(2020-08-28). Waiting for the Old Bailey: Julian Assange and Britain's Judicial Establishment. globalresearch.ca On September 7, Julian Assange will be facing another round of gruelling extradition proceedings, in the Old Bailey, part of a process that has become a form of gradual state-sanctioned torture. The US Department of Justice hungers for their man. …
(2020-08-28). Reporters Without Borders petition against Assange's extradition, raise concern over his health. peoplesdispatch.org Reporters Without Borders has called on the British government to respect press freedom and human rights in Assange's trial and not comply with the US extradition request…
(2020-08-28). U.S. imposes sanctions on Russian research institute that developed Covid-19 vaccine. thegrayzone.com The US Commerce Department blacklisted a Russian research institute that helped create the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. Russia won the race to develop the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The United States has responded by slapping sanctions on a Russian research facility involved in creating it. The US government has blacklisted several Russian scientific …
(2020-08-28). UN rights chief urges DR Congo to protect Nobel laureate Mukwege amid death threats. news.un.org UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has condemned death threats made against Congolese Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege and called for his protection.
(2020-08-28). MIRAC demands Minnesota divest from border militarization corporation Elbit Systems. fightbacknews.org Saint Paul, MN – At the State Board of Investments (SBI) meeting on August 26, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) member Mari Mansfield spoke out, demanding that Minnesota divest its funds from the border militarization corporation Elbit Systems. | This was part of an ongoing campaign to press the State Board of Investments on this issue. Activists from MIRAC, the Anti-War Committee and other organizations have spoken at several previous SBI meetings, have presented thousands of petitions, and have protested in front of Governor Walz's mansion to demand divestment from Elbit System because of the…
(2020-08-28). Rights groups, opposition parties in the UK oppose bill claiming it provides amnesty to war crimes. peoplesdispatch.org 
The controversial Overseas Operations Bill will provide partial amnesty to soldiers if the case is filed after five years from the date of the crime or if the investigation is not completed within five years…
(2020-08-28). March on Washington commemorations expected to be attended by thousands. thecanary.co 
Civil rights advocates in the US will highlight police and vigilante violence against Black people at a commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.Thousands are expected at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic I Have A Dream address about racial equality.They are gathering after another shooting by a white police officer of a Black man — this time 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on 23 August — sparking days of protests and violence that left two dead."We've got to create a different consciousness and a different clim…
(2020-08-28). Myanmar: Upcoming elections an opportunity to take a new inclusive democratic path. news.un.org The Government of Myanmar should embrace upcoming national elections, scheduled for November, as an opportunity to take a new and fully inclusive democratic path, and to address the root of causes of abuses suffered by ethnic minorities, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has urged.
(2020-08-28). New guidelines aim to dismantle barriers blocking people with disabilities from access to justice. news.un.org The first-ever guidelines on access to justice for people with disabilities are an "indispensable contribution" towards ensuring justice for all, UN human rights experts said on Friday.
(2020-08-28). "Made in Bangladesh". Women Workers in Dhaka Factories Fight For Their Rights. A Union Story. globalresearch.ca If you're gathering evidence of the victimization of Muslim women, this is not your film. Yes, Made in Bangladesh highlights exploitation in a country, most of whose citizens are Muslim. But this film's focus is women workers: people working to …
(2020-08-28). 100 Years and Counting: The Fight for Women's Suffrage Continues. aclu.org One hundred years ago this month, the
(2020-08-28). Saturday 8/29: ERA: Strictly Speaking Equal Rights Should Have No Deadline. indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-08-28). Merkel on Greece-Turkey East Med Row: All EU Countries Have Obligation to Support Athens. sputniknews.com Tensions in the eastern Mediterranean have been escalating since Turkey renewed its efforts to explore energy reserves near Cyprus. Ankara claims rights to parts of the island's offshore resources despite vehement opposition from Greece and some other EU states.
(2020-08-28). Russian FM: US Sanctions on Institute Working on COVID Vaccine Aimed at Promoting Their Own Pharma. sputniknews.com On Wednesday, the US slapped sanctions on five Russian institutes, accusing them of developing chemical and biological weapons. The restrictions were specifically imposed on a research institute of the Russian Defence Ministry that developed the first COVID-19 vaccine together with the Gamaleya Institute.
(2020-08-28). Foreign missions condemn rights abuses in Zimbabwe. yenisafak.com In a joint statement issued Friday, the envoys urged Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa to walk the talk, after pledging two years ago to work with all citizens."It is in this spirit that the Heads of Mission express their deep concern with the current political, economic, social, and health crisis that most Zimbabweans are facing today."The Heads of Mission stand by the people of Zimbabwe in their desire for a peaceful and prosperous democracy," the joint statement read.The mission heads noted that the government was criticizing almost everyone including the Catholic Bishops for raising their voices against h…
(2020-08-28). Germany calls for dialogue between Turkey, Greece. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday reiterated her call for dialogue between Turkey and Greece over the offshore energy exploration in Eastern Mediterranean. | "I made an effort to reduce tension. Sometimes this is only possible with both parties speaking over and over again," said Merkel during her traditional annual summer news conference. | "The discussion regarding the distribution of economic zones can only be carried out together. Germany is making an effort for this," she added. | "As EU member states, we all have a duty to take our Greek friends' rights seriously and support them where they are right."
