Monthly Archives: December 2021

2021-12-15: News Headlines

teleSUR (2021-12-15). UN Report Raises Concern Over Human Rights Crisis In Colombia. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) published a report demonstrating that the Colombian State must urgently reform its way of handling protests so as to avoid massive human rights violations. | RELATED: | The report entitled "The 2021 National Strike: Lessons for the Exercise of the Right of Peaceful Assembly in Colombia" exhaustively analyzes the behavior of security…

Editor2 (2021-12-15). The US is at a Loss in Central America. orinocotribune.com By Stephen Sefton — Dec 11, 2021 In November 2008, while ambassador to Nicaragua, death-squad manager nonpareil John Negroponte's long time torture and terror campaign sidekick, Robert Callahan, remarked to a reporter in Managua, "US foreign policy toward Latin America has not changed in 50 years and is unlikely to do so under President Obama". Just months later, the June 2009 coup in Honduras against President Manuel Zelaya proved him to be right. In fact, the veteran US war crimes insider's comment explained unwittingly why US and allied foreign policy lurches from one mass murdering catastrophe to another…

Francisco Dominguez (2021-12-15). Honduras' Left-Wing Breakthrough. orinocotribune.com By Francisco Dominguez — Dec 10, 2021 | Since a US-backed coup toppled Mel Zelaya in 2009, Honduras has faced a clampdown on democracy and serious human rights abuses. But the election of socialist Xiomara Castro is a chance to break the cycle. | What appeared impossible has been achieved: the people of Honduras have broken the perpetuation, through electoral fraud and thuggish violence, of a brutal, illegal, illegitimate, and criminal regime.By means of sheer resistance, resilience, mobilisation, and organisation, they have managed to defeat Juan Orlando Hernandez's narco-dictatorship at the ballot box. Xio…

Joe Piette (2021-12-15). For 40 years, activists globally continue to demand: Free Mumia Now! workers.org Human rights and community activists in six countries held online and in-person events to mark the date 40 years ago, when award-winning Philadelphia journalist, radio personality and Black Panther Party veteran was nearly killed and unjustly charged with a crime he did not commit. Houston, Dec. 11. Mumia Abu-Jamal was . . . |

Rosalind English (2021-12-15). Tackling climate change: human rights campaigners or shareholders? Law Pod UK latest. ukhumanrightsblog.com In this week's episode of Law Pod UK Rosalind English reports from the UK Bar Council's 19th Annual Law Reform Lecture, exploring the role of law reform in the context of climate change. You will hear excerpts from the speeches given by Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, and Lord …

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-15). Will Barrick Gold CEO Go Beyond Rhetoric to Deliver Justice for Victims of Police Killings at Tanzanian Mine? inequality.org

Marzieh Rahmani (2021-12-15). Iranian defense power not affected by US sanctions. en.mehrnews.com Iran's defense power date back to the era before the sanctions so any restriction on Iran's drone power will get nowhere, according to a high-ranking Iranian military official.

Staff (2021-12-15). Iran Nuclear Talks Falter as Biden Admin Threatens "Alternatives" After Squandering Window for Diplomacy. democracynow.org The United States is continuing talks with Iran over its nuclear program after President Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015. With a new Iranian administration after April's controversial election, many worry that if talks fail, tensions between the two countries could turn into military escalation fueled by pressure from Israel. "The new hard-line team has been coming in to the negotiation table with more demands than the previous administration," says Iranian American journalist Negar Mortazavi. "They want sanctions relief from the U.S. in exchange for them scaling back part of th…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-14). No action against personnel responsible for killing Afghan civilians in August drone strike, says US defense department. peoplesdispatch.org Several human rights groups have questioned the internal investigation by the Pentagon which called the drone strike inside a residential building in Kabul an "honest mistake". 10 Afghan civilians including seven children, were killed in the US drone strike in August…

nachdenkseiten.de (2021-12-14). Whistleblower Network on Assange. indybay.org " If the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is still to be worth anything, all politicians in Western liberal democracies must stand up and speak out. Those who – quite rightly – stand behind Alexei Nawalny must also stand up for Julian Assange. The credibility of our rule of law is at stake here. "

