(2021-04-07). Georgia: Democracy for who? liberationnews.org 
A sweeping attack on voting rights, SB 202, signed into law by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp last week, is causing outrage across the country.
(2021-04-07). How Did The Cancel Culture Become Dominant So Quickly? — OpEd. eurasiareview.com 
By cancel culture, I mean the idea that people have rights and responsibilities and obligations and entitlements based on their skin color or their ethnic origin. A person's identity is defined by the group they belong to. There are no individual rights. There are only group rights. | The cancel culture rejects the political view encapsulated in the Declaration of Independence. In particular, it rejects the idea that people have a right to pursue their own happiness. It also rejects the idea of basic rights guaranteed in the Constitution, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly…
(2021-04-07). US, Iran See Indirect Nuclear Talks As Constructive. eurasiareview.com 
U.S. and Iranian officials are calling talks in Vienna productive as the two sides and the other signatories of a 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear program work to revive the deal. | U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said there is no expectation of direct negotiations for now, but that the United States is "open to them because we are open to diplomacy." | He said the meetings in Vienna are a "potentially useful step as we seek to determine what it is that the Iranians are prepared to do to return to compliance" with the agreement, which limited Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
(2021-04-07). Houston Flooding Polluted Reefs More Than 100 Miles Offshore. eurasiareview.com 
Runoff from Houston's 2016 Tax Day flood and 2017's Hurricane Harvey flood carried human waste onto coral reefs more than 100 miles offshore in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, according to a Rice University study. | "We were pretty shocked," said marine biologist Adrienne Correa, co-author of the study in Frontiers in Marine Science. "One thing we always thought the Flower Garden Banks were safe from was terrestrial runoff and nutrient pollution. It's a jolt to realize that in these extreme events, it's not just the salt marsh or the seagrass that we need to worry about. Offshore ecosystems…
(2021-04-07). Stop Using Our Tax Dollars for Human Rights Abuses: Pass the Philippines Human Right Act. counterpunch.org While the deadline for filing Federal income taxes has been postponed to May 17, the traditional deadline (April 15) is an appropriate time for U.S. taxpayers to reflect on what our tax dollars fund. A significant portion of our taxes funds human rights abuses in the Philippines. Since 2016, the year when Rodrigo Duterte was
(2021-04-07). The Promise of Systemic Equality Starts at Home. aclu.org For more than a century, the ACLU has been on the frontlines advancing civil liberties and civil rights. This has meant not only defending rights for all but taking bold positions in order to help America live up to her own ideals — a reality that is better than where we are, and one that is never finished. For over 100 years, this aspiration of a more perfect union has been our story. | Today, we are focused on a new chapter of that story: one where we've turned our attention inward to our own culture and systems to evolve as an organization that is reflecting internally the ambitions we have set extern…
(2021-04-07). India to Continue Buying Russian Weapons Despite US Sanction Threats. asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2021-04-07). Reforming An Uprising, But Not The Police. popularresistance.org As the Derek Chauvin trial continues, Minneapolis residents witness the militarization of their city. Fearful of another uprising, terrified lawmakers have erected barricades and razor wire fences around the Government Center, City Hall, and police stations. The fortification is estimated to cost $645,000. Additionally, law enforcement has been using surveillance planes to look for signs of unrest. After backlash from community members, Minneapolis officials dropped their plan to hire social media influencers to share state-sanctioned messaging about the Chauvin trial. | On March 12, 2021 — as the jury sele…
(2021-04-07). NYPD "Goon Squad" Manual Teaches Officers to Violate Protesters' Rights. zcomm.org Internal NYPD documents shed new light on the Strategic Response Group, or SRG, the heavily militarized police unit behind the crackdown on George Floyd protesters…
(2021-04-07). Iraq: Arrests among LGBTQ+ community in Kurdish city sparks fierce debate. middleeasteye.net 