(2020-08-28). Germany would be ready to sanction Russia over Navalny case: Maas. yenisafak.com Germany would be ready to impose diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it concludes that Russian state agencies were behind the poisoning of a critic of President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday."Concerning Russia's readiness to clear up the case of (Alexei) Navalny we will act like we did in the case of the Tiergarten murder," Maas said, referring to Germany's expulsion of Russian embassy employees over Moscow's lack of cooperation in a probe into the murder of a Georgian man in a Berlin park.
(2020-08-27). Israel's Crimes Must Be Met With Arms Embargo. popularresistance.org Israel's bombing of the besieged Gaza Strip must be met with an "urgent and comprehensive military embargo," the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee stated on Sunday. | Israel has bombed Gaza every night for the past 12 days in response, or so it claims, to incendiary balloons flown from the territory. Those balloons have caused fires on agricultural land in southern Israel. | Two-thirds of Gaza's population of 2.1 million are refugees, some of them from the lands just on the other side of the Gaza boundary fence. Israel denies them their right to return, enshrined in international la…
(2020-08-27). Putin claims July detention of 33 Russian 'Wagner mercenaries' in Belarus was conspiracy orchestrated by Ukrainian & US spooks. rt.com 
Their arrest came as a surprise. Was Russia really using mercenary soldiers to overthrow the leader of its closest ally? Everyone knew relations between Moscow and Alexander Lukashenko were strained, but this seemed extreme. | That was the claim originally made when 33 members of the 'Wagner' Private Security Company were detained by the KGB in Belarus. State news agency Belta alleged that law enforcement sources said they'd received information about the arrival of more than 200 Russian militants on Belarusian territory to destabilize the situation during the country's fraught election campaign. | Read more…
(2020-08-27). DOJ launches civil rights investigation into Jacob Blake shooting, urges 'everyone to act peacefully'. rt.com 
A federal civil rights investigation has been opened into the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The incident sparked protests that quickly escalated into riots in which two people were killed. | According to the Department of Justice, prosecutors from the US Attorney's Office and the Civil Rights Division will oversee the proceedings, with the investigation carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and involving Wisconsin's justice department, among other local authorities. | U.S. Department of Justice Confirms Federal Civil Rights Investigation Into Shooting of Mr. Ja…
(2020-08-27). UN rights expert calls for ceasefire, commitment from all stakeholders to ensure free elections in Central African Republic. news.un.org The UN's expert on human rights in the Central African Republic (CAR) issued a series of recommendations on Wednesday to ensure that citizens — after years of civil unrest — can freely decide the future of their country during presidential elections on 27 December.
(2020-08-27). Human rights are the 'means by which governments can successfully beat pandemics', says UNAIDS chief. news.un.org Some of the world's most marginalized and defenseless communities have fallen victim to violence and other rights abuses during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the UN agency dedicated to tackling the AIDS virus to urge Governments to protect the most vulnerable, particularly key populations at higher risk of HIV.
(2020-08-27). The battle for the United States Postal Service. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On August 18, amid public outcry, political scrutiny and protests, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced that his so-called 'reforms' will be put on hold until after the election. While voting rights advocates can and should take this as a partial win, postal workers and concerned postal customers must continue to escalate and build a movement that can permanently end DeJoy's policies of deliberate sabotage and reverse the damage that has already been done. | What have the 'reforms' meant for postal workers and customers? | People around the country were shocked to see images appear of dismantl…
(2020-08-27). Friday 8/28: Solidarity Speaker: Building Power for Systemic Change. indybay.org We are proud to host a presentation by East Bay Resistance! | The East Bay Resistance organizes protests and actions for human rights and social justice. Their vision is to develop leaders and build power through their communities to drive systemic change, improve the quality of life for their families, and build the leadership capacity within the undermargenalized communities. Learn more at linktr.ee/eastbayresistance | This is a part of our solidarity speaker series that features activists and organizers from various local organizations helping to make the world a better place! Through these speaker eve…
(2020-08-27). Is Movement Journalism Needed During Reckoning Over Race And Inequality? popularresistance.org Last summer I found myself at the M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge in Jackson, Mississippi. Considered "the epicenter of the civil rights movement," the well-worn building was once the training site for the Freedom Riders and home to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. It seemed a fitting place to launch Freedomways, a journalism fellowship prioritizing women of color and LGBTQ+ people rooted in the American South and committed to doing reporting that advances justice.