Jamil Dakwar (2021-12-14). Over a Year After His Election, President Biden's Human Rights Commitments Fail to Meet the Moment. aclu.org Throughout his presidential campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden The United States' meager commitments presented before last week's Summit for Democracy are illustrative. Instead of undertaking new initiatives to protect democracy, advance racial justice, and implement U.S. obligations on human rights, the Biden adm…

Olivia Engling (2021-12-14). White House Hosts Democracy Summit and Highlights Global Anti-Corruption Commitments. indybay.org More than 100 leaders showcase initiatives to counter dictatorships, fight corruption and promote human rights at a virtual summit the White House hosts December 9-10.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-14). Parade of hurting people prods lawmakers to pass Build Back Better. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—One by one, advocating ending income inequality, strengthening and restoring voting rights, cutting military spending, extending the child care tax credit, raising the minimum wage, and more, a parade of people hurting from exploitation by corporations, the economic elite, and their political allies, took a hand-held microphone in D.C. Monday to campaign for their combined …

Ann Brown (2021-12-14). Iran Threatens Sanctions Against US Over Treatment Of Black Americans. moguldom.com Iran says it is so concerned about the mistreatment of Black Americans that it wants to impose sanctions against the U.S. An Iranian judicial official in the authoritarian country, which the U.S. has often called out over human rights abuses, is worried about police brutality against Black people, referencing the May 2020 police murder of …

Leon Kunstenaar (2021-12-14). International Human Rights Day Protest at Federal Building. indybay.org Many outrages throughout the world called out in lively action…

Fight Back (2021-12-14). Minneapolis takes to the streets for International Human Rights Day. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Despite a 12-inch snowfall, more than 60 people marched in recognition of International Human Rights Day in Midtown Minneapolis, shutting down a major business thoroughfare on December 11. | The Anti-War Committee (AWC) united with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), the Council for American-Islamic Relations — MN (CAIR-MN), the Climate Justice Committee (CJC), Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar Clark (TCC4J), Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), and the Minnesota branch of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to put on the event. | The ongoing trial of K…

teleSUR (2021-12-14). The European Parliament's Double Standard on Cuba, Human Rights. telesurenglish.net teleSUR English reproduces in full a declaration from Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the manipulative and politicized treatment of human rights in Cuba during the plenary session of the European Parliament this week. | Cuba asserted that "neither threats nor blackmail will wring from us the slightest political concession. Only the Cuban people can decide their destiny."

San Jose for Abortion Rights (2021-12-14). We Won't Go Back, We Will FIGHT Back! indybay.org Some of the protests held in the Bay Area on December 1 for reproductive justice went into the night. The one in San Jose was sponsored by the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

Angus McCullough QC (2021-12-14). Secret Justice Review: The Special Advocates respond to the Government's submission. ukhumanrightsblog.com The Special Advocates have responded to the Government's submission to the statutory Review of closed proceedings being conducted by Sir Duncan Ouseley — but HMG's submission remains unpublished. The delayed statutory review into closed proceedings under the Justice and Security Act 2013 (JSA) is reaching its conclusion. According to the Government's website, it is estimated …

Dr. James M. Dorsey (2021-12-14). Playing cat and mouse: UAE energy company agrees to build power plants in Iran. moderndiplomacy.eu Increasingly, compliance with US sanctions against Iran could emerge as a litmus test of the United Arab Emirates' close ties to the United States. At the sharp edge of a potential rift between the allies is a reportedly recently concluded agreement by a private UAE company to build gas-fired thermal, solar, and wind power plants …

2021-12-15 22:31 | 18:31 EST | jz | 22 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 0 

2021-12-14: News Headlines

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-14). No action against personnel responsible for killing Afghan civilians in August drone strike, says US defense department. peoplesdispatch.org Several human rights groups have questioned the internal investigation by the Pentagon which called the drone strike inside a residential building in Kabul an "honest mistake". 10 Afghan civilians including seven children, were killed in the US drone strike in August…

Jamil Dakwar (2021-12-14). Over a Year After His Election, President Biden's Human Rights Commitments Fail to Meet the Moment. aclu.org Throughout his presidential campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden The United States' meager commitments presented before last week's Summit for Democracy are illustrative. Instead of undertaking new initiatives to protect democracy, advance racial justice, and implement U.S. obligations on human rights, the Biden adm…