Iraq: Arrests among LGBTQ+ community in Kurdish city sparks fierce debate | The recent detentions have been met with differing reactions from Kurdish social media users as well as from politicians | Wed, 04/07/2021 – 13: 53 | While some applauded the security forces for making the arrests, saying such operations would protect the Kurdish community from a 'moral collapse,' others reacted angri…
(2021-04-07). Thursday 4/8: Amplyfying LGBTQIA+ Activism : The Pursuit for Equality & Fundamental Rights. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2021-04-07). Iranian Ship Linked To IRGC Attacked In Red Sea. eurasiareview.com 
An Iranian ship linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been attacked in the Red Sea. | The Saviz was hit by limpet mines, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. | The attack took place off the coast of Eritrea and led to several injuries, according to Al Arabiya TV. | A US official told Reuters that the United States did not carry out the attack. | The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Israel has targeted at least 12 Iranian ships heading for Syria since late 2019. | The vessels have mostly been carrying oil in breach of US sanctions. However, the report said cargo and mi…
(2021-04-07). Meeting To Revive Iran Nuclear Deal Begins In Vienna. popularresistance.org The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—the Iran nuclear deal—resumed talks in Vienna on Tuesday, with the lifting of sanctions on Iran and nuclear implementation measures at the center of the agenda. | Representatives from Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union met for an hour. Although not at the session, the US envoy remained a few meters away from the venue, which was understood as a gesture of willingness to rescue the agreement. | Several participants qualified the meeting as positive, including Russia's permanent represent…
(2021-04-07). Cambodia: 'Stop Covid-19' System Raises Privacy Concerns. eurasiareview.com 
The Cambodian government's "Stop Covid-19" QR Code system raises serious privacy and other human rights concerns, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should use less-rights-intrusive measures to contain and prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. | On February 20, 2021, Cambodia's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and Ministry of Health initiated a QR Code system that aims to assist with contact tracing of new Covid-19 cases, which have recently increased. The ministries should publicly explain how the data collected through the QR Code system is used, who has access to the data and for what…
(2021-04-07). UAE official not suited to be Interpol chief, says former UK prosecutor. middleeasteye.net 
UAE official not suited to be Interpol chief, says former UK prosecutor | Major General Ahmed Naser al-Raisi has been linked to human rights abuses, including the torture of two British citizens | Wed, 04/07/2021 – 16: 27 | A coalition of human rights groups warned last year that Raisi's appointment would 'damage' Interpol's reputation (AFP) | The United Arab Emirate's security chief is ill-suited to run Inter…
(2021-04-07). Al-Qaeda Police: Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham Arrested Nine Terrorists In Greater Idlib. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is still working to tighten its grip over the northwestern Syria region of Greater Idlib. | In the last few days, the terrorist group's security forces arrested a number of infamous terrorists in Greater Idlib for not so clear reasons. | On April 4, seven terrorists, who were operating independently in Greater Idlib, were arrested by HTS. Enab Baladi listed the detainees as follows: | Abu al-Laith M'abar, Abu Osama al-Gaza'iri and Abu al-Darda' al-Gaza'ir…
(2021-04-07). United States Using Human Rights Issues To Attack China To Maintain Its Hegemony Over The Global Economy. southfront.org 
Written by Dr. Leon Tressell exclusively for SouthFront Joe Biden's presidency has been welcomed by Western media outlets as signifying…
(2021-04-07). Law Pod UK new episode: Courts tussle with Uber, Ola and the Gig Economy. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In Episode 139 of Law Pod UK Alasdair Henderson of 1 Crown Office Row joins Rosalind English to discuss the recent ruling by the UK Supreme Court that drivers whose work is arranged through Uber's smartphone app work for Uber under workers' contracts and so qualify for the protections afforded by employment law, such as …
(2021-04-07). What is the true value of a companion animal? ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Pendragon v Coom [2021] EW Misc 4 CC (22 March 2021) As we all know, the acquisition of puppies during lockdown has gone through the roof with the inevitable sad consequences of remorse followed by neglect and even abandonment. Dog theft has spiralled as the market responds by escalating the price of pedigree puppies. But …
