(2020-08-20). New FOIA Docs Expose Conditions in Private Immigration Prison So Bad That Even ICE Was Shocked. mintpressnews.com 
Documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests show a consistent pattern of abuse at the privately-run ICE facility in Farmville, where detainees suffered abuse, neglect, and threats of retaliation if they complained.
(2020-08-20). Biden's Headquarters Rents A Fence To Stop The Poor People's Army. popularresistance.org Cheri Honkala is a founder and coordinator of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) . We spoke after she was arrested outside Biden campaign headquarters on the opening day of the virtual Democratic National Convention. | Ann Garrison: I see you marched from Philadelphia's Liberty Bell to Biden's Philly headquarters and got arrested yesterday. What did you do to once again menace the foundation of our American institutions? | Cheri Honkala: We challenged American institutions by saying they shouldn't be run by corporations.
(2020-08-20). How the US Helped Push Lebanon to the Brink of Collapse, and Now Threatens More Sanctions. globalresearch.ca While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the US government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to push regime change and crush Lebanese resistance with sanctions and aggressive hybrid warfare. | *** | As the people of Lebanon suffer …
(2020-08-20). Abolitionist Derecka Purnell on Historic Kamala Harris VP Pick & Why Black Progressives Feel Torn. democracynow.org 
As Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman of color to run on a major party presidential ticket, many Black progressive women remain ambivalent, says Derecka Purnell, a human rights lawyer, abolitionist and columnist for The Guardian newspaper. "It's just unfortunate that you have to protect someone because of their identity … while at the same time if you care about the masses of Black people, the masses of poor people, the masses of immigrants in this country, you know that you have to speak truth and be honest about their record," Purnell says.
(2020-08-20). Headlines for August 20, 2020. democracynow.org Kamala Harris Accepts Democratic Party's Nomination for Vice President, Hundreds of Wildfires Choke California, as Coronavirus Sidelines Prisoner Firefighters, U.S. Records Nearly 1,300 New Coronavirus Deaths as PPE Shortages Persist, NYC Teachers' Union Threatens Strike If Schools Reopen Without Safety Measures, New Zealand Deploys Troops to Enforce Quarantine; Zambian Vice President Positive for Coronavirus, Emails Reveal Swedish Epidemiologist Urged Coronavirus Spread to Attain Herd Immunity, Iran's Official COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 20,000 as Trump Pushes for New Sanctions, European Union Readies Sanctions A…
(2020-08-20). Global South Calls For Sanctions On Apartheid Israel. popularresistance.org Israel's decades-old regime of apartheid and theft of Palestinian land is continuing unabated. Reports that Israel is "suspending" formal annexation are a smokescreen for continued colonisation and piecemeal ethnic cleansing of Indigenous Palestinians. | Around the world, advocates for justice are pushing back.The Global South response, initiated by South African civil society, brings together notable figures, intellectuals, policy makers, civil society leaders and experts from Africa, Latin America and Asia, in a joint effort to promote lawful sanctions on Israel to end its decades-old oppression of the Palestin…
(2020-08-20). Celebrity, War, and Presidential Elections. counterpunch.org On May 30, 1979, a letter appeared in 5 major newspapers in the US assailing the human rights record of Vietnam, a nation where the US killed about 3 million people and where about 58,000 of its own soldiers died. In bordering Cambodia, where the US war has spread besides a vicious air war over Laos, millions
(2020-08-20). Aboriginal Rights and the Discrepancy Between Profit and Heritage. strategic-culture.org Following the destruction of two heritage sites in Juukan Gorge by the Australian mining company Rio Tinto in May, Aboriginal communities are facing another threat to their quest to protect their heritage and culture. Western Australia's Federal government has been asked to take a step back by Australian mining companies when it comes to legislation protecting Aboriginal heritage. | The Native Title Act (NTA) currently allows six months for Aboriginal communities to reach an agreement with mining companies over any projects that can harm indigenous territory, thus placing mining companies at a constant advantage…
(2020-08-20). Detainees during the Pandemic. mronline.org 
It is a common practice all over the world that when those incarcerated face a threat to life, the authorities send them home.
