(2021-04-17). [Obituary] Carola Eisenberg. thelancet.com Psychiatrist and co-founder of Physicians for Human Rights. Born Sept 15, 1917, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she died on March 11, 2021, in Lincoln, MA, USA, aged 103 years.
(2021-04-17). [World Report] Turkey withdraws from treaty on violence against women. thelancet.com Activists object to Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, amid wider conservative ire over women's rights and attitudes towards gender. Kaya Genàß reports from Istanbul.
(2021-04-16). Biden Sanctions Russia for Cyber Espionage While Remaining Silent over Israeli Cyberattack on Iran. democracynow.org 
The United States has imposed new sanctions on Russia and expelled 10 Russian diplomats after the Biden administration accused Moscow of being involved in major cyberattacks. The Treasury Department claimed Russia interfered in the 2020 election and was behind the SolarWinds hack, which compromised the computer systems of nine U.S. government agencies and scores of private companies. The sanctions target 32 Russian entities and individuals and bar U.S. banks from purchasing Russian government debt. Russia vowed to retaliate against the new sanctions and accused the Biden administration of degrading bilateral rela…
(2021-04-16). Denis Halliday: A Voice of Reason in an Insane World. counterpunch.org 
Denis Halliday is an exceptional figure in the world of diplomacy. In 1998, after a 34-year career with the United Nations—including as an Assistant Secretary-General and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq—he resigned when the UN Security Council refused to lift sanctions against Iraq. Halliday saw at first hand the devastating impact of this policy
(2021-04-16). HR 2590 Rep McCollum's Bill Protecting Palestinians. indybay.org As she did in the 115th and 116th Congress, on April 15, 2021, Dem. Rep. of Minnesota, Betty McCollum introduced HR 2590, the Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act which "prohibits Israel from using U.S. taxpayer dollars in the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem for: the military detention, abuse, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention; to support the seizure and destruction of Palestinian property and homes in violation of international humanitarian law; or, to extend any assistance or support for Israel's u…
(2021-04-16). Facebooking While Brown: Indigenous man in Arizona imprisoned for Social Media "shock-talk" about #BLM protest. mronline.org 
Reed has been held in federal pretrial detention without bail for ten months after a prior high school acquaintance reported him to the police for a different satirical social media post about planning a protest or 'riot' at the courthouse that never actually happened. | April 16, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-04-16). Forced Patriotism is Un-American: Arkansas and the Anthem. counterpunch.org 
Should student-athletes and those attending athletic events be forced into displays of patriotism? Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge thinks so. She recently introduced the "Star-Spangled Banner Act," which would require each public school to play the National Anthem at the beginning of all school-sanctioned sporting events. A second piece of legislation, the "Moment of Silence
(2021-04-16). Anti-Blockade Digital Seminar: How to Turn Sanctions into Opportunities. orinocotribune.com 
With a presentation on the origin and reasons behind the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Venezuela by the US government, Hugbel Roa, Deputy to the National Assembly for the Bloque de la Patria, participated in the anti-blockade digital seminar "Is it Possible to Develop a Besieged Country?" | The event served as a platform to analyze how the financial and commercial attack against Venezuela intensified after Nicolás Maduro won the presidential election with popular support, following the physical departure of Commander Hugo Chávez. | In his speech, Roa detailed that it was Chávez who "guaranteed not only…
(2021-04-16). We Are Living in a Climate Emergency. Why Doesn't Nature Have Legal Rights? truthout.org 
This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. | Mike Ludwig speaks with journalists Melissa Troutman and Joshua Pribanic about their new documentary, Invisible Hand, which covers the Indigenous-led Rights of Nature movement on the front lines of the climate emergency. | Music by TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity.
