(2019-01-22). SPLC sues Trump administration for violating due process rights of immigrant children and their sponsors. splcenter.org J.E.C.M., a 14-year-old boy, fled from Honduras with a friend to escape persecution, including threats to his life.
(2019-01-22). Indefinite Detention Uncharged and Untried a Crime Against Humanity. globalresearch.ca These are troubled times. Rule of law protections don't help. The US does whatever it pleases, operating by its own rules, inflicting harm on nations, groups and individuals, including its own citizens. | The UN, world community nations, and international courts …
(2019-01-22). Tales of torture from Israel's prisons. aljazeera.com As Israel prepares to worsen conditions for Palestinian prisoners, we asked six former inmates about their experiences.
(2019-01-22). Supreme Court Gives Green Light to Trump's Ban on Transgender Service Members. truthdig.com In a decision LGBTQ rights advocates immediately denounced as an "awful attack" on the rights of transgender Americans, the Supreme Court's conservative majority on Tuesday gave a green light to President Donald Trump's widely condemned ban on transgender people serving in the military. | While one nationwide injunction against the ban remains in effect—meaning Trump's policy cannot yet be implemented—Slate's Mark Joseph Stern noted that the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling makes it likely that the remaining injunction will "soon be reversed." | "This is heartbreaking and temporary," declared ACLU staff att…
(2019-01-22). Pashtun rights activist Alamzeb Mehsud arrested in Pakistan. aljazeera.com Court orders Mehsud be kept in police custody for four days for rioting and inciting hatred at a Karachi rally.
(2019-01-22). The Brazen Detention of Marzieh Hashemi, America's Newest Political Prisoner. counterpunch.org Any discussion of the detention of journalist Marzieh Hashemi must begin in the historical context that all presidents have used the Department of Justice for constitutionally prohibited personal ends. The calculated seizure and political intimidation of Mrs. Hashemi and her family in the United States is but the most recent flagrant instance. Whether it's the More
(2019-01-22). Zimbabwe protests: 'Systematic torture of protesters'. aljazeera.com Human rights commission says more people died in last week's protests than during August's post-election violence.
(2019-01-22). A3 Newsletter: An Invitation from King and Kenyatta, Netherlands photos, and more. indybay.org This issue of our newsletter features an invitation to activists and A3 supporters in the New Orleans are, a spotlight on the work of Canadian filmmaker Ron Harpelle, and photos from Robert King and Albert Woodfox's recent trip to the Netherlands in support of Amnesty International's Write for Rights campaign.
(2019-01-22). Statement on Women's March from Radical Women and Freedom Socialist Party. indybay.org Pro-police and racist forces have denounced the Women's March for sending greetings to exiled Black revolutionary Assata Shakur. Undoubtedly, a mix of forces from the FBI to so-called men's rights advocates are busy trying to prevent a multi-racial, grassroots feminist movement from consolidating and truly taking off.
(2019-01-22). San Mateo: Women's Rally in Solidarity with Women's March. indybay.org It was not a march but a rally on a sunny day in downtown San Mateo. Many of the participants were women were "of a certain age." One carried a sign that read "Grannies Still Here Fighting to Protect Reproductive Rights Our Generation Won."
(2019-01-22). Twitter Threats, Abuse, Murder: What Women Face Defending the Environment. truthout.org Isabel Cristina Zuleta is a human rights activist in Antioquia, northern Colombia, where she works for the Ríos Vivos Movimiento de Afectados por Represas (movement of people affected by dams). According to the NGO Global Witness, 27 activists were murdered in this country in 2017 alone. | Because of her activism, Zuleta has faced threats, harassment, attempted forced disappearances, criminal charges as well as sexual violence. In 2013, she said she was kidnapped by agents of the government's so-called Mobile Anti-Disturbance squad who also photographed her…
(2019-01-22). Forty-Six Years After "Roe" and We're Still Fighting. We Must Do Better. truthout.org It's no surprise to anyone who has ever worked within the reproductive health, rights, and justice fields that our movement has a history of leaving the most vulnerable behind. | We've consistently failed to repeal the Hyde Amendment — even when Democrats controlled both Congress and the White House — denying some of the most vulnerable people access to abortion coverage. As a movement, we've sidelined this issue for far too long, and it's hurting real people all across the country who are stuck mak…
