(2020-10-26). "They Wanted to Take My Womb Out": Survivor of Medical Abuse in ICE Jail Deported After Speaking Out. democracynow.org 
An independent medical review team has submitted a report to Congress on a lack of informed consent and "disturbing pattern" of questionable gynecological surgical procedures at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, after an account from a nurse whistleblower in September prompted congressional and federal investigations. At least 19 women, most of whom are Black and Latina, have come forward to allege they were pressured into "unnecessary" gynecological treatment and surgeries — including procedures that left them sterile — while they were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We s…
(2020-10-26). Call for Prosecution of War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide Crime in DRC. indybay.org "Congo Week," the annual series of forums, films, and conversation organized by Washington D.C.-based Friends of the Congo was, like so much else, a virtual event this year. It concluded today with the presentation of humanitarian awards to two Congolese groups defending human rights, and to Dr. Denis Mukwege, the world renowned gynecologist and Nobel Prize Winner who founded Panzi Hospital to treat women victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In his acceptance speech, Dr. Mukwege called for prosecution of the 617 war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide crimes documented i…
(2020-10-26). How Bolivia's new socialist senator resisted coup terror: Meet torture survivor Patricia Arce. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone traveled to rural Bolivia to meet Patricia Arce, a former mayor who was publicly tortured during a US-backed coup in November 2019, and is now a senator-elect from the indigenous-led Movement Toward Socialism party, which won in a historic landslide election on October 18. By Max Blumenthal Video and translation by Ben Norton Transcript MAX BLUMENTHAL: Just a few days after the dramatic landslide victory on October 18 of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party founded by Evo …
(2020-10-26). How Bolivia's new socialist senator resisted coup terror: Meet MAS party leader Patricia Arce. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone traveled to rural Bolivia to meet Patricia Arce, a former mayor who was publicly tortured during a US-backed coup in November 2019, and is now a senator-elect from the indigenous-led Movement Toward Socialism party, which won in a historic landslide election on October 18. By Max Blumenthal Video and translation by Ben Norton Puede leer esto en español aquí. Transcript MAX BLUMENTHAL: Just a few days after the dramatic landslide victory on October 18 of the Movement Toward …
(2020-10-26). New COVID-19 Security Measures Will Make Health a Prerequisite for Travel. mintpressnews.com 
As the multi-sector, global response to the coronavirus tightens the noose around civil liberties, CommonPass stands out as one of the most appalling and dangerous attacks on basic human rights in the name of public health.
(2020-10-26). Argentina's Veteran Ambassador Makes a Stand for the Sovereignty of Latin America. counterpunch.org 
Alicia Castro does not shy away from her views. She came to diplomacy from the trade union movement, where she was a leader when she was a flight attendant with Aerolíneas Argentinas. Castro spent eight years as a member of parliament in the Argentine National Congress, where she fought for the rights of working people.
(2020-10-26). Adding More Dust onto a Threadbare Empire. dissidentvoice.org 
Barbara Lee: I'm very terrified with regard to what we see taking place. And the signs are there. When you talk about shutting down the media, putting out their alternative facts, banning dissent and opposition, criticizing people who are exercising their First Amendment rights; trying to get people to believe, really, the distortions that they're …
(2020-10-26). Oxford Study Challenges Israel's Claims Concerning Palestinian Refugees. popularresistance.org There needs to be a fundamental change in the way Palestinian refugees are seen, no longer as victims but as people with rights who are entitled to shape their own destiny. This assertion is made in a new study whose importance cannot be overstated. | According to international law, Palestinian refugees have a right to return to their homes and land and receive restitution and compensation for their suffering and personal and communal losses. Furthermore, the State of Israel, which is responsible for Palestine's ethnic cleansing, must pay for the repatriation, the rehabilitation, and the rebuilding that the retur…
(2020-10-26). Don't Let the Supreme Court Open the Door to More Discrimination Against LGBTQ People. aclu.org The Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in
(2020-10-26). "Democratic" Means Social Equality. counterpunch.org Pundits in the international media and political classes twist an distort the word "democratic" until it has no resemblance to the actual meaning of the word. Start with "democracy" from which "democratic" is born. "Government by the people exercised either directly…? or by elected representatives" and later "the principles of social equality and individual rights".