(2021-04-16). Mandatory vaccinations for care home workers — a slippery slope? ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Or, as Andrew Neil put it on the Spectator TV News Channel this week, "A Dripping Roast For Lawyers". To be fair, Neil was referring to the patchwork of mandatory vaccines across the United States. But with the publication yesterday of the Government's consultation paper on vaccine requirements for all staff deployed in a care …
(2021-04-16). Arabic press review: Egypt expects breakthrough for political prisoners. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: Egypt expects breakthrough for political prisoners | Meanwhile, former Yemeni minister blasts Saudi Arabia, Oman seeks release of detained citizens in UAE, and Houthi attacks on Saudi soil escalate | Fri, 04/16/2021 – 14: 01 | Egypt's al-Qanatir women's prison, at the tip of the Nile delta in Qalyoubiya province (AFP) | 'Imminent breakthrough' for Egypt's political priso…
(2021-04-16). Arabic press review: Egypt expects 'breakthrough' for political prisoners. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egypt expects 'breakthrough' for political prisoners | Meanwhile, former Yemeni minister blasts Saudi Arabia, Oman seeks release of detained citizens in UAE, and Houthi attacks on Saudi soil escalate | Fri, 04/16/2021 – 14: 01 | Egypt's al-Qanatir women's prison, at the tip of the Nile delta in Qalyoubiya province (AFP) | 'Imminent breakthrough' for Egypt's political pri…
(2021-04-16). US aid must not fund Israeli abuses against Palestinians, new bill says. middleeasteye.net 
US aid must not fund Israeli abuses against Palestinians, new bill says | Legislation introduced by Congresswoman Betty McCollum prohibits US assistance from contributing to detention of children, home demolitions or annexation | Fri, 04/16/2021 – 19: 10 | The Israeli military detains hundreds of Palestinian children annually (B'Tselem) | Congresswoman Betty McCollum has renewed her efforts to prohibit US taxpaye…
(2021-04-16). Self-Emancipation Continues To Rise At The St. Louis City Justice Center. popularresistance.org In the early morning hours of April 4, 2021, a day that many Christians recognized as Resurrection Sunday, detainees, at the St. Louis City Justice Center moved in the spirit of insurrection to challenge their oppressors and well documented repression at the jail. After the first major rebellion at the jail grabbed national attention on February 6, 2021, government bureaucrats in collaboration with "activists" of the social justice state scrambled to mystify what is really happening to detainees at the city's jails through sham reports and pseudo-independent investigations. | The attempt to paper over the status…
(2021-04-16). Why Disability Rights Advocates Are Pressing the Senate to Allow an Internet Voting Option. counterpunch.org National disability rights organizations are urging the Senate to revise the massive House-passed election reform bill to allow an internet-based voting option for their constituents, who represent one-sixth of the national electorate, and to recognize online voting as a federally sanctioned and regulated voting technology. Their concerns and online voting remedy have come into focus
(2021-04-16). Why Biden's New Russian Sanctions Are Shortsighted. popularresistance.org The Biden administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan is a wise and morally courageous one. It refuses to inherit and continue a disastrous American tradition in foreign and security policy: the obsession with defending meaningless U.S. "credibility" (aka prestige), irrespective of real national interests and of the cost in American lives and money. | Previous U.S. "strategy" in Afghanistan was a kind of zombie policy: in reality dead, but still walking around because nobody in Washington could bring themselves to bury it. | The obsession with mortal threats from Russia is a zombie dating b…
(2021-04-16). Old Customers Impatient to Resume Oil Imports from Iran. orinocotribune.com Demand is rising for Iranian crude oil, with an OPEC report showing a higher output already by Iran which is closely watched by customers as the country is discussing the removal of unilateral US sanctions. | Iran's oil production rose by 137,000 barrels per day to 2.3 million bpd in March, marking the highest crude production growth among OPEC members, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a monthly report. | The higher output by Iran which is exempt from making voluntary cuts because of US sanctions came for the third consecutive month. Iran's oil production had jumped by 62,000 and 35,0…
(2021-04-16). White House: Changing Cuba Policy Is Not a Priority for Biden. news.antiwar.com Changing policy towards Cuba and giving the country sanctions relief is not a foreign policy priority for President Biden,
(2021-04-16). Russia says U.S. has to pay for new sanctions. ecns.cn Washington must realize that it will "pay a price" for the degradation of U.S.-Russian relations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday in response to new anti-Russian sanctions and the expulsion of diplomats.