(2019-01-22). Iran: Labour rights activists at imminent risk of further torture. amnesty.org Two labour rights activists who were rearrested after speaking out about beatings and other abuse they suffered in detention last year are at grave risk of further torture, Amnesty International has warned. | Esmail Bakhshi and Sepideh Gholian were violently arrested in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, on 20 January in apparent reprisal for talking publicly about the torture they have said they endured in detention during November and December 2018, provoking a public outcry. | "There are real fears that Esmail Bakhshi and Sepideh Gholian could be facing a second round of torture after their rearrest. The timing of the…
(2019-01-22). Algeria: Absurd conviction of journalist Adlène Mellah must be overturned. amnesty.org Algeria's Court of Appeal must end the ordeal of the journalist, Adlène Mellah, who was jailed simply for covering a peaceful public gathering last month, said Amnesty International today ahead of his appeal hearing on 23 January. | Adlène Mellah, director of news websites Algerie direct and Dzair Press has been held in solitary confinement since he was jailed in El Harrach prison on 11 December 2018. | "It is outrageous that a journalist has been imprisoned simply for carrying out his work and exercising his rights to freedom o…
(2019-01-22). State of Palestine: Further Information: Activist Risks Charges Over Forced 'Confession': Suha Jbara. amnesty.org On 9 January 2019, Suha Jbara was released after spending over two months in detention where she says she was tortured by interrogators. She spent over 26 days on hunger strike in protest against her treatment by security forces and prosecutors. Suha Jbara still has not been read her charges in court and her upcoming hearing is scheduled for 30 January. She is at risk of being charged based on information obtained under torture, although the prosecutor's office has not provided any credible evidence against her. On 13 December 2018, the Palestinian Attorney General's office concluded a brief investigation into he…
(2019-01-22). Sudan: 'Not guilty' verdict welcome but torture in prison must be investigated. amnesty.org Responding to the 'not guilty' verdict issued today at the re-trial of Sudanese student activist, Asim Omar Hassan, who was originally sentenced to death for allegedly killing a police officer during protests in 2016, Joan Nyanyuki, Amnesty International's Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, said: |
(2019-01-22). The Peace Process Should Not Be At The Cost Of Human Rights. amnesty.org There is suddenly a rush to establish a peace process in Afghanistan. The United States of America has installed Zalmay Khalilzad, a special envoy, who has been shuttling between various regional capitals, seeking to rally different stakeholders. At the same time, President Ashraf Ghani appears to be running a parallel effort, which began with his "Achieving Peace: The Next Chapter in the Afghan-lead Peace Process" proposal at the Geneva Conference late last year. Neither effort, however, has addressed key human rights concerns. There is scarcely any representation of women — just three women have been incl…
(2019-01-22). Learn how to protect yourself online and promote digital security. amnesty.org Amnesty's latest course on digital security, launching on edX January 28th, will teach you about digital threats, how to strengthen your security online and to take action to promote digital security and human rights worldwide. | Malware. Phishing. Data retention. Mass surveillance. We know there are real risks in the digital world, but we don't always know what to do about them. How do these threats work? How important is digital security? Where do we even start? | This course is a starting place for learning more about digital threats and how…
(2019-01-22). Bahrain: Court upholds unlawful dissolution of major opposition political group. amnesty.org Responding to the Bahraini Court of Cassation's decision to uphold a ruling to dissolve the opposition group National Democratic Action Society (Wa'ad) and confiscate its assets, Amnesty International's Middle East research director Lynn Maalouf said: | "The court's decision to dissolve the opposition political group Wa'ad, a group committed to non-violence, is just the latest manifestation of how the authorities have been resorting to all means, including the judiciary, to crush any form of dissent in their country. |
(2019-01-22). China: Human Rights Defender Tried in Secret: Huang Qi. amnesty.org Huang Qi, founder and director of Sichuan-based human rights website "64 Tianwang", was secretly tried at Mianyang City Intermediate People's Court on 14 January 2019 after being held in detention for more than two years. No verdict has yet been announced but, if convicted, the maximum punishment could be up to life imprisonment. Pu Wenqing, his 85-year-old mother, was taken away by Sichuan police in December 2018 and only released after more than a month in detention.