(2020-08-27). For Democracy And Transparency In The Plurinational State Of Bolivia. popularresistance.org We are witnessing the systematic destruction of democracy at the hands of the de facto government of Jeanine AnÃÉez and its allied forces of repression in the streets, on the highways, and the communities across Bolivia. | Through this letter, the members of the Progressive International demand that you take urgent action within your mandate to restore the fundamental rights of the Bolivian people to peace, protest, and democratic self-determination. In our message to you, we emphasize the urgency of your action to protect the integrity of the electoral process in the Plurinational State, to prevent…
(2020-08-27). Observers: US Sanctions on Russian Institute Working on Sputnik V Caused by Fear to Lose Leadership. sputniknews.com As Moscow announced the beginning of post-registration trials of anti-COVID vaccine Sputnik V on 26 August, the US added a group of Russian research institutes, including the one testing the anti-coronavirus drug, to its sanctions list. International observers have discussed the US move unveiled amid the global effort to curb the pandemic.
(2020-08-27). Putin says alleged mercenaries were lured to Belarus by foreign spy operation. yenisafak.com President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a group of Russians who were detained in Belarus prior to its Aug. 9 election and accused of being mercenaries had been lured to Belarus by a Ukrainan-U.S. intelligence operation.Belarus had accused the men of seeking to destabilise the country ahead of its election, marking an unusual diplomatic row with close ally Russia. At the time, Russia had said the men were private security workers on their way to a third country."These people, I repeat, were travelling for work to a third country. They were lured there, dragged across the border… It was an operation of Ukr…
(2020-08-27). EU mulls Belarus sanctions as opposition calls for Merkel's aid. yenisafak.com European Union foreign ministers on Thursday sought sanctions against Belarus to pressure President Alexander Lukashenko to hold new elections as the country's opposition appealed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for help.Eager to support mass protests against Lukashenko's 26-year iron rule, EU ministers are considering travel bans and asset freezes on up to 20 people responsible for a crackdown on demonstrators two weeks after an election they say was rigged."The announcement of sanctions has not led to any change in behaviour in Belarus," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters, referring to the thr…
(2020-08-27). ACLU Demands Immediate Resignation of Kenosha Police Chief, Sheriff, and Mayor. commondreams.org The actions of the city's top law enforcement officials, said the group, "uphold and defend white supremacy, while demonizing people who were murdered for exercising their first amendment rights and speaking out against police violence." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-26). Reminder: The US Empire Tortures Journalists And Whistleblowers. thealtworld.com Julian Assange's partner Stella Moris was able to visit him with their children at Belmarsh prison for the first time since March of this year, and reports that his physical condition has deteriorated noticeably since that time. | "He was wearing a yellow armband to indicate his level of prisoner status, and you could see how thin his arms were," Moris "Moris said her partner is still suffering from a frozen shoulder, and had recently sprained h…
(2020-08-26). Comment les États-Unis ont poussé le Liban au bord de l'effondrement. thegrayzone.com Alors que les médias arguent que la crise du Liban n'a pour cause unique que la corruption, le gouvernement étatsunien a déclenché une campagne de ´pression maximale ª pour pousser au changement de régime et écraser la résistance libanaise par des sanctions et une guerre hybride agressive. You can read this article in English here. Alors …
(2020-08-26). Netanyahu vs. Gantz: Gaza escalation reflects Israel's political rivalry. peoplesworld.org 
Only recently, the Palestinian group, Hamas, and Israel seemed close to reaching a prisoner exchange agreement, where Hamas would release several Israeli soldiers held in Gaza while Israel would set free an unspecified number of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. Instead of the much-anticipated announcement of some kind of a deal, on August 10 …
(2020-08-26). Critics Blast Anti-Immigrant Trump for Exploiting Naturalization Ceremony at RNC. truthout.org As Rights advocates a…
(2020-08-26). Racist, misogynist jail system: Deaths of women prisoners in Georgia. workers.org 
Cobb County Jail Complex near Atlanta. Atlanta, GA — Two people incarcerated in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center have died within the past two months — both women. The massive jail is about 20 minutes outside of Atlanta. An imprisoned woman, whose name and cause of death have not . . . |
(2020-08-26). The USA: Global Leader in Election Interference Abroad and Now at Home. counterpunch.org 
Putin's impact on the election is modest compared to the damage that Trump and Republican legislators throughout the country can inflict. Voter suppression remains a huge problem, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in 2013 to weaken the Voting Rights Act. The campaign against mail-in voting is creating uncertainty and cynicism throughout the country as is Trump's constant ravings about vote by mail causing a fraudulent election.
