(2020-08-15). Reflections on Marxism and Law: A Review of Igor Shoikhedbrod's Revisiting Marx's Critique of Liberalism. mronline.org 
The book complicates the common narrative that Marx was the quintessential critic of liberal rights. Shoikhedbrod's close and careful reading of Marx's texts is insightful and targeted. The book helps readers to think about the role of law and rights under capitalism, and also to imagine its future in a communist society.
(2020-08-15). Minneapolis Police Sweep West Powderhorn Encampment, Pepper Spray Defenders. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — On August 14, 2020, Minneapolis Police along with the Park Police pepper sprayed houseless advocates while doing a sweep of the West Powderhorn Sanctuary tent encampment. Tents were bulldozed in scenes reminiscent of July 20 clearing of East Powderhorn. | Hours before severe…
(2020-08-15). UAE-Israel agreement, clear violation of Palestinians' rights. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — The Secretariat of Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution in a statement on Sat. condemned the infamous Emirati-Zionist agreement to normalize relations, calling it a clear example of historic loss for the Emirati government.
(2020-08-15). 'Israel-UAE deal null and void for Turkey'. yenisafak.com Turkey again lambasted on Friday a recent deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize ties between the two countries, saying the agreement is null and void for Turkey."This step, which ignores the rights of Palestinians, has already been condemned in the conscience of the peoples of the region, especially the Palestinians," Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.Altun stressed that the agreement had clearly shown "those who are behind the wave of instability that took the region for a long time," as well as those who had been "using the Palestinian people's righteous cause for their own interes…
(2020-08-15). Iran, Hamas discuss UAE-Israel normalization deal. yenisafak.com Iran's foreign minister and the political head of Hamas discussed on Friday a recent deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize relations.In a phone call, Iran's Jawad Zarif said Tehran stood by Palestinians and that the agreement was unacceptable, according to a statement by Hamas."We're confident that the heroic Palestinian people, Arab and Muslim worlds are strong enough to foil this agreement," Zarif said. Ismail Haniyeh, for his part, thanked Iran for defending Palestinians' rights."Palestinian people stand up for their cause and resistance," Haniyeh stressed.The deal to normalize UAE-Israeli ties was anno…
(2020-08-14). Oregon residents block unmarked ICE buses carrying detained immigrants. wsws.org The standoff lasted around 12 hours in Bend, Oregon, until dozens of federal agents were deployed to disperse the protesters using pepper spray.
(2020-08-14). Silencing marginalized voices is not 'good trouble'. therealnews.com 
In a time when it feels like many of the civil rights gains that activists fought for with their blood and bones and spirits have been lost, where do we go from here?
(2020-08-14). Belarus hands over 32 'Russian mercenaries' KGB accused of 'planning riots' — ignoring Ukraine's extradition demand. rt.com 
A fortnight after their arrest raised eyebrows, and ignoring Ukrainian attempts to extradite most of them, the authorities in Belarus have released 32 Russian citizens they accused of attempting to undermine state security. | The KGB claimed the men were fighters from the Wagner private military contractor company who arrived in the country to prepare for mass riots. Moscow said the 33 detainees — one is a Belarussian citizen and hasn't been transferred to Russia — were indeed security personnel, but Minsk was only the transit point to their final destination. Russia had closed almost all internation…
(2020-08-14). EU does not accept Belarus election results, preparing sanctions — Foreign policy chief Borrell. rt.com The European Union is refusing to recognize election results in Belarus and is preparing sanctions over the 'rigged' vote and the heavy-handed police response to protests, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has confirmed. | The EU "doesn't accept election results" in Minsk, Borrell tweeted on Friday evening, adding that work has begun on "sanctioning those responsible for violence [and] falsification" of the vote. | Concluded good and constructive Eastern Med: Full solidarity w/ Greece&Cyprus; calling Turkey for immediate dee…