(2021-04-16). US to Withdraw from Afghanistan after Two Decades of War Leaving Behind a Tortured Wasteland and Having Accomplished… Nothing. globalresearch.ca The US decision to leave Afghanistan without any conditions represents a …
(2021-04-15). NED-Funded Uyghur Separatist Network and CAIR Director Rally Around Cold War Propaganda. mintpressnews.com 
At a March 30 demonstration at the Chinese Embassy, the U.S.-funded Uyghur Separatist Network was joined by prominent Muslim figures. "Behind The Headlines" correspondent Dan Cohen spoke to participants and examined their claims.
(2021-04-15). Media Concern Trolling About Afghanistan Withdrawal Again. orinocotribune.com 
Caitlin Johnstone — Apr 11, 2021 | " "Concerns are mounting from bipartisan US lawmakers and Afghan women's rights activists that the hard-won gains for women and civil society in Afghanistan could be lost if the United States makes a precipitous withdrawal from the country," CNN tells us. | What follows is yet another concern-trolling empire blog about why US troops need to stay in Afghanistan, joining recent others geared toward the same end lik…
(2021-04-15). Ramsey Clark dies: an Attorney General who turned against imperialism. mronline.org 
Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General and renowned international human-rights attorney who stood against U.S. military aggression worldwide, died peacefully April 9 at his home in New York City, surrounded by close family. He was 93 years old. | April 15, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-04-15). Civil rights tsunami in D.C. over statehood, reparations and Justice Dept. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON — Civil rights issues hit Capitol Hill in a big way on April 14. As might be expected, congressional Republicans were on the wrong side of all of them. One House panel approved statehood for D.C. Another considered statehood for Puerto Rico. A third voted late at night for a bill to study reparations …
(2021-04-15). A "national emergency" because of Russia? Seeing through U.S. double standards. liberationnews.org 
In response to the supposed "unusual and extraordinary threat to the National security, foriegn policy, and economy of the United States", Joe Biden today declared a national emergency, expelled 10 Russian diplomats and imposed new sanctions on Russia.
(2021-04-15). 'National Emergency': Biden Administration Is Obsessed With SouthFront. southfront.org 
ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE | No day without shaping the history! Big Bad SouthFront is once again threatening interests of the leadership of the world's sole superpower. | The SouthFront fan club in the US administration, and in particular in the White House and the State Department, seems to be rapidly growing. The scale of popularity of SouthFront on the highest level of the US government reached the level, when the world's superpower imposed sanctions on SouthFront website (southfront.org) and declared the state of a "national e…
(2021-04-15). Mysterious Drone Strike Hit Western Idlib. southfront.org 
A fully armed MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle taxis down the runway at an air base in Afghanistan on its way to another wartime mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson) | Late on April 14, a large explosion was reported in the western outskirts of Idlib city, the center of the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib. | While some opposition sources played down the explosion, others, including the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said the explosion was the result of a dr…
(2021-04-15). Biden calls for de-escalation of tensions with Russia after placing sanctions over unproven charges of hacking & election meddling. rt.com 
US President Joe Biden called for "dialogue and diplomatic process" with Russia, after ordering sanctions against Moscow for allegedly being behind the SolarWinds hack and interfering in "sacred" elections and American democracy. | Biden told reporters at the White House on Thursday afternoon that he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of the impending sanctions during their recent phone call, calling it a "proportionate" US response to what Russia allegedly did. | We concluded that they had interfered in the election and the SolarWinds was totally inappropriate. | Russia has denied any interference in the…
(2021-04-15). Biden calls for de-escalation of tensions with Russia following sanctions over unproven charges of hacking & election meddling. rt.com US President Joe Biden called for "dialogue and diplomatic process" with Russia, after ordering sanctions against Moscow for allegedly being behind the SolarWinds hack and interfering in "sacred" elections and American democracy. | Biden told reporters at the White House on Thursday afternoon that he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of the impending sanctions during their recent phone call, calling it a "proportionate" US response to what Russia allegedly did. | We concluded that they had interfered in the election and the SolarWinds was totally inappropriate. | Russia has denied any interference in the…
(2021-04-15). Biden's Russia policy ludicrous, unbelievable, contradictory & unprecedented: First offers Putin summit & then imposes sanctions. rt.com 
Just a month ago, US President Joe Biden indicated he believes his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin is a "killer." But on Tuesday, he spoke to the 'killer' by phone and proposed that the pair meet for a face-to-face summit. | A few weeks is clearly a long time in politics. | So too, it seems, is a couple of days. | For on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared that a summit between Biden and Putin would not go ahead in the near future. That does not mean that Moscow has definitively rejected a meeting at some point later, but it is clear that the Kremlin is not inclined to indulge Biden for now.