(2020-08-20). Trump's pardon for Susan B. Anthony SNUBBED as museum rejects it on her behalf, gives president pointed to-do list it would prefer. rt.com 
A museum ostensibly dedicated to honoring the memory of women's-rights hero Susan B. Anthony has instead chosen to score partisan political points by rejecting a pardon from President Donald Trump on her behalf. | The National Susan B. Anthony Museum in Rochester, New York, snubbed the pardon on Twitter, taking the liberty of channeling what it supposed would be Anthony's thoughts 114 years after her death. "On news of the presidential pardon for Susan B. Anthony on August 18, 2020: Objection, Mr. President. Susan B. Anthony must decline your offer of a pardon today!" | Anthony wrote in her diary in 1873 that…
(2020-08-20). Zambian Socialist Party Secretary General Cosmas Musumali released from detention. peoplesdispatch.org Musumali was arrested along with nearly 30 other party workers while conducting a meeting. With the parliamentary elections only a month away, the ruling Patriotic Front has been cracking down on mobilizations and meetings by the opposition…
(2020-08-20). Trump Regime Unilaterally and Illegally Imposing Snapback Sanctions on Iran. globalresearch.ca Unanimously adopted Security Council Resolution 2231 that affirmed the JCPOA nuclear deal eliminated UN sanctions on Iran. | Its provisions and the P5+1 approved nuclear agreement are binding international and US constitutional law under the Supremacy Clause — Article VI, Clause …
(2020-08-20). Algerian journalist Abdulkrim Zeghileche faces prison term for "undermining national unity" peoplesdispatch.org Abdulkrim Zeghileche, an active supporter of the Hirak protests, has been in pre-trial detention since June 23 and his trial is expected to begin in a few days. He faces a three-year prison term if convicted…
(2020-08-20). Poor People's Campaign launches drive to build power among poor, low-income voters. zcomm.org U.S. residents have fewer voting rights today than they did after the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965…
(2020-08-20). 'We must be ready for post-sanctions era'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 21 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh believes that Iran needs to be ready for post-sanctions era.
(2020-08-20). No right for US to request snapback of UN sanctions on Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 20 (MNA) — China says the US has no right to request snapback of UN sanctions on Iran after pulling out from the JCPOA.
(2020-08-20). Thursday 8/27: Supporting Voting Rights in California Jails: A Community Training. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-08-20). Iran says it detained a UAE ship, its crew on Monday. yenisafak.com Iran seized a United Arab Emirates-registered ship violating its territorial waters this week, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, adding that UAE coast guards killed two Iranian fishermen on the same day."On Monday, an Emirati ship was seized by the border guards of Iran and its crew were detained due to illegal traffic in our country's waters," state TV quoted the statement as saying."On the same day, UAE guards shot dead two Iranian fishermen and seized a boat … the UAE has expressed regret for the incident and in a letter on Wednesday announced its readiness to pay compensation."