(2020-10-26). ICE uses torture to pressure African asylum seekers to agree to deportation. wsws.org In a blatant violation of international law and the US constitution, ICE officials in the privately run detention center in Mississippi have been forcing asylum seekers from Cameroon to sign their own deportation forms and quickly shipping them back on secret flights.
(2020-10-26). Whose Vote Counts, Explained: Netflix series examines voting rights in America. wsws.org Like all basic democratic rights, the right to vote can only be defended through the independent political struggle of the working class.
(2020-10-26). International Study Finds US Republican Party Heading Towards Becoming One of World's Most Authoritarian Factions. commondreams.org "Disrespect of political opponents, the encouragement of violence, and also the violation of minority rights… they have all clearly increased with the Republican Party in recent years," said one of the lead authors. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-26). US imposes new sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Petroleum. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — The US has imposed new sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Petroleum and a number of top Iranian officials.
(2020-10-26). The Supremely Undemocratic Court. popularresistance.org In this first installment of the Deception 2020 Series, we dig into that most supreme of undemocratic courts – just as Amy Coney Barrett looms over a smooth confirmation. Could the Democrats have stopped her? Then, we sit down with Dan Kovalik, human rights lawyer and author, for his take on the court, RBG, and more.
(2020-10-26). Wednesday 10/28: Strength Thru Unity: Multicultural Election Special on COVID, Racism, & Human Rights. indybay.org Watch online via website livestream…
(2020-10-26). What Amy Coney Barrett Means for the Future of Voting Rights. thenation.com What Amy Coney Barrett Means for the Future of Voting Rights…
(2020-10-26). Survivor Deported After Speaking Out About Medical Abuse in ICE Jails. truthout.org An independent medical review team has submitted a report to Congress on a lack of informed consent and "disturbing pattern" of questionable gynecological surgical procedures at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, after an account from a nurse whistleblower in September prompted congressional and federal investigations. At least 19 women, most of whom are Black and Latina, have come forward to allege they were pressured into "unnecessary" gynecological treatment and surgeries — includin…
(2020-10-26). Jailed Voters Can Swing Elections if they Know and Can Exercise their Rights. zcomm.org Unlike many people incarcerated in state and federal prisons legally ineligible to vote, moat in local jails — detained pretrial or held on misdemeanor charges — are legally eligible to vote, but are unable to do so…
(2020-10-25). UK ARMED FORCES seize control of oil tanker & detain 7 people after reported 'hijacking attempt' by stowaways. rt.com 
A British Special Forces unit has boarded a Greek-operated oil tanker off the coast of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, after reports of an attempted hijacking by a group of stowaways. Seven people have been detained. | Armed forces personnel "have gained control of the ship," the UK Defense Ministry confirmed late on Sunday, adding that "seven individuals" were detained in the operation. The vessel's crew are reported to be "safe and well," according to Reuters. | Earlier, the British police and coastguard were deployed to deal with what was described only as an "incident" on board a Greek-operated L…
(2020-10-25). 'US doesn't know who it's dealing with!' Erdogan dismisses Washington's threats over S-400 deployment. rt.com 
Turkey is not a "tribal state" that can be pushed around, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, dismissing the American warnings over its procurement of Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft systems. | Ankara will see through the deployment of its S-400 systems, which will not be disrupted by any threats or sanctions, Erdogan made clear, speaking in the eastern Turkish city of Malatya on Sunday. The Turkish leader even dared Washington to go ahead and introduce any S-400-related sanctions it might be planning. | You don't know who you're dealing with. Whatever sanctions you have, don't keep us waiting — int…