(2021-04-07). 260 Faith, Labor and Development Groups Press IMF, G20 and White House on COVID Response. indybay.org Ahead of Spring IMF and World Bank Meetings, World's Largest Unions, Human Rights Groups, Environmental and Religious Institutions Call for Aid, Debt Relief, Access to Emergency Reserves and Climate Protections…
(2021-04-07). Lula supera ampliamente a Bolsonaro. globalizacion.ca En la encuesta más abarcativa de temas, Lula supera a Bolsonaro. El sondeo realizado por la empresa XP/Ipespe indica, al mismo tiempo, las razones del cambio. Cuando Lula recuperó sus derechos políticos -aunque reafirme siempre que no es candidato, que…
(2021-04-07). Conflicts Compounded By COVID-19 Devastating Socio-Economic Development In Sub-Saharan Africa. eurasiareview.com 
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the terrible legacy of deliberately divisive and destructive policies that have perpetuated inequality, discrimination, and oppression across Sub-Saharan Africa, Amnesty International said in its annual report published early April 2021. | Across the Sub-Saharan region, the devastating impact of armed conflict in countries such as Ethiopia, Mozambique, Cameroon, and Nigeria, was compounded by the pandemic as a number of states weaponized it to crack down on human rights. The crackdowns included killings of civilians and arrests of opposition politicians and supporters and huma…
(2021-04-07). Russia Warns Western Pressure and Sanctions on Myanmar Could Lead to 'Full-Scale Civil Conflict'. news.antiwar.com Since the February 1st coup in Myanmar, Russia on Tuesday
(2021-04-06). Has America come any closer to Dr. King's dream? peoplesworld.org 
Last weekend marked the 53d anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination. Over half a century. Has America come any closer to his dream? He would be pleased at some of our progress. Segregation is no longer the law of the land. The Voting Rights Act helped open doors. Dr. King would be pleased that …
(2021-04-06). The Necessity Of Dismantling The US. popularresistance.org On February 26th, I interviewed Ajamu Baraka for my podcast. Baraka is a veteran grassroots organizer whose roots are in the Black Liberation Movement and anti-apartheid and Central American solidarity struggles. He is an internationally recognized leader of the emerging human rights movement in the U.S. and has been at the forefront of efforts to apply the international human rights framework to social justice advocacy in the U.S. for more than 25 years. He is a National Organizer for the Black Alliance for Peace, whose activities we discussed. | Baraka has taught political science at various universities and ha…
(2021-04-06). A virtual birthday celebration for Paul Robeson on April 9. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES — Paul Robeson (1898-1976), actor, singer, athlete, civil rights activist, and humanitarian, is the inspiration for The Robey Theatre Company and the man from whom The Robey gets its name. On Friday, April 9 at 6: 00 p.m. PDT, The Robey will hold a virtual birthday celebration for Paul Robeson. This is the first …
(2021-04-06). US Military Closes Camp 7, Guantánamo's 'High-Value Detainee' Prison Block, Moves Men To Camp 5 — OpEd. eurasiareview.com 
In news from Guantánamo, the US military announced that it had shut Camp 7, the secretive prison block where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other so-called "high-value detainees" have been held since their arrival at Guantánamo from CIA "black sites" in September 2006, and had moved the prisoners to Camp 5. | Modeled on a maximum security prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, Camp 5, which cost $17.5 million, opened in 2004, and its solid-walled, isolated cells were used to hold prisoners regarded as non-compliant. As the prison's population shrank, however, it was closed — in September 2016 — and its remain…
(2021-04-06). Myanmar: PPST Calls For End To Killing Unarmed Civilians, Welcomes CRPH Constitutional Moves. eurasiareview.com 
The Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), formed by the 10 ethnic armed organisations that signed Myanmar's Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, on Sunday called on the junta to stop killing unarmed civilians, and to immediately and unconditionally release all those unjustly detained under its rule. | The PPST made its demands in a five-point "common positions" statement released following a video conference meeting held by members on April 3-4. | "We will continue our support towards the Spring Revolution including Public Civil Disobedience Movement," the statement added, while also welcoming a recent declaration by…
(2021-04-06). Saudi aid worker sentenced to 20 years in prison. peoplesdispatch.org 
It is believed that Abdulrahman al-Sadhan has been convicted in connection with operating an anonymous Twitter account that was critical of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia and the policies of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman…