(2021-04-15). Protesting Ongoing Israeli Army Arrests, Detention of University Students in Occupied Palestine. juancole.com By Committee on Academic Freedom of the Middle East Studies Association. To: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Minister of Education Yoav Galant, Minister of Higher Education Ze'ev Elkin, Minister of Justice Avi Nissenkorn, Brigadier General Rasan Alian, Head of Civil Administration in the West Bank, Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Chief Clerk Init …
(2021-04-15). Supreme Court Confirms Annulment of All Charges Against Lula. telesurenglish.net As a result of the Supreme Court's affirmation of the annulment, Lula will recover all of his political rights and be able to run, if he and his party so choose, in the country's upcoming presidential elections in 2021. | RELATED: | The Supreme Court decision was approved by eight votes to three and supported the position of Judge Edson Fachin, who on March 8 had annulled all of the sentences against Lula, which tota…
(2021-04-15). Australian Labor Party conference passes mealy-mouthed motion "defending" Assange. wsws.org Labor's motion does not even oppose the US attempt to prosecute Assange under the Espionage Act for exposing American war crimes, human rights violations and diplomatic conspiracies.
(2021-04-15). Haiti: Archbishop Demands Release Of Abducted Catholics. eurasiareview.com The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince has called for the release of 10 people who were kidnapped in Haiti on Sunday and are being held for ransom. | "We demand security and peace for all missionaries and all people,"Archbishop Max Mesidor said. "We demand the immediate and unconditional release of our detained brothers and sisters." | Five priests, two nuns, and three laypeople were abducted at Croix-des-Bouquets, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, April 11. According to local news, they were taken while on the way to attend the installation of a parish priest. | According to Haitian media, the "400 Mawozo" gang admitted…
(2021-04-15). In honor of William Ramsey Clark. fightbacknews.org I wish to convey my sincerest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of my friend and legal counsel William Ramsey Clark who passed away last April 9, 2021. I have the highest regard for him as a champion of human rights, a staunch defender of the people's right to national and social liberation, a fierce advocate of just peace and a resolute opponent to the imperialist policies and wars of aggression of the US. | While he was US Attorney General under the Johnson administration, he was well known for standing up for civil liberties and civil rights, fighting against racial segregation and discriminati…
(2021-04-15). Finally, a popular Left born in Peru. peoplesdispatch.org In the decade of the 1990s, the dictatorship of Alberto Fujimori achieved several of its key objectives through a combination of repression, human rights violations, and corruption that permeated through the Peruvian state and society. These "achievements" included the military defeat of the subversive armed groups and the imposition of a Constitution and an ultra neoliberal economic model which have allowed for the unlimited accumulation by the wealthy at the expense of the precarious majorities and those who exist at the juncture of consumption and credit, also known as the "middle class." | Parallelly, or rath…
(2021-04-15). Cultural Relativism as "Counter Enlightenment" dissidentvoice.org It was the intellectual historian Isaiah Berlin who coined the term "Counter-Enlightenment." He was referring to a widespread ideological-reactionary movement in the early 19th century — against the universalizing human rights doctrines which had originated in the 18th century Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Berlin viewed this as primarily a German reaction, powerfully mobilized by …
(2021-04-15). Athletes Knock The Legs From Under Global Sports Governance — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Sports governance worldwide has had the legs knocked out from under it. Yet, national and international sports administrators are slow in realizing the magnitude of what has hit them. | Tectonic plates underlying sports' guiding principle that sports and politics are unrelated have shifted, driven by a struggle against racism and a quest for human rights and social justice. | The principle was repeatedly challenged over the last year by athletes as well as businesses forcing national and international sports federations to either support anti-racist protest or at the least refrain from penalizing athletes who…
(2021-04-15). Greenpeace expert: Japan's decision must be overturned. ecns.cn Dumping contaminated wastewater into the sea may be the cheapest way for Japan to deal with its troubles of Fukushima nuclear plant, but the Japanese government's decision completely disregards the human rights and interests of the people in Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific region, said Shaun Burnie, a senior nuclear specialist with Greenpeace East Asia.
