerned by 'lack of transparency' over arrests in Jordan | UN human rights office says it's unclear whether Prince Hamzah remains under de facto house arrest | Fri, 04/09/2021 – 17: 43 | Jordan's former crown prince is accused of trying to destabilise the kingdom (AFP) | The UN human rights office said on Friday it remained unclear whether Jordan's Prince Hamzah remains under de facto house arrest, and vo…
(2021-04-09). Iran Demands Removal of All US Sanctions Without Distinction. telesurenglish.net Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif on Friday demanded the removal of all US sanctions against his country whether or not they are linked to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). | RELATED: | This request came as Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are meeting in Vienna to discuss ways to get the United States and Iran back into compliance with the terms agreed to in th…
(2021-04-09). Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination and the SPARS 2025-2028 Simulation? A Plan to Launch a New Pandemic? globalresearch.ca Compulsory Vaccination in Europe | Today the European Court of Human Rights …
(2021-04-09). China Blasts US Military Interventions in Human Rights Report. news.antiwar.com In the face of constant attacks by US officials over alleged human rights abuses, The report, titled "Severe Humanitarian Disasters Caused by US Aggressive Wars against Foreign Countries," was "The majority of th…
(2021-04-09). Protect Care Workers — You'll Need Us Someday. zcomm.org All we're asking is for the same rights and protections other workers enjoy…
(2021-04-09). International Law Uncanceled. zcomm.org The Biden administration lifted sanctions against the International Criminal Court. It's not enough…
(2021-04-09). Unconventional US Warfare Won't Stop Nicaragua's Revolution. dissidentvoice.org 
Republican strategist Karl Rove often advised his clients to attack not the enemy's weaknesses but its strenghts. The bipartisan US foreign policy disinformation machine has taken Rove's advice with tedious devotion. So, to attack Nicaragua, the machine's fabrications and propaganda have targeted some of that country's strengths: gender equity, Indigenous rights and autonomy, democracy, sovereignty, …
(2021-04-09). Amnesty Int'l: COVID-19 Exacerbates Inequality in Americas as U.S. Policy Drives Refugees to Border. democracynow.org 
A new Amnesty International report lays out how the pandemic has significantly exacerbated inequality across the Americas over the past year. Over 1.3 million people have died in the region from COVID-19, making the Americas the hardest-hit area in the world. Women, refugees, migrants, underprotected health workers, Indigenous peoples, Black people and other groups historically excluded and neglected by governments have borne the brunt of the pandemic, according to the report, which also points out the rise in gender violence and lethal crackdown on human rights defenders. "It's not a surprise that the Americas h…