(2020-08-14). Belarus authorities free hundreds detained after election protests. thecanary.co 
Belarusian authorities have released hundreds of people who were detained amid demonstrations contesting the results of the presidential election, in an attempt to assuage public anger over a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests.Scores of detainees were seen walking out of a jail in the capital, Minsk, at around midnight on 13 August. Early on 14 August, volunteers also saw at least 119 detainees being released in the nearby сity of Zhodino.Ambulances arrived to carry those who were apparently unable to walk on their own.Relatives and friends greet people released from a detention centre where protesters w…
(2020-08-14). Bill Gates and the Depopulation Agenda. Robert F. Kennedy Junior Calls for an Investigation. globalresearch.ca Robert F Kennedy Jr, an avid Defender of Children's Rights and anti-vaccination activist, has launched a petition sent to the White House, calling for "Investigations into the 'Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation' for Medical Malpractice & Crimes Against Humanity"
(2020-08-14). Chile: Mapuche Leader on Hunger Strike Will Stop Drinking Water. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the Mapuche's spiritual advisor (machi) Celestino Cordova, who has been on a hunger strike for 103 days, announced that he will stop drinking water in rejection of the violation of his rights. | RELATED: | Cristina Romo, his spokeswoman, released the decision shortly after the Supreme Court rejected Cordova's request to serve part of his sentence at home. | "The Sebastian Piñera administration will have…
(2020-08-14). How the Covid-19 Crisis Affects Individual Rights and Freedoms. A New Crisis in International Law? globalresearch.ca One of the direct impacts of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 is challenging human rights. The pandemic not only created and still creating health issues, economic challenges, political crises and social conflicts around the world, it also affects individual …
(2020-08-14). Afghanistan: More action needed to stop killings of human rights defenders. news.un.org The death of nine human rights defenders since the beginning of this year marks "the emergence of a truly alarming trend", an independent UN rights expert said on Friday, calling on Afghanistan to prevent any further killings.
(2020-08-14). The Black Women Behind the Ongoing Fight for Suffrage. aclu.org The 19th Amendment inked women's suffrage into American history, a culminating moment in an effort to win political power. But as the 100th anniversary of its ratification fast approaches, it's essential to reflect on who the 19th Amendment excluded in practice if not on paper, and what the popular historical record of this movement leaves out. , , "Black women know as 1920 unfolds that many of them are still going to be disenfranchised," professor and author Martha S. Jones tells At Liberty. "That's not a secret. That's an open premise of the 19th Amendment., , Jones joined…
(2020-08-14). UN chief: Belarusians must be able to exercise their 'civil and political rights'. news.un.org Closely following the developments in Belarus, Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement on Friday underlining the importance of enabling all Belarusians to "exercise their civil and political rights".
(2020-08-14). EU Won't Accept Belarus Election Results, Sanctions Coming. telesurenglish.net The European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced on Friday that the block is refusing to recognize the presidential election results in Belarus, in which President Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected for a sixth consecutive term. | RELATED: | After a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Borrell twitted: "EU doesn't accept election results…
(2020-08-14). BLM Activists Hospitalized After Police Kneel On Her Neck. popularresistance.org Protesters said Jae Passmore had been leaving a demonstration in downtown Tampa on Wednesday night when she was detained by police, The Tampa Bay Times reported. | In on video shared on Instagram, Passmore is seen being pinned to the ground by several officers as protesters shout at them to free her. | "Stop! Get your knee off her neck!" A protester can be heard repeatedly yelling. Another is heard screaming: "Get off of her like that!"