(2020-08-20). Palestinian dies after being shot, detained by Israeli army. yenisafak.com A Palestinian youth who was shot and taken away by Israeli soldiers succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.Mohammad Haziz was among three Palestinians shot by Israeli forces near the Deir Abu Meshal village, close to Ramallah in the central West Bank.The Palestinian Red Crescent said earlier on Thursday it had taken two wounded youths to hospitals in Ramallah, while a third injured person was detained by Israeli forces.Emad Zahran, head of Deir Abu Meshal's local council, told Anadolu Agency that Haziz's family was informed of his death by the Israeli army hours after he was detained."Mohammad was detained at dawn…
(2020-08-20). Palestinian rights paramount over Israel: Pakistan. yenisafak.com Pakistan won't accept Israel until Palestinians are granted their rights, the country's president told the parliament Thursday. | "We cannot accept Israel until Palestinians are given their rights as envisaged by Pakistan's founder Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah," said President Arif Alvi, applauding Prime Minister Imran Khan for "taking a clear position on the issue". | Prime Minister Khan in an interview last Tuesday night had said: "Our stand about Israel is very clear. It is the same that the founder of nation, Quaid-i-Azam, had. We cannot recognize Israel until Palestinians get their right, which should b…
(2020-08-20). US-Iran showdown on cards over UNSC 'snapback sanctions'. yenisafak.com After the UN Security Council turned down a resolution seeking an "indefinite extension" of the arms embargo on Iran, the US is all set to trigger snapback sanctions against the country."We'll be doing a snapback," US President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday "You'll be watching it next week," referring to unilateral reinstatement of all pre-2015 international sanctions on Iran.The US' envoy to the UN, Kelly Craft, said the US will "follow through on that promise" and "stop at nothing" to trigger a snapback of sanctions on Iran.According to reports, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said the council'
(2020-08-19). Dems Formally Nominate Joe Biden for President, as DNC Features Republicans & Sidelines Progressives. democracynow.org 
Joe Biden is the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, after he was formally picked by the party to challenge President Trump in November on the second night of the virtual Democratic National Convention. We feature highlights from the night, which featured speeches from 17 so-called rising stars in the Democratic Party, including voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, who unsuccessfully ran for Georgia governor in 2018, as well as Democratic heavyweights like former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. For a second night in a row, the DNC prominently featured the voices of Republicans and former Republicans…
(2020-08-19). UK journalism org unveils 'defense & security' award sponsored by killer drone manufacturer Northrop Grumman. rt.com 
Military contractor Northrop Grumman is sponsoring an award for best "aerospace, defense and security" journalism at PressGazette's British Journalism Awards, a crude act of public relations that doesn't seem to faze the media. | UK journalism organization Press Gazette has announced a pair of new categories for 2020's British Journalism Awards: "anti-corruption journalism," sponsored by human rights NGO Global Witness, and "aerospace, defense and security," sponsored by Northrop — a company one might charitably call the polar opposite of a human rights NGO. | This year's "British Journalism Awards" by
(2020-08-19). Lithuania declares Lukashenko persona non grata ahead of EU sanctions on Belarus. rt.com 
Lithuania has apparently decided not to wait for its European partners, which are still deliberating over their collective response to the protests in Belarus, and has imposed an entry ban against President Alexander Lukashenko. | Seemingly deciding to set an example to the rest of Europe, Vilnius raced to compile a blacklist of Belarusian officials in response to the ongoing protests in the neighboring nation, issuing it before the European Union had come up with a list of its own. | The move was announced by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who said his country welcomed the EU's "determination"
(2020-08-19). Trump demands full restoration of UN sanctions on Iran, as Pompeo warns Russia & China not to meddle. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump said the State Department will soon attempt to trigger a "snapback" of UN sanctions on Iran, as the top American diplomat threatened consequences for Moscow and Beijing if they try to block the effort. | "Today I'm directing the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to notify the United Nations Security Council that the United States intends to restore virtually all of the United Nations sanctions on Iran — it's a snap back, not uncommon," Trump told reporters during a White House press conference on Wednesday. | When the United States entered into the Iran deal, it was clear the United…
(2020-08-19). Biden plays president, demands Russia fall in line on Belarus. rt.com 
Joe Biden may be an uncertain election away from becoming president, but he's already tweeting like one. Following an entirely predictable script, Biden demanded that Russia "be told not to interfere" in Belarus' affairs. | "The brave citizens of Belarus are showing their voices will not be silenced by terror or torture," Biden tweeted on Wednesday. "The U.S. should support Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's call for fair elections. Russia must be told not to interfere—this is not about geopolitics but the right to choose one's leaders." | The brave citizens of Belarus are showing their voices will not be silenc…
(2020-08-19). Berlin's Appeasement to Turkish Aggression Linked to Germany's Plans to Become the Biggest Energy Hub in EU. globalresearch.ca At a time when the European Union was extremely quick to mobilize and condemn Alexander Lukashenko's presidential re-election and is preparing a sanctions package against Belarus, disinterest and appeasement towards Turkish aggression against member states Greece and Cyprus continues …
(2020-08-19). Rania Khalek: 'Sadistic' U.S. Policy Sees Beirut Blast as Opportunity. thealtworld.com Rania Khalek explains that a corrupt neoliberal government is responsible for the catastrophe in Beirut and how Western powers are deepening the crisis with "monstrous" sanctions that block trade with neighboring Syria.