(2021-04-15). Fourth officer charged in excessive force case. nationofchange.org The maximum penalty for the deprivation-of-rights offenses is 10 years of imprisonment and the maximum penalty for false report offenses is 20 years of imprisonment.
(2021-04-15). Saturday 5/1: SF Bay Area May Day Parade & Rally for Workers' Rights & Racial Justice. indybay.org SF Embarcadero & Market St.
(2021-04-15). 'The OK Legislature Wants Us Dead': Rights Defenders Decry Advancement of Anti-Protest Bills. commondreams.org The head of the state's ACLU accused Oklahoma lawmakers of "attempting to silence the voices of their constituents and criminalize vital calls for accountability and racial justice." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-15). For JCPOA Re-entry, Biden Must Tear Down This Sanctions Wall. popularresistance.org It was clear from the outset: Returning to the Iran Nuclear Deal was not a matter of nuclear technicalities or diplomatic savvy. It was and remains primarily a matter of political will and political capital. | Though all eyes will be on the start of formal talks in Vienna this week, the real test will take place in Washington D.C. where President Joe Biden must muster the political will to tear down the "sanctions wall" his predecessor put in place for the sole purpose of preventing an American return to the nuclear agreement, lest the talks in Vienna will be for naught. | With only two months left until the Iran…
(2021-04-15). Russia Warns US Against New Sanctions. news.antiwar.com A day after President Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow said it warned the US against imposing any new sanctions amid reports that more measures are coming. | According to a report from
(2021-04-15). Biden Imposes Wide Array of New Russia Sanctions, Expels Diplomats. news.antiwar.com In a major escalation with Moscow, In an announcement on the sanctions, "Today, we announced ac…
(2021-04-15). With new backing from the West, Ukrainian president says "The Army is ready" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com With new backing from the West, Ukrainian president says "The Army is ready"Rick Rozoff The same day that U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order leveling new sanctions against Russia and expelling ten of its diplomats, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated in a session of the National Security and Defense Council and afterward said …
(2021-04-15). With New Backing From the West, Ukrainian President Says 'The Army Is Ready'. news.antiwar.com The same day that U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order leveling new sanctions against Russia and expelling ten of its diplomats, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated in a session of the National Security and Defense Council and afterward said concerning its deliberations: "I can't reveal the details. The situation in Donbas is now …
(2021-04-15). Iran's police vow to continue anti-arrogant powers struggle. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 15 (MNA) — In reaction to the recent EU sanctions against some Iranian police commanders, a police spokesman said that such sanctions will not undermine Iranian Police's firm resolve to continue the fight against US, EU hostile policies.
(2021-04-15). Russia says would reciprocate new US sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 15 (MNA) — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the new US sanctions against Russia "wouldn't facilitate" the planned summit between the leaders of the two countries, adding that Moscow would reciprocate for any new limits.