(2020-08-14). US Seizes Iranian Oil From Four Tankers En Route To Venezuela. popularresistance.org The Trump administration has seized the cargo of four tankers it was targeting for transporting Iranian fuel to Venezuela, U.S. officials said Thursday, as it steps up its campaign of maximum pressure against the two heavily sanctioned allies. | Last month, federal prosecutors in Washington filed a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that the sale was arranged by a businessman with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. At the time, sanctions experts thought it would be impossible to enforce the U.S. court order in international waters. | A senior U.S. official…
(2020-08-14). Syed Ali Geelani: Adamant fighter for Kashmiri rights. yenisafak.com In recognition of his lifelong struggle for Kashmiris, Pakistan on its 74th Independence Day on Friday, awarded veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani Nishan-e-Pakistan — country's highest civilian honor.Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Queen Elizabeth II, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also among the recipients of the prestigious award.In late June, the 90-year-old leader stepped down from the leadership of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a forum of more than two dozen Kashmir-based pro-freedom parties.The Nishan-e-Pakistan award, on behalf of Geelani, was received by APHC leaders from Pa…
(2020-08-14). Turks in Greece still being denied their rights. yenisafak.com For decades, the Turkish minority in Greece has faced government-imposed hurdles to exercising its fundamental rights on education, religious affairs, and the recognition of its ethnic identity. | Greece's Western Thrace region — in the country's northeast, near the Turkish border — is home to a substantial, long-established Muslim Turkish minority numbering around 150,000. | Several recent developments have cast a harsh spotlight on the problems of Turks in Greece, including a decree restricting the autonomy of the mufti Muslim clerics, land belonging to a Muslim religious foundation being sold off t…
(2020-08-14). Muslim scholars slam UAE-Israel deal as 'high treason'. yenisafak.com The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) deal to normalize ties with Israel is tantamount to "high treason," a leading group of Muslim scholars said on Friday.In a statement, the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) urged the Muslim world to take a "decisive position against such concessions … and to exert efforts to preserve the full rights of the Palestinian people." | The group also rejected UAE's claim that the deal will halt Israel's annexation of more Palestinian territory, citing the Israeli premier's comments that he "achieved this agreement and others without any concession." | The deal to normalize U…
(2020-08-14). Denounced as Going 'Too Far' When Sanders Said It—American Bar Association Backs Full Voting Rights for Incarcerated People. commondreams.org Bolstering a proposal which was denounced by centrists and conservatives as going "too far" in the fight for voting rights when Sen. Bernie Sanders backed it, the American Bar Association announced its support for full enfranchisement for current and former prison inmates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-14). How Men's Rights Groups Helped Rewrite Regulations on Campus Rape. thenation.com How Men's Rights Groups Helped Rewrite Regulations on Campus Rape…
(2020-08-13). Tennessee GOP Targets Racial Justice Movement by Turning Encampment Protests Into Felonies Punishable by Prison Term. commondreams.org "Bonus penalty for exercising your protest rights in an unapproved manner: you lose your voting rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-13). The Ongoing Torture and Medical Neglect of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Published by The Lancet on June 25, 2020. | **** | On Feb 17, 2020, Doctors for Assange demanded an end to the torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange.1 Yet no responsible authority has acted. Nils Melzer, the UN …
(2020-08-13). How the US helped push Lebanon to the brink of collapse, and now threatens more sanctions. thegrayzone.com While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the US government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to…
(2020-08-13). Review: 'Crip Camp,' an inspiring flick on the struggles of the disabled. peoplesworld.org 
The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act is celebrating its 30th birthday. But the moment also calls for celebrating the movement that birthed it. Winning the ADA, legislation on par with the Civil Rights Act of 1965, was the culmination of years of struggle, extraordinary courage, and perseverance of the disability community and its allies. However, …
(2020-08-13). Teaching Torture: The Death and Legacy of Dan Mitrione. counterpunch.org 
In the pre-dawn darkness of Monday, August 10, 1970, Dan Mitrione's bullet-ridden body was discovered in the back seat of a stolen Buick convertible in a quiet residential neighborhood of Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital. He had just turned 50, and he had recently started a new dream job, although it was thousands of miles from his home in Richmond, Indiana. Who was Dan Mitrione, and what work was he doing in Uruguay that led him to such an early and violent end? |