(2020-08-26). DOJ orders New York & other states that sent Covid-19 patients into nursing homes to turn over records. rt.com 
The US Justice Department is mulling civil rights investigations of four Democrat-run states whose governors forced elder care homes to take in Covid-19 patients, potentially contributing to thousands of deaths. | The governments of New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have been ordered to turn over Covid-19 data to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division as the agency weighs whether to pursue the probes, according to a statement released on Wednesday. Investigations would be launched under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), a law meant to protect the rights of those…
(2020-08-26). Belarus detains more people as protests demanding leader's resignation continue. thecanary.co 
Police in Belarus have detained more than 50 people across the country during protests demanding the resignation of its authoritarian leader.The renewed crackdown on protesters, who have been taking to the streets for over two weeks, comes as authorities crank up pressure on the opposition, jailing several activists, summoning others for questioning and selectively ordering dozens of demonstrators to appear in court.Belarus's Interior Ministry said 51 protesters were detained on 25 August at rallies that spanned across several cities.According to the Viasna human rights group, 15 people were detained in Minsk, th…
(2020-08-26). Permitted Unlawfulness: The New Zealand Coronavirus Lockdown. counterpunch.org "Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited." — Lord Acton It is a study both troublesome and perplexing. To what end can a state trample on human rights ostensibly to preserve such objects a public health? The coronavirus lockdowns have become a feature of global politics and
(2020-08-26). Presidents have a long history of condescension, indifference and outright racism towards Black Americans. nationofchange.org An honest assessment of American presidential leadership on race reveals a handful of courageous actions but an abundance of racist behavior, even by those remembered as equal rights supporters.
(2020-08-26). Hundreds of thousands of nursing home residents may not be able to vote in November because of the pandemic. nationofchange.org Under federal law, nursing homes have a duty to facilitate residents' rights, including voting. But even before the pandemic, compliance was spotty.
(2020-08-26). UNSC rejects US demand for snapback sanctions against Iran. peoplesdispatch.org The admissibility of the notice submitted by Pompeo last week was questioned by 13 out of 15 members of the UNSC. Even US allies have pointed out that having left the deal in 2018, it cannot ask for sanctions…
(2020-08-26). Iranian envoy to UK reacts to UNSC's rejection of US bid. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) — The Iranian ambassador to London has reacted to the isolation of the United States at the UN Security Council for the second time and said there is no consensus on US bid to return Iran's sanction.
(2020-08-26). Might Belarus Become The Next Syria? popularresistance.org There are signs that Russia is intervening in the Belarusian crisis (finally!) | First and foremost, we can see a truly radical change in Lukashenko's policies: if his initial instinct was to unleash brutal repression of both the violent rioters and the peaceful demonstrators, now he has made a 180 and the outcome is quite amazing: on Sunday there were large anti-Lukashenko demonstrations yet not a single person was detained. Not one. Even more amazing is this: the Polish-run Nexta Telagram channel (which is the main medium used by the Empire to overthrow Lukashenko) initially called for a peaceful protest, but a…
(2020-08-26). Right-Wing Reporter With No Known Health Expertise Is Given Senior Post at FDA. truthout.org Emily Miller, a gun-rights advocate and former senior correspondent for the
(2020-08-26). Protesters rounded up in Belarus; Nobel-winning writer due for questioning. yenisafak.com Belarusian police have rounded up dozens of protesters heading home from peaceful demonstrations, rights groups said on Wednesday, after days in which the authorities exercised comparative restraint towards mass anti-government rallies.The country's most celebrated writer, Nobel Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich, was expected to appear for questioning later on Wednesday in a criminal investigation into an opposition council, two of whose leaders were jailed this week.President Alexander Lukashenko has faced more than two weeks of mass demonstrations against his 26-year rule since an election which his opponents sa…
(2020-08-26). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Calls for U.S. Department of Justice Hate Crime Investigation. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-26). Heavy Weaponry Used in Libya To Disperse Peaceful Protesters Demanding Economic Rights. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-25). °Detengan el ataque de Trump a la oficina de correos! workers.org 
Si 150 millones de personas votan por correo en noviembre, no abrumaría al Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos, que procesa diariamente más de 472 millones de correos. Pero los funcionarios postales, en aparente coordinación con los esfuerzos del presidente Donald Trump para suprimir los derechos de voto, han promulgado . . . |
(2020-08-25). Syria Faces Calamity as Trump's New Sanctions Combine With Surging Coronavirus. counterpunch.org 
"If I don't buy masks or medicine, I may die or survive, but if I don't buy bread for the family, we will all die of starvation," says a retired 68-year-old teacher in Damascus, explaining why he does not have masks, sterilisers or medicines. "We need two bundles of loaves every day which costs us at least 600 Syrian pounds (24 US cents), but if we buy masks, they will cost us about 1000 SP (40 cents). The choice is between bread and masks."