(2019-01-22). Public opposition to killer robots grows while states continue to drag their feet. amnesty.org More than three in five people across 26 countries oppose the development of autonomous weapons that could select and kill targets without human intervention, according to a new poll commissioned by the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. | | The poll, which was carried out by Ipsos MORI, fou…
(2019-01-22). Will Human Rights turn around in 2019? amnesty.org 2018 has been a difficult year for human rights in South Asia. Crackdowns on the Right to Freedom of Expression intensified across the region. Enforced disappearances continued to scar communities in Pakistan and Bangladesh; civilian casualties remained at record highs in Afghanistan, civil society organisations continued to be harassed and shut down in almost every country. Journalists continued to be targeted, members of the political opposition were arbitrarily arrested, religious and ethnic minority groups and Indigenous Peoples continued to be demonised. | The year began with the tragic news of the death of…
(2019-01-22). Children in the Philippines as Crime Scapegoats. hrw.org 
| | Detainees sit next to an anti-drug mural of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte inside the Manila City Jail, October 16, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | The Philippine government is one step closer to prosecuting young children as adults, a key plank in President Rodrigo Duterte's abuse-ridden anti-crime campaign. | On Monday, a congressional committee approved a bill that would lowe…
(2019-01-22). Another 170 immigrants drown in the Mediterranean. wsws.org With the statement "The ports are and will remain closed!" Italian Interior Minister Salvini summed up the EU's contempt for human rights in its policies towards refugees.
(2019-01-21). MLK Day Special: Rediscovered 1964 King Speech on Civil Rights, Segregation & Apartheid South Africa. democracynow.org 
As the nation marks 90 years since the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we air a rediscovered speech he delivered on December 7, 1964, days before he received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. In a major address in London, King spoke about segregation, the fight for civil rights and his support for Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. The speech was recorded by Saul Bernstein, who was working as the European correspondent for Pacifica Radio. Bernstein's recording was rediscovered by Brian DeShazor, director of the Pacifica Radio Archives.
(2019-01-21). All Hail the Revolutionary King: Martin Luther King and the Black Revolutionary Tradition. counterpunch.org 
The annual King Day celebrations provide a great opportunity to defend Dr. King's revolutionary legacy against The System's efforts to white wash and degrade his frontal challenge to its crimes. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the great revolutionaries in U.S. and world history. He was a leader of the Civil Rights and More
(2019-01-21). Shocking Admission by FBI Veteran Shows Why the FBI Shouldn't Exist. theantimedia.com 
(CJ Opinion) — On the 18th of November, 1964, the FBI's appallingly corrupt boss J. Edgar Hoover denounced Martin Luther King Jr. as "the most notorious liar in the country." A few days later, a Hoover deputy named William Sullivan wrote King a letter posing as a disillusioned follower and using powerful, manipulative language to urge the civil rights leader to commit suicide …
(2019-01-21). Filipinas: Agresiones a manifestantes pacíficos, uno asesinado. amnesty.org Cientos de trabajadores y trabajadoras del sur de Filipinas llevan acampados en Manila desde el 27 de noviembre de 2018 en protesta por las condiciones laborales en las plantaciones de la empresa Sumitomo Fruit Corporation (Sumifru) de propiedad japonesa. Desde que se declararon en huelga el 1 de octubre de 2018, estos trabajadores y trabajadoras han sido sometidos a diversos ataques, incluido el homicidio de un destacado sindicalista y el incendio de las oficinas del sindicato y de las casas de algunos sindicalistas. Las autoridades filipinas deben llevar a cabo inmediatamente una investigación concienzuda e imp…
(2019-01-21). Israel/OPT: Prominent Bedouin Leader Imprisoned by Israel: Sheikh Sayyah Abu Mdeighim al-Turi. amnesty.org On 25 December 2018, 69-year-old human rights defender Sheikh Sayyah Abu Mdeighim al-Turi, started serving a 10-month prison sentence for exercising his rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly. Sheikh Sayyah is the head of al-'Araqib, a Bedouin village in the Negev/Naqab that is unrecognized by the Israeli authorities. He is currently held at Maasiyahu Prison, in the city of Ramle in central Israel. He is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally.