(2020-08-13). All protesters detained in Minsk amid Belarus post-election chaos to be released by Friday morning — police chief. rt.com 
Belarusian deputy police chief Alexander Barsukov has vowed that all of those who were taken into temporary custody amid unrest that has gripped Minsk since Sunday's presidential election will be released by 6am local time on Friday. | The official made the announcement as he was visiting a temporary detention facility in one of the capital's boroughs, amid allegations that officers were brutalizing detainees there. Barsukov has rejected the claim. | Cities across Belarus have been swept by a wave of protests, occasionally escalating into violence and scuffles between demonstrators and law enforcement, after e…
(2020-08-13). DOJ accuses Yale of racial discrimination against WHITE and ASIAN applicants after 2-year-long probe. rt.com 
A Department of Justice investigation has found that Yale University is discriminating against white and Asian applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, but the school calls the accusation "meritless." | "Yale's race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants, including in particular Asian-American and white applicants," Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband
(2020-08-13). Pompeo says US may impose sanctions & suspend oil deliveries for Belarus amid post-election crackdown. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted that sanctions may be in store for Belarus following the state's heavy-handed response to opposition protesters, who have disputed the result of the recent presidential election. | Asked how Washington would respond to the opposition crackdown during an interview with Radio Free Europe on Wednesday, Pompeo said that both sanctions and trade penalties were on the table, suggesting the US could also halt oil shipments to the east European nation. | "What is it that we believe that we can do, not just the United States unilaterally, but in a multilateral way to deliver goo…
(2020-08-13). Palestinian Rights Advocates Refuse to Applaud Israel-Trump-UAE Deal That Upholds 'Ongoing, Devastating Apartheid'. commondreams.org "The Trump administration hit upon the Nobel Peace Prize-winning idea that you can supposedly solve the Israel-Palestine conflict by pretending Palestinians don't exist." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-13). Venezuelan Oil Output Remains at Historic Lows as Sanctions Continue to Bite. venezuelanalysis.com US sanctions have caused the Caribbean nation to lose three oil supertankers.
(2020-08-13). UN rights experts express 'outrage' at Belarus police violence against peaceful protesters. news.un.org UN human rights experts on Thursday, strongly criticized the level of violence being used by security forces across Belarus against peaceful protesters and journalists, following five days of demonstrations over the disputed presidential election.
(2020-08-13). UN rights experts call for accountability following Beirut's 'unprecedented' lethal explosion. news.un.org The catastrophic blast which led to the deaths of more than 200 in Beirut on 4 August, has prompted more than three dozen independent rights experts on Thursday, to issue a call for justice and accountability on behalf of the Lebanese people.
(2020-08-13). US sanctions against Iran failed: Nobakht. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Head of Plan and Budget Organization (PBO) Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said that the implementation of economic plans and development projects in the country indicates that US sanctions against Iran have failed.
(2020-08-13). Deaths In Immigration Detention Are At A Record High. popularresistance.org Two men died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on August 5. One of the men died in a hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, while the other died in his cell of a massive intercranial hemorrhage. These tragedies increased the total deaths in ICE custody this fiscal year to 17, the highest number since 2006. Many—if not all—of the deaths that occur in ICE custody are avoidable. | More than twice as many people have died in ICE custody this year than last year. Unfortunately, with 1,065 active COVID-19 cases in ICE detention, that number will likely increase before the fisc…
(2020-08-13). New York City's Newest Neighborhood: Abolition Park. popularresistance.org At the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall Park lies in a cold-stone land where law and order rule. The area is defined by French Renaissance-style courthouses and municipal buildings. The NYPD's headquarters is across the street and the Manhattan Detention Complex, colloquially referred to as "the Tombs" by many, is a short walk away. | While the park provides one of the only green spaces in the concrete-scape of Lower Manhattan, it does not have a laid-back, community ambiance the way that many smaller New York parks do.