(2021-04-06). US, Iran Play Down Hopes Of Quick Fix Ahead Of Talks On Reviving Nuclear Deal. eurasiareview.com ( Washington predicted the meetings would be "difficult" and steered clear of talk of a breakthrough, while Tehran insisted that it is "neither optimistic nor pessimistic" and will not abandon its demand that U.S. sanctions be lifted before it acts. | U.S. and Iranian officials ar…
(2021-04-06). Biden Finally Lifts Sanctions Against ICC As Demanded by World BEYOND War. counterpunch.org After months of demand from World BEYOND War and others, the Biden administration has finally lifted Trump-imposed sanctions on the ICC, stating a preference for a subtler approach to imposing lawlessness in the name of upholding the rule of law. Secretary of State Antony Blinken states: "We continue to disagree strongly with the ICC's actions relating to the
(2021-04-06). Six Ways Chevron Imperils Climate, Human Rights, And Racial Justice. popularresistance.org Although we're barely one quarter into 2021, multiple forces are squeezing Chevron for the preventable harm it is inflicting on the global climate. The company is also being dragged for its greenwashing, its role in perpetuating racial injustice in the United States, and its violations of Indigenous peoples' rights and other human rights from Burma/Myanmar to Ecuador. | The table is now set for Chevron's annual meeting in May, where several climate-related shareholder proposals will be on the agenda. Campaigners are calling for votes against both the board chair and the lead independent director on the basis of f…
(2021-04-06). The Capitol Raid and Pandemic can Help us Empathize with Venezuelans. orinocotribune.com By Leonardo Flores — Apr 6, 2021 | The January 6th raid on the Capitol and the pandemic that has upended the lives of every American seemingly have nothing to do with Venezuela. But the effects they had on U.S. political and economic stability offer a glimpse into what Venezuelans have been going through for the past several years of failed coups and sanctions. | Remember how January 6th felt? The shock, confusion and fear. The constant refreshing of Twitter feeds or eyes glued to cable news, watching a bunch of extremists attempt to overthrow the government. The not knowing what was going to happen next and…
(2021-04-06). "Wipe Out China!" US-funded Uyghur Activists Train as Gun-toting Foot Soldiers for Empire. globalresearch.ca Cultivated by the US government as human rights activists, Uyghur American …
(2021-04-06). Myanmar's Citizens Protest by Painting Streets Red. telesurenglish.net Myanmar's citizens on Tuesday painted roads and streets red to symbolize the blood that have been shed by 570 people killed by the military junta so far. | RELATED: | So far, the dictatorship has issued some 443 arrest warrants against protesters and detained 2,728 people. Among them is comedian Zagana, who was arrested in the Tamwe district on Tuesday, as reported by Khit Thit media. | The military junta accuses pro-democra…
(2021-04-06). The Significance of the NUMSA Appeal to the World for Mumia Abu-Jamal. counterpunch.org On March 10th 2021, Jack Heyman, a retired member of the International Longshoremen and Warehousing Union and longstanding member of theWest Coast Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal shared with the Mumia and prison human rights' groups nationally and internationally a press release from the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). The South
(2021-04-06). Chile Rules Out Compensation for 22 Ocular Trauma Victims. telesurenglish.net Chile's State Defense Council (CDE) rejected a lawsuit filed by a group of victims who suffered ocular trauma caused by the Military Police (the "Carabineros") during the October 2019 social outburst. | RELATED: | The lawsuit was filed by 22 people aged between 18 and 34 years old. They hold that the Carabineros conducted an "abusive and negligent" use of force, which violated human rights norms. | The plaintiffs reque…
(2021-04-06). Cuba Refuses 'Deceitful & Politicised' US Human Rights Report. telesurenglish.net Carlos Fernandez, the director of U.S. affairs at Cuba's Foreign Affairs Ministry, rejected the recent report on human rights released by the U.S Department of State (DoS), describing it as politicized and deceitful. | RELATED: | During a meeting with the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Timothy Zuñiga-Brown, Fernandez condemned the "false" allegations over torture, forced disappearance, and police repression raised by the DoS report. | He urge…