(2019-01-21). Philippines: Peaceful protestors attacked and one murdered. amnesty.org Hundreds of workers from southern Philippines have been camping out in Manila since 27 November 2018 to protest the labour conditions on Japanese-owned Sumitomo Fruit Corporation (Sumifru) plantations. Since declaring a strike on 1 October 2018, the workers have faced multiple attacks, including the killing of a prominent union member and the burning down of the union's office and the houses of some members. A prompt, thorough and impartial investigation by the Philippine authorities into the threats and attacks should be conducted immediately, and the authorities must also guarantee the safety of the protesting…
(2019-01-21). Maldives: A flicker of hope amidst a turbulent year for human rights. amnesty.org When the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) was proclaimed on 10 December 1948, the world was a dark place. With the brutality of World War II fresh in their minds, members representing the state parties before the United Nations were adamant that human dignity be one of the pillars on which global recognition of human rights would be built in. The preamble to the UDHR unequivocally recognizes that the inherent dignity, equality and inalienability of human rights is "the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world". In 201…
(2019-01-21). Russia: First criminal case under "undesirable organizations" law marks a new level of repression. amnesty.org The Russian authorities have for the first time used the repressive "undesirable organizations" law to open a criminal case against human rights defender Anastasia Shevchenko, exposing her to the risk of a six-year prison term, Amnesty International said today. | This morning Anastasia Shevchenko, a Coordinator with the Otkrytaya Rossiya (Open Russia) movement, was charged with "repeated participation in the activities of an undesirable organization." Until now, violations of this law were punished under administrative law. | "In recent years, the Russian authorities have progressively suffocated and criminalized…
(2019-01-21). Nigeria: Disbandment of FSARS not enough to end police atrocities. amnesty.org Responding to an announcement today by the newly-appointed Inspector General of Nigeria Police who ordered the disbandment of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other special squads, Osai Ojigho Director of Amnesty International Nigeria said: | "The disbandment of the notorious Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) acknowledges years of outcry from Nigerians over human rights violations routinely committed by its members. However, disbandment alone is not enough and must be followed with concrete reforms that will end gross violations by the police altogether. |
(2019-01-21). Israel y los Territorios Palestinos Ocupados: Encarcelado por Israel un destacado líder beduino. amnesty.org El 25 de diciembre de 2018, Sheikh Sayyah Abu Mdeighim al-Turi, defensor de los derechos humanos de 69 años, comenzó a cumplir una condena de 10 meses de prisión que le ha sido impuesta por ejercer su derecho a la libertad de expresión y de reunión pacífica. Es el jefe de Al Araqib, pueblo beduino del Néguev/Naqab que no está reconocido por las autoridades israelíes. Se halla recluido en la prisión de Maasiyahu, situada en la ciudad de Ramle, en el centro de Israel. Es preso de conciencia y debe ser puesto en libertad de inmediato y sin condiciones.
(2019-01-21). Walk The Talk . amnesty.org The new Constitution of Nepal, written in 2015, significantly widened the scope of human rights protections—including through strengthening the guarantee of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR). Nepal is also a state party to many key human rights treaties including the International Covenant on Civil on Political Rights and the Covenant of Economic Social and Cultural Rights. | When it came to human rights, the citizens in Nepal had two major expectations from the government. The first was ensuring a closure from past human rights violations under the framework of human rights. And the second was pr…
(2019-01-21). Ecuador: Authorities must seriously address situations of violence, without encouraging xenophobia. amnesty.org In response to recent statements by the government of President Lenin Moreno on the imposition of entry restrictions for Venezuelan people, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director of Amnesty International, said: | "President Lenín's government has the responsibility to protect people's rights to seek asylum and international protection, as well as to prevent, investigate and punish acts of violence committed against people within its territory, without discrimination based on their nationality or other factors." | "In the face of serious cases of gender violence and recent femicides, the Ecuadorian authorities hav…
(2019-01-21). Sri Lanka: The Year in Rights. amnesty.org Just six weeks ago, Sri Lanka was a different place. The political crisis had not struck, and a critique of the country's human rights situation would focus primarily on delivery of transitional justice commitments, space for civil society, human rights defenders, the media, ongoing torture, the attempt to constitutionalise economic, social and cultural rights and the limited successes on the accountability front against perpetrators of human rights violations.
(2019-01-21). Libya: Nightmarish Detention for Migrants, Asylum Seekers. hrw.org 
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(2019-01-21). Oscars Documentary Shortlist and Human Rights. hrw.org 
| | Ascensión Mendieta enters the cemetery where her father's remains have are buried in a mass grave. | © 2019 Modesto Aranda | Human rights are featured prominently in this year's Oscar shortlists. Five of the 15 shortlisted films for Best Documentary (out of 166 eligible titles) are part of the 2018 and 2019 Human Rights Watch Film Festival. We're rooting for one to win the Oscar statuette on February 24th, and look forward to the final nominee list to be announced tomorrow. | Here…
(2019-01-20). Thousands join Women's March in Minnesota. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – Thousands of people rallied at the State Capitol, January 19, as a part of the Women's March. Many joined in the marches today, in Saint Paul and around the country in their ongoing anger and outrage over the Trump administration's continued attacks on women, reproductive rights, as well as the attacks on Muslims, immigrants and refugees. | Chants included, "Hey oh, this president has to go!" Slogans on banners included "No more deportations" and "No more stolen sisters."