(2020-08-19). Several injured and 77 detained as police attack protest rally in Sudan. peoplesdispatch.org A rally on the anniversary of the ratification of the Constitutional Declaration in Sudan was attacked by the police on Monday. Protesters asked the govt. to set up the legislative council and and solve the economic crisis…
(2020-08-19). Understand the circumstances in which abortion is legal in Brazil. peoplesdispatch.org The While human rights organizations have been trying for decades to consolidate the notion that abortion is exclusively a woman's choice, religious fundamentalists contes…
(2020-08-19). "In Buenos Aires, there is no political will to address problems that we, the women, face," says Ofelia Fernández. peoplesdispatch.org The Buenos Aires legislator and women's rights activist, Ofelia Fernández, expressed about the need to create a Ministry of Gender, Women and Diversity in the city of Buenos Aires…
(2020-08-19). In Buenos Aires, there is no political will to address problems that we, the women, face, says Ofelia Fernández. peoplesdispatch.org The Buenos Aires legislator and women's rights activist, Ofelia Fernández, expressed about the need to create a Ministry of Gender, Women and Diversity in the city of Buenos Aires…
(2020-08-19). US enforce sanctions on UAE-based companies, individual. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — The US has imposed sanctions on two UAE-based companies and an Iranian national due to their cooperation with Mahan Airlines.
(2020-08-19). $16.5M Settlement Reached In Class-Action Lawsuit Over Mass Arrests. popularresistance.org A $16.5-million settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit over mass arrests at the 2010 G20 summit. | The agreement comes after 10 years of court proceedings and negotiations between the Toronto Police Services Board and representatives for about 1,100 people who were arrested during the summit. | Under the settlement, those arrested will each be entitled to compensation between $5,000 and $24,700, depending on their experiences. | The deal also includes a public acknowledgment by police regarding the mass arrests and the conditions in which protestors where detained, as well as a commitment to changi…
(2020-08-19). Trump: US to Restore All 'Snapback' Sanctions on Iran. sputniknews.com On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he intends to restore all economic sanctions against Iran, which were reimposed in 2018 when Trump accused Tehran of breaking the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal.
(2020-08-19). With Lockdowns Cutting Off Access, Global Charity Estimates 1.5 Million Women Will Have Unsafe Abortions Amid Pandemic. commondreams.org An international reproductive rights charity warned on Wednesday that it expects 1.5 million women around the world to have unsafe abortions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on access to reproductive healthcare. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-19). Civil Rights and Good Government Groups Sue Postmaster General and Others for Actions That Will Disrupt the 2020 Election Cycle. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-18). 'What Happens If Julian Assange Dies In A British Prison?'. popularresistance.org For Assange however, justice delayed is not only justice denied. With global attention shifting from Wuhan to Washington, from Minneapolis to Lebanon, the father of two young children has spent another five months in incarceration without access to lawyers or family visitations. It follows what is approaching ten years of what the United Nations has repeatedly labeled arbitrary detention — the British government has so far failed to respond to three separate U.N. reports and correspondences on the matter. | Serena Tinari, a Switzerland-based investigative journalist, condemned Britain's handling of the case…
(2020-08-18). 19th Amendment Turns 100: Fight for Voting Rights Builds on Centuries of Struggle Led by Black Women. democracynow.org 
As this year marks 100 years since the ratification of 19th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing women's right to vote, we look at the connection between the movement for women's suffrage and the movement to abolish slavery. Many states created laws to continue to deny women the vote, and African American women were subjected to the same Jim Crow laws already used to deny the vote to African American men. "To look for African American women and their history of the vote in 1920 is to miss the important chapter that begins in 1920 and doesn't culminate until the Voting Rights Act is adopted in 1965," says au…
(2020-08-18). Rebel soldiers detain Mali president & PM as political crisis boils into mutiny (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