(2021-04-06). Illinois governor signs bill restoring bargaining rights to Chicago teachers. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On April 2, Illinois Governor Jay Pritzker signed a bill, in opposition of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, that restores bargaining rights for Chicago teachers over a wide variety of issues that affect teachers and students in Illinois. This bill repeals a previous law from 1995 that limited the teachers' rights to bargain over things like class size, layoffs, the timing of the school year, and other things. The previous bill had given power over the school district over to the mayor and ultimately was part of setting up disputes between the Chicago teachers Union (CTU) and previous Chicago Mayor Rahm…
(2021-04-06). World's Poorest Nations Face Setback over Patent Rights. zcomm.org We look at the urgent push to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines for all nations, rich and poor, and growing calls for Big Pharma to waive their patent rights, as COVID-19 cases soar…
(2021-04-06). Amnesty International's Annual Global Human Rights Report Details Harm—and Heroism—Amid Pandemic. commondreams.org "Covid-19 has brutally exposed and deepened inequality both within and between countries, and highlighted the staggering disregard our leaders have for our shared humanity." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-06). Women's Rights Are Human Rights. commondreams.org This fight against women's oppression is not just a struggle for women, but for all of humanity. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-06). Jayapal, House Dems Propose Constitutional Amendment to End Corporate Personhood. commondreams.org The Washington Democrat said the proposed amendment "ends corporate constitutional rights, reverses Citizens United, and ensures that our democracy is really of the people, by the people—not corporations." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-06). Biden administration asks US court to throw out case against ex-Egyptian PM. middleeasteye.net 
Biden administration asks US court to throw out case against ex-Egyptian PM | Justice Department says lawsuit against Hazem el-Beblawi, over his alleged involvement in torture, should be dismissed due to his diplomatic status | Tue, 04/06/2021 – 15: 48 | Mohamed Soltan filed a lawsuit against Hazem el-Beblawi (pictured) last June, accusing him of direct responsibility for his treatment, which inclu…
(2021-04-06). On Palestine Children's Day, 140 Minors Held in Israeli Prisons. orinocotribune.com Marking Palestine Children's Day, the Palestine Prisoners' Club revealed that there are 140 Palestinian children in Israeli prisons, including two under administrative detention. | According to the Defence for Children International-Palestine, every year between 500 and 700 Palestinian children are prosecuted by Israel in military courts. | Until the end of March 2021, human rights groups have counted 230 Palestinian children detained by the Israeli occupation, mostly from Jerusalem. | Dylan Williams, former US Senate staffer and senior vice president of the advocacy group J Street, tweeted last month: | "H…
(2021-04-06). Incitement charge against refugee rights activist dismissed. greenleft.org.au Chris Slee reports that a judge dismissed a charge of "incitement" against refugee rights activist Chris Breen.
(2021-04-06). Human Rights for Children: Saving Children from COVID Measures Abuses. globalresearch.ca Background | The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights …
(2021-04-06). US denounces Saudi court sentencing of aid worker to 20 years in prison. middleeasteye.net 
US denounces Saudi court sentencing of aid worker to 20 years in prison | State Department warns 'freedom of expression should never be a punishable offense' after Red Crescent aid worker jailed for allegedly running anonymous social media account | Tue, 04/06/2021 – 15: 36 | Detained aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in addition to a subsequent two-decade travel ban (Co…
(2021-04-06). Application for fresh inquest refused. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Farrell v HMC for North East Hampshire [2021] EWHC 778 (Admin) Applying for a fresh inquest is not straightforward. First, the bereaved have to get permission from the Attorney General. Only once that authority has been granted will they be allowed to apply to the High Court to reopen the inquest (section 13 of the …
(2021-04-06). China Warns US Against Acting 'Superior' to Other Nations. news.antiwar.com With the Biden administration taking an aggressive approach to China, US officials are often making demands of Beijing and taking unilateral action through economic sanctions. Responding to this approach, C "China will not accept that there is any nation in the world that [can] put itself superior to the others, and that any nation will have a final say on world affairs," Wang said in comments to Chinese state media on Monday. "If the US continues to confront, China will take it calmly…