(2020-08-13). Yale University Illegally Discriminates Against Asian, White Applicants, US DoJ Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – A two year probe of Yale University's admissions practices concluded that the university violates the 1964 Civil Rights Act by discriminating against Asian-American and white applicants, the US Justice Department said in a press release.
(2020-08-13). US Seizes Four Iranian Tankers, Now En Route to Houston – Report. sputniknews.com US officials told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday that the US had seized four Iranian tankers on the high seas allegedly loaded with Iranian petroleum in violation of US sanctions. The four vessels are now en route to Houston, Texas, a major petroleum port.
(2020-08-13). Moral Panic Over Refugees in the English Channel Is the Ugly Face of Brexit. strategic-culture.org John WIGHT | Then imagine that no matter the hostility that awaits you at the end of this perilous voyage, it pales when compared to the horrors you managed to escape in your country of origin, horrors borne of the conflict, chaos and societal collapse underwritten at least in part by the foreign policy of the very country you are trying to reach for asylum and sanctuary. | To witness news crews from the BBC and Sky News sailing around some of those trying to reach British shores in these dinghies is to witness the funeral of the UK as the beacon of decency, human rights and civilisation it's proponents have long…
(2020-08-13). India rights groups seek independent probe into killings of Kashmiris. yenisafak.com Human rights groups and rights activists in India have called for a "transparent" and "independent" probe into the case of three missing Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir, whom their family members say the Indian army killed in a fake gunfight."Amnesty International India calls for the extrajudicial execution to be investigated and prosecuted by independent civilian authorities. Civilian investigations and trials offer a degree of transparency and independence that is missing from the military justice system," Avinash Kumar, executive director of Amnesty International India, said in a statement on Wednesday.The stat…
(2020-08-13). EU eyes Belarus sanctions over disputed election, protests crackdown. yenisafak.com The European Union will likely impose new sanctions on Belarus as soon as later this month, diplomats and officials said, after strongman President Alexander Lukashenko cracked down on protests triggered by a disputed vote.Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Sweden have spoken publicly in favour of sanctions and Austria was another hawk, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers on Friday.With any EU decision on sanctions requiring unanimity of all 27 member states, Hungary was the main sceptic, according to the sources.
(2020-08-13). Watchdog Warns Unchecked Covid-19 Contact Tracing Apps Threaten Workers With 'Dystopian Mass Surveillance'. commondreams.org As competing bills aimed at privacy rights make their way through Congress, employers mull the use of apps to quell the spread of Coronavirus in the workplace. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-13). 'Screams of Torture' as Authoritarian Government in Belarus Continues Attacks on Protesters, Journalists. commondreams.org Following what pro-democracy advocates say was a rigged election, world leaders condemn the violence against protestors and the press, and the authoritarian regime's main opponent has fled the country. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-12). UN human rights chief condemns use of violence in Belarus against protesters, after '6,000 people detained in 3 days'. rt.com 
The United Nations human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, on Wednesday condemned the use of violence by the Belarusian authorities to quash peaceful protests. | After President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday's election, Bachelet said police were reported to have used excessive force, firing rubber bullets, using water cannon, and throwing stun grenades, Reuters reports. | "Reports suggest that [approximately] 6,000 people have been detained in the last three days, including bystanders, as well as minors, suggesting a trend of massive arrests in clear violation of international human…
(2020-08-12). A Message to the Left About Kamala Harris—And Us. commondreams.org Kamala Harris addresses the media about migrant children in front of a detention center in Homestead, Florida on June 28, 2019. (Photo: Rhona Wise / AFP / Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-12). Federal Court orders Dutton to free man from detention. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-08-12). Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni sentenced to three years in prison for Facebook posts. peoplesdispatch.org An Algiers court handed journalist Khaled Drareni a three-year prison sentence. The verdict has been widely condemned by human rights groups and Hirak movement protesters…