Soldiers who have taken up arms in Mali have arrested the nation's top officials, including President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, sparking concerns in the UN and the African Union. | Keita's detention came after a period of uncertainty amid reports suggesting that soldiers mutinied at the Kati military base outside of the Malian capital of Bamako and arrested a number of senior military and civil officials, including several ministers. | Both the president and the prime minister are "at the hands" of the rebelling military, according to various sources both within the government and…
(2020-08-18). Nothing better to do, Mike? Pompeo 'gotchas' RT by revealing his nonsensical Iran quote is ACTUALLY by OBAMA. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo apparently thought that 'revealing' a nonsensical quote he posted about Iran sanctions was actually authored by President Barack Obama somehow invalidated RT's coverage of reactions to it. | RT.com "got it wrong again," Pompeo tweeted on Tuesday, saying that it was President Barack Obama who made a statement we attributed to him. "He told Congress, rightly, that the US could snapback sanctions on Iran anytime and no country could block it. It is still true now. I'll wait for your correction." | Hey
(2020-08-18). Class struggle in Jerusalem. peoplesworld.org 
Founded by the Israeli Communist Party in 1977, Hadash seeks to unite Jews and Arabs along class lines. Its main principles are an end to the Israeli occupation of 1967 and the foundation of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel; equality for ethnic minorities, and the advancement of women's and worker's rights. Hadash is represented …
(2020-08-18). PROFILE: Taking a lead against genocide, 'no society is immune' warns Adama Dieng. news.un.org Adama Dieng assumed the position of the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide in 2012, after a long and distinguished career in law and human rights, stepping down from…
(2020-08-18). Votes for Women — and Everyone — Now! aclu.org When the 19th Amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, finally allowed women to vote, ACLU founder Crystal Eastman, an ardent suffragist, was not interested in a victory celebration. She wanted women to use their newly minted political power to promote true freedom and equality, regardless of sex. "
(2020-08-18). Rights groups demand justice for murdered Baloch student. peoplesdispatch.org A final year student of Karachi University, 23-year-old Hayat Baloch Hayat, was allegedly killed by Pakistan's Frontier Corps personnel after being accused of involvement in a roadside bomb explosion…
(2020-08-18). Social activist and rights advocate Zara Alvarez murdered in the Philippines. peoplesdispatch.org Zara Alvarez was killed by unidentified gunmen in Bacolod City on Monday. The incident comes a week after NDF peace consultant Randall Echanis was killed near the capital Manila…
(2020-08-18). Why is the US threatening to activate 'snapback' sanctions on Iran? peoplesdispatch.org The latest US threat of resuming sanctions comes after its failure to get the UN Security Council's approval for an indefinite extension of the international arms embargo against Iran which is set to expire on October 18…
(2020-08-18). Still 'Miles to Go' to Ensure a Safe and Fair Election, Rights Groups Say After DeJoy Announces Suspension of Changes to Mail Operations. commondreams.org Civil rights advocates vowed to continue fighting to thwart any attempt by the Trump administration to sabotage to U.S. Postal Service and the 2020 general election on Tuesday, after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced he would "suspend" changes to post office operations. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-18). Philippines: Killings of rights defenders continue amid COVID-19 spike, economic recession. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Labor NGO: Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER). | Rampant harassment and terroristic acts by the state towards the people made it clear that the Duterte administration does not aim to resolve all the crises brought out by the pandemic, according to Labor NGO Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER). | EILER firmly stands with all the peasant rights defenders and demands accountability for the brutal killings of Randall "Ka Randy" Echanis, 72; Reken Remasog, 24, and Zara Alvarez, 39. | Ka Randy was a…
(2020-08-18). In Denial: Australia, Human Rights and Climate Change. counterpunch.org When the complaint was lodged in May 2019, there was a sense of the audacious about it. Eight Torres Strait Islanders had taken the trouble to petition the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Committee, citing climate change and Australian violations as their main concern. Australia, they claimed, had violated their fundamental rights under the International Covenant