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-14). Parade of hurting people prods lawmakers to pass Build Back Better. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—One by one, advocating ending income inequality, strengthening and restoring voting rights, cutting military spending, extending the child care tax credit, raising the minimum wage, and more, a parade of people hurting from exploitation by corporations, the economic elite, and their political allies, took a hand-held microphone in D.C. Monday to campaign for their combined …

Fight Back (2021-12-14). Minneapolis takes to the streets for International Human Rights Day. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Despite a 12-inch snowfall, more than 60 people marched in recognition of International Human Rights Day in Midtown Minneapolis, shutting down a major business thoroughfare on December 11. | The Anti-War Committee (AWC) united with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), the Council for American-Islamic Relations — MN (CAIR-MN), the Climate Justice Committee (CJC), Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar Clark (TCC4J), Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), and the Minnesota branch of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to put on the event. | The ongoing trial of K…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-12-13). How to Chill Free Speech: Defamation Down Under. dissidentvoice.org The free speech argument in Australia has always been skewed. Lacking the confidence, courage and maturity to have a bill of rights that might protect it, Australia's body politic has stammered its way to the frailest of protections. The Australian High Court has done its small bit to read an implied right into one of …

Sapan Maini-Thompson (2021-12-13). USA successfully appeals Assange case. ukhumanrightsblog.com In Government of the United States v Julian Assange [2021] EWHC 3313 (Admin), the High Court allowed the appeal of the United States of America against the ruling of Westminster Magistrates' Court, thereby permitting the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder to the US where he faces criminal charges relating to the unlawful obtaining and publication …

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2021-12-13). They're killing him: Assange's stroke reveals the Western version of the Saudi bone saw. mronline.org They are killing Julian Assange. Experts agree that they are killing him. Assange's stroke is just another item on the mountain of evidence we already had for this.

Ivan Timofeev (2021-12-13). Knights Close the Ranks: New Sanctions Against Belarus. moderndiplomacy.eu Another package of sanctions has been introduced against the Republic of Belarus. The USA, UK and Canada simultaneously announced restrictive measures against a number of Belarusian officials, security officials and persons close to the government structures. The restrictions also affected a number of Belarusian legal entities. These countries openly say that the imposed sanctions are …

_____ (2021-12-13). Iran Threatens Sanctions Against US Over Treatment Of Black Americans. popularresistance.org The Iranian government vowed today to impose sanctions on the United States over racial and policing issues. | Secretary-General of Iran's Human Rights Office Kazem Gharibabadi said the Islamic Republic will publish a list of American entities and individuals involved in human rights abuses. They will then be subject to sanctions from Iran, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. | Gharibabadi did not offer specifics on what the sanctions will entail, but said the move relates to policing issues in the United States, particularly in regard to Black Americans. | "Human rights experts confirmed that pol…

Medea Benjamin (2021-12-13). Ten contradictions that plague Biden's 'Democracy Summit'. mronline.org Biden hopes to secure his place at the head of the "Free World" table by coming out as a champion for human rights and democratic practices worldwide.

Anoa Changa (2021-12-13). Abortion Restrictions Could Prompt an Avalanche of Attacks on Bodily Autonomy. truthout.org The current fight for abortion rights is more than a domestic battle over state's rights and individual decision making. It is a battle that fits within the broader context of self-determination and human rights. Eroding or outright eliminating the protections stemming from the landmark cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey will have tragic consequences for women and pregnant people around the country, as the protected privacy interest in personal decision-making extends beyond a…

Brasil de Fato (2021-12-13). "You can feel it, Lula president": crowd welcomes former president in Buenos Aires. peoplesdispatch.org The presence of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva marked the return to the streets of the Day of Democracy mobilization in Buenos Aires on Friday November 10. The event began at 3pm in the historic Plaza de Mayo, a symbol of the struggle for human rights. With the slogan "Democracy forever", the mobilization gathered thousands of people. | Lula arrived in the country especially for the occasion. On the same stage where former Uruguayan president Pepe Mujica spoke, followed by vice-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and president Alberto Fernández, Lula listed the achievements of the so-called "deca…