(2020-10-25). Macron's Gamble Will Backfire as Brexit Will Make Both Him and France Big Losers of a No-Deal With Brussels. strategic-culture.org He couldn't save Lebanon, despite all the rhetoric. Libya too was a disaster, as was his more recent battle with the firebrand Turkish president over a row in the Eastern Med about energy exploration. And now, France's cursed President, Emmanuel Macron, is going to lead his nation in a campaign which will take him and the entire French economy over the abyss on Brexit. | Remarkably, as the EU stands and watches, Macron, a man tortured and cursed by defeat wherever he goes around the world, is about to throw the lever on the French economy as he prepares to go into battle against Boris Johnson over UK's rights to…
(2020-10-25). Life Of Palestinian Hunger Striker In Immediate Danger. popularresistance.org Maher al-Akhras, who has been on a hunger strike since his administrative detention on July 27, is waging a battle against the mighty Israeli occupation apparatus. Every day brings him closer to death, as Israel seems to be trying to prove through his case that the life of Palestinians, like their freedom and human rights, are worth nothing. But the formidable insistence of his hunger strike against the principle of administrative detention, and his determination that the strike will end only once he is free or becomes a martyr, is mobilizing more and more people to his support.
(2020-10-25). How A Police Killing In Nigeria Sparked A Nationwide Movement. popularresistance.org Nigerian security forces opened fire this week on protesters in Lagos, killing at least 12 demonstrators and marking a deadly escalation in the weekslong protests against police brutality. | Since early October, tens of thousands of Nigerians have been marching in cities throughout the country, demanding the disbandment of a notorious police unit known as SARS—the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. An Amnesty International report published in June documented dozens of cases of torture and extrajudicial killing by the unit. But the incident that sparked the movement was a video of what appeared to be an unprovoked…
(2020-10-25). Seven Arrested as Commandos Storm 'Hijacked' Oil Tanker Off Isle of Wight. sputniknews.com The Nave Andromeda was spotted sailing erratically near the Isle of Wight early on Sunday and authorities were unable to contact the crew by radio. Late in the day, the elite Special Boat Service was given the green light by ministers, and commandos boarded the ship from navy helicopters and detained seven suspected hijackers.
(2020-10-24). The Covid-19 Numbers Game: The "Second Wave" is Based on Fake Statistics. globalresearch.ca "Red zones", travel bans, quarantines, "red lists". A "Second Wave". Millions of people are lining up for Covid-19 testing. The "Numbers Game". How statistics and "estimates" are used by politicians to justify the closure of the national economy and the derogation of fundamental civil rights.
(2020-10-24). CEO of new Russian cosmodrome's operator arrested on charges of abuse of office & forgery. rt.com 
A high-ranking official at the helm of the new state-of-the-art Vostochny spaceport has been arrested on charges of fraud in a high-profile scandal. The scheme reportedly cost the state over $6.5 million. | Roman Bobkov, the head of the space center, a state entity operating the cosmodrome, has been placed in pre-trial detention for two months by a local
(2020-10-24). Vostochny spaceport scandals continue: CEO of company operating new Far Eastern Russian cosmodrome arrested on corruption charges. rt.com A high-ranking official at the helm of the new state-of-the-art Vostochny spaceport, in Russia's Far East, has been arrested on charges of fraud in a high-profile scandal. The scheme reportedly cost the state over $6.5 million. | Roman Bobkov, the head of the state entity operating the cosmodrome, has been placed in pre-trial detention for two months by a local
(2020-10-24). Israel Lobby Spreads More Lies About Palestine Groups At NYU. popularresistance.org New York University has agreed to settle with the US Department of Education over allegations that the university had not appropriately responded to claims of anti-Semitism. | Two attorneys filed the complaint last year on behalf of a student who alleged that she faced "two years of extreme anti-Semitism on the NYU campus which has created an intolerable and unlawful hostile atmosphere for Jewish students." | Echoing previous attempts by Israel advocates to silence Palestinian rights activists on campuses, the complaint accused Students for Justice in Palestine of creating the "hostile" climate due to the group's…