(2019-01-20). Remembering Martin Luther King Jr., the Organizer. aclu.org What a new generation of activists can learn from America's most celebrated civil rights leader. | Martin Luther King Jr. is rightly celebrated as a transformative political and moral leader who championed racial equality, but he is less often credited as a brilliant strategic and tactical organizer who led cutting edge campaigns to deliver the rights for which he is known. As an organizer, I am struck by the mastery of the organizing craft that infuses King's writing, so on this holiday remembering his legacy, I'll share several of King's lessons that all activists can benefit from today. | King chose campai…
(2019-01-20). Thousands join Women's March in DC, ignore right-wing rants. fightbacknews.org Washington, DC — Thousands converged on Washington, DC today, January 19, for the third yearly Women's March. The protest comes amidst the Trump administration's attempts to legitimize misogyny and attacks reproductive rights, trans rights, the rights the survivors of rape on campuses. | The huge turnout came despite a concerted attack by right-wing commentators and Zionists. These reactionaries are distraught because some of the march organizers have demanded justice for the Palestinian Rasmea Odeh, a heroic Palestinian American who faced trumped-up charges and who was later deported. | Large numbers of th…
(2019-01-20). Human rights and environmental activists targeted in Victoria Police raids. greenleft.org.au 
The following statement was released on January 19 | *** | Several activists involved in the protests against the International Mining And Resources Conference (IMARC) 2018 last October had their homes raided and searched by Victoria Police on Friday January 18. They were arrested, detained and interrogated and had phones, computers and other belongings seized. | The Latin American Solidarity Network (LASNET), Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR), Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy (BASE), Voices of the 3%, Melbourne Rainforest Action Group (MRAG) and other groups strongly denounce the harassment, surve…
(2019-01-20). West Michigan Women's March builds resistance to Trump. fightbacknews.org Grand Rapids, MI – About 500 people rallied and marched thru Grand Rapids, January 19, to build resistance to Trump during the 2019 Women's March. The women's movement in West Michigan hosted leaders from the immigrant rights, African American freedom, student and labor movements. | Many of the speeches were personal and heartfelt, detailing women's struggles against sexual assault, workplace discrimination, and mistreatment at the hands of ICE, law enforcement and the courts. | "This month we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, a man who unselfishly shared his dream of equality with us," said Cindy R…
(2019-01-19). Brett Kavanaugh is a Threat to Racial Justice and Voting Rights. zcomm.org In light of the proliferation of laws that pose obstacles to voting, the Supreme Court will have the opportunity to further eviscerate the Voting Rights Act…
(2019-01-19). We have had enough of Trump and the war on women. fightbacknews.org Enough is enough. Trump, his administration, and his backers are waging war on women, and millions of women are making it clear that we are not going to be pushed backwards. From the massive Women's Marches, to the midterm elections, to the constant, everyday resistance, women are standing up against Trump's reactionary agenda. | Trump and his supporters in the Senate want to pack the Supreme Court and roll back reproductive rights, and they have gotten a start by appointing the drunken misogynist Brett Kavanaugh. Accompanying the administrations outrageous policy of placing immigrants in detention, Trump's Justi…
(2019-01-19). Trump Sanctions Against Venezuela Have Decimated Oil Production. therealnews.com 
The Trump administration is evaluating oil sanctions on Venezuela now. The sanctions that are already in place lead to many deaths and make an economic recovery practically impossible, says CEPR's Mark Weisbrot
(2019-01-19). Marching to End Child Marriage in Massachusetts. hrw.org 
| | Protesters from Unchained at Last speak in front of the Massachusetts State House in Boston to end child marriage in Massachusetts, May 2017. | © 2017 Unchained at Last/Facebook | Today, I'll join the Women's March in Boston to demand an end to child marriage in Massachusetts. | My two grandmothers were both child brides in Trinidad and Tobago. Their lives illustrate how child marriage robs children — especially girls — of their childhood and rights. | My grandmothers ("Nanny" and "Mama") were forced…
(2019-01-19). Thailand: Insurgents Kill Buddhist Monks. hrw.org 
(New York) — Separatist insurgents in Thailand's southern border provinces killed two Buddhist monks in an unlawful assault on a temple, Human Rights Watch said today. The deliberate attack on civilians and a place of worship is a war crime. | | | Separatist insurgents in Thailand's Narathiwat province attacked Wat Rattanaphab temple on January 18, 2019, and killed two Buddhist monks, including the temple's abbot Phra Khru Prachote Rattanarak, and wounded two others. | © 20…
(2019-01-18). These Parties Are Fighting for the Climate, Human Rights, and Immigrants—and They're Winning. thenation.com These Parties Are Fighting for the Climate, Human Rights, and Immigrants—and They're Winning…