Newsroom (2021-12-13). Rights abuses in Myanmar 'deepening on an unprecedented scale'‚ÄØ. moderndiplomacy.eu More than 10 months since Myanmar's military seized power, the country's human rights situation is deepening on an unprecedented scale, the UN rights office, OHCHR, has warned. In a strongly worded statement on Friday, OHCHR said that it was "appalled by the alarming escalation of grave human rights abuses" in the country. "In the last week alone, …

Vijay Prashad (2021-12-13). La férrea determinación de la gente común de construir un mundo extraordinario. globalizacion.ca El presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, ha convocado a 111 países para que asistan a su Cumbre por la Democracia los días 9 y 10 de diciembre, que finalizará el Día de los Derechos Humanos. "Damos la bienvenida a…

Ann Brown (2021-12-13). Talk Show Host Joe Madison Posts Naked Chest From Voting Rights Hunger Strike, Black America Responds. moguldom.com SiriusXM host Joe Madison is still on the hunger strike he started Nov. 8 to protest the lack of legislative action to pass the voting rights bill. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 is proposed legislation that would restore and strengthen parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Portions of the …

Tucker Davis, Zach Farber (2021-12-13). MLB execs shut down baseball industry in attempt to divide player's union. liberationnews.org At midnight on Dec. 2, Major League Baseball executives officially began a "lockout" of players from all team facilities. This results from the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement between the MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association which is the union representing around 1,200 players. Speaking for the MLBPA, executive director Tony Clark stated, "We remain committed to negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement that enhances competition, improves the product for our fans, and advances the rights and benefits of our membership."

Fight Back (2021-12-13). Louisianans and Texans hold forum to defend abortion and trans rights. fightbacknews.org New Orleans, LA – On December 11, people from Texas and Louisiana came together to discuss recent attacks on reproductive freedom and transgender rights. They held an in-person forum at the New Orleans First Unitarian Universalist Church, with virtual attendance through Zoom and social media. | Participants spoke out against the Supreme Court for validating the Texas abortion ban. Some speakers discussed their experiences rallying against the 15-week ban in Mississippi, which currently threatens the limited right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade. Finally, the forum connected these attacks to the transgender…

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-13). Gig Workers are in the Driver's Seat in Europe. Is There Hope for the US? inequality.org

_____ (2021-12-13). A Recent Case in Point of What anti-Chinese Sanctions Could Bring. journal-neo.org "One gets an impression that the West has lost a culture of political dialogue. The partners have forgotten how to address problems in a civilized manner," said Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Pankin on December 8. Pankin explained that the West most often responds to any decision that does not conform to …

teleSUR (2021-12-13). US Must Lift Sanctions For Iran To Return To The Nuclear Deal. telesurenglish.net On Sunday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Bagheri Kani pointed out that the U.S. must lift the sanctions it has imposed on his country in exchange for its return to the 2015 nuclear agreement. | RELATED: | One of the main goals of the Vienna talks was "to establish the conditions that the Americans must meet," said Bagheri Kani, who is also Iran's chief negotiator. Once those conditions are agreed upon, the U.S. will hav…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-13). Highland Resistance: How the Che Guevara Commune Confronts the Crisis. libya360.wordpress.com Cira Pascual Marquina and Chris Gilbert First-hand accounts of the impact of the US sanctions on a coffee and cocoa growing commune in the Venezuelan Andes. The Che Guevara Commune lies on the fertile hillsides that rise up from the shores of Lake Maracaibo in western Venezuela. Historically this has been a cocoa-growing region but…

teleSUR (2021-12-13). EU Sanctions PMC Wagner for Interfering in Mali's Transition. telesurenglish.net The decision on sanctions against the Wagner company for impeding Mali's democratic transition was approved without any discussion at Brussels' meeting. They will be effective after being publicized in the Official Journal of the European Union. | RELATED: | The individuals listed on the sanctions will be prohibited from using the European Union banking systems and legal entities from making borrowings in the EU countries.

2021-12-14 19:22 | 15:22 EST | jz | 24 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 0