(2020-10-24). Barrett Poised to Be Sixth SCOTUS Justice Hand-Picked by Federalist Society. truthout.org For Americans tearing their hair out about the imminent conservative super-majority on the United States Supreme Court, we have some pointed advice for you. Familiarize yourself with the work of the Federalist Society, a group comprising thousands of very conservative lawyers advocating a so-called "originalist" version of the Constitution, sanctifying private property rights at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment, social justice and the protection of individual rights. | When w…
(2020-10-24). Monday 10/26: LGBTQIA+ and The Equal Rights Amendment Virtual Town Hall. indybay.org Online event…
(2020-10-23). Sea-Watch Takes Action Against Blockade of Its Rescue Ship. telesurenglish.net The German NGO Sea-Watch on Friday filed an appeal at the Palermo Administrative Court against the blockade of the Sea-Watch 4, a humanitarian vessel which has been detained in port since September. | On August 15, this humanitarian rescue ship, which is owned by Sea-Watch and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), set sail from Spain to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean. | Eleven days after carrying out its f…
(2020-10-23). Indigenous Knowledge Revives Ancient Clam Garden Practices. popularresistance.org La Conner, WA – Tribal communities are reviving 3,500-year-old eco-friendly practices to create sustainable beaches along the Pacific Northwest Coast. | Teams of tribal members and scientists in the U.S. and Canada have scouted various locations that are ideal areas for shellfish, like clams, and other small marine life to nestle and flourish in what is referred to as clam gardens. The concept is to build rock walls near low tidemarks, which in turn traps sediment and sand to create terraces to cultivate intertidal ecosystems. These sanctuaries encourage sea creature growth and development in shallow coastal wate…
(2020-10-23). Film review — "Belly of the Beast": Sterilizations inside the world's largest women's prison. workers.org 
With the world spotlight currently on the forced sterilizations of migrant women inside the ICE detention center in Georgia, the release of the documentary "Belly of the Beast" is timely. The film, by Erica Cohn, exposes the inhumane and illegal practice of sterilizations inside the Central California Women's Facility, the . . . |
(2020-10-23). From Texas to Nigeria, end police brutality! workers.org 
Houston Hundreds of people gathered near Wazobia African Market on the southwest side of Houston on Oct. 14 to protest police brutality in Nigeria. They came together to draw attention to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known in Nigeria for its extrajudicial killings, torture, extortion, frame-ups and blackmail. "End SARS" protests . . . |
(2020-10-23). 'Coming Together' concert raising awareness for voters rights available to watch now. peoplesworld.org 
Music by radical U.S. composer Frederic Rzewski, African-American composer Florence Price, and Johann Sebastian Bach is featured in an online concert by the Quodlibet Ensemble with countertenor Reginald Mobley. Starting with the digital world premiere of Rzewksi's Coming Together, the 50-minute concert traces a journey from struggle and endurance to hope and resistance amidst challenging …
(2020-10-23). Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Israeli-made cluster bombs used in residential areas. middleeasteye.net 
Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Israeli-made cluster bombs used in residential areas | New evidence found by Human Rights Watch reveals that Baku's forces repeatedly used cluster bombs in Nagorno-Karabakh | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 10: 07 | The body of a LAR-160 series Israeli-made rocket was found in a residential neighbourhood in Stepanakert (Human Rights Watch) | New evidence has emerged corroborating claims that Aze…
(2020-10-23). Federal judge blocks new DOJ effort to ban WeChat downloads from US app stores, citing users' First Amendment rights. rt.com 
A US federal judge has denied a government request to blacklist the Chinese-owned WeChat program from app stores, arguing that the sweeping ban is far too broad and would violate the speech rights of users. | Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler shot down the Justice Department's renewed attempt to prohibit the app in a
(2020-10-23). US sanctions Russian CHEMICAL research institute, saying it's 'connected' to Triton computer malware. rt.com 
A Moscow research institute involved in developing S-300 air defense missiles has been blacklisted by the US Treasury Department over alleged "connections" to malware used "against US partners in the Middle East." | The Central Scientific Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics (TsNIIKhM, or –¶–ù–ò–ò–•–ú) is "connected to the destructive Triton malware," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
(2020-10-23). US sanctions Russian CHEMICAL research institute, saying it's 'connected' to Triton computer malware used in foreign cyber attacks. rt.com A Moscow research institute involved in developing high-tech S-300 air defense missiles has been blacklisted by the US Treasury Department over alleged "connections" to malware used "against US partners in the Middle East." | The Central Scientific Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics (TsNIIKhM, or –¶–ù–ò–ò–•–ú) is "connected to the destructive Triton malware," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
(2020-10-23). Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, and Tlaib Lead Call for UN Probe Into Alleged DHS Human Rights Abuses. commondreams.org "Our government cannot be allowed to commit human rights atrocities or escape investigation, oversight, or criticism based on its powerful geopolitical position, as it so often has." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-23). The Supreme Court Case That Could Jeopardize LGBTQ Rights. aclu.org In March 2018, the city of Philadelphia learned that two of the agencies it contracted with to provide foster care services would not, based on religious objection, accept same-sex couples as foster parents. The city told the agencies their contracts with the city were in jeopardy unless they complied with basic nondiscrimination requirements., , While one of the agencies agreed to comply, the other — Catholic Social Services (CSS) — refused. Instead, CSS sued the city, claiming the Constitution gives it the right to opt out of the nondiscrimination requirement. After a lower court and a federal ci…
(2020-10-23). Anti-Iran moves won't go unanswered: FM spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 23 (MNA) — Stating that Iran has imposed sanctions on the US ambassador to Iraq and a number of other officials involved in the assassination of Martyr Soleimani, Khatibzadeh said that anti-Iran moves won't go unanswered.
(2020-10-23). FM releases statement on blacklisting of US diplomats in Iraq. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 23 (MNA) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a Friday statement, announced sanctions on a number of US authorities including the country's ambassador to Baghdad.
(2020-10-23). Islamic Radio and Television Union condemns US sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 23 (MNA) — In a statement on Friday, Islamic Radio and Television Union condemned US recent sanctions on the organization and described them as illegal.
(2020-10-23). Countries affected by sanctions to hold virtual seminar. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 23 (MNA) — Iran's Permanent Envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that countries affected by sanctions will hold a virtual seminar in the near future.
(2020-10-23). Attacks on Trans Athletes are Also an Attack on Intersex People. aclu.org Intersex people make up as much as
(2020-10-23). Mexico: AMLO Seeks Constitutional Reform on National Resources. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed on Friday that he would seek a constitutional reform to guarantee the country's rights over its national resources. | RELATED: | "The government is not a committee at the service of private groups, individuals, corporations, banks, companies. The government is at the service of the people," Obrador stressed during a press conference. | The announcement com…
(2020-10-22). Egypt: 49 executions carried out over 10 days in October. middleeasteye.net 
Egypt: 49 executions carried out over 10 days in October | Human Rights Watch report labels executions on the back of unfair trials a 'violation of the right to life'
| Thu, 10/22/2020 – 12: 31 | The report stated that 15 people had been executed on 3 October alone (AFP) | Egyptian authorities executed 49 people between 3 and 13 October, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch. | Accordi…
(2020-10-22). Yemen: Prisoner Swap and What May be Behind It. dissidentvoice.org Transcript of an Interview with Press TV Background The fourth batch of Yemeni detainees has arrived in Sana'a as part of the largest prisoner swap between the country's warring sides. The residents in the capital received 112 prisoners after their plane landed in the Sana'a international airport. 1,081 men will be released in two days. …