Sudanese Forces Tortured and Killed Dozens: Activists
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-02-20
Despite Sudanese security forces' violent crackdown on protests, and reports of rape threats and sexual harassment, protesters have been unrelenting — as has the President Omar al-Bashir who refuses to resign. | RELATED: | Sudanese Teacher Beaten to Death by Police During Interrogation: Gov't Investigator | About 60 people have been killed and many others tortured by security agents, activists and rights groups said. However, official numbers are marke…
telesurenglish.net/news/Sudanese-Forces-Tortured-and-Killed-Dozens-Activists-20190220-0009.html

America's Hostile Venezuela Policy Is Slowly Strangling Haiti
STAFF | truthdig.com | 2019-02-20
By imposing harsh sanctions on the Maduro government, the U.S. has cut off an essential source of relief for the embattled island nation.
truthdig.com/articles/americas-hostile-venezuela-policy-is-slowly-strangling-haiti/

My Father Faces the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia for Supporting Human Rights
Shared by Cherise | truthout.org | 2019-02-20
While the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October sparked international outrage, far less attention has been paid to the ongoing Saudi repression at home. We speak with Abdullah Alaoudh, whose father has been locked up in solitary confinement in Saudi Arabia for his political activism since September 2017. Prior to his arrest, prominent Islamic scholar Salman Alodah had been a vocal critic of the Saudi monarchy who had called for elections with 14 million Twitter followers. But for the past 17 months, Salman Alodah has been silenced. He was one of dozens of…
truthout.org/video/my-father-faces-the-death-penalty-in-saudi-arabia-for-supporting-human-rights/

Political Correctness Demands Diversity in Everything but Thought
William Blum | globalresearch.ca | 2019-02-20
In remembrance of the late William Blum, his legacy Lives. | *** | For 50 years I've been painstakingly cataloguing the brutal militarism and human-rights violations of US foreign policy, building up in the process a very loyal audience. | To my …
globalresearch.ca/political-correctness-demands-diversity-in-everything-but-thought/5669164

Civil rights groups sue New Orleans for map of surveillance camera locations
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2019-02-20
Representing a Louisiana public defender, the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed suit against the City of New Orleans over its refusal to provide a map of the city's 400 real-time surveillance cameras. Though the cameras themselves are publicly visible, the City of New Orleans has refused to comply with a public records request for a map of their locations.
splcenter.org/news/2019/02/20/civil-rights-groups-sue-new-orleans-map-surveillance-camera-locations

Saudi Scholar: My Father Faces the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia for Supporting Human Rights
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-20
While the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October sparked international outrage, far less attention has been paid to the ongoing Saudi repression at home. We speak with Abdullah Alaoudh, whose father has been locked up in solitary confinement in Saudi Arabia for his political activism since September 2017. Prior to his arrest, prominent Islamic scholar Salman Alodah had been a vocal critic of the Saudi monarchy who had called for elections with 14 million Twitter followers. But for the past 17 months, Salman Alodah has been silenced. He was one of dozens of rel…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/20/saudi_sch…

US: ICE Detains 2 Ecuadorean Bankers Convicted of Embezzling
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-02-20
Two former Ecuadorean banking brothers who fled to Miami after being charged with stealing millions from one of the country's biggest banks have been arrested by United States immigration officials and await possible deportation. | RELATED: | Ecuador: Movements Demand President Recall, Allege Corruption | William and Roberto Isaias, 74 and 75, had been wanted in the South American country for years on charges that they had embezzled millions of dollars from the now-defunct bank, F…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-ICE-Detains-2-Ecuadorean-Bankers-Convicted-of-Embezzling-20190220-0013.html

Venezuela: Hunger, punishment and fear, the formula for repression used by authorities under Nicolás Maduro
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Venezuelan security forces under the command of Nicolás Maduro executed and used excessive force against people, and arbitrarily detained hundreds of others, including teenagers, in an escalation of their policy of repression as a means of controlling the people of Venezuela and particularly to punish residents of impoverished neighborhoods that decided to protest between 21 and 25 January 2019.
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/venezuela-hunger-punishment-and-fear-the-formula-for-repression-used-by-authorities-under-nicolas-maduro/

Mexico Shouldn't Eliminate Key Disability Rights Agency
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-20
Then-president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets supporters during a rally in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. | © 2018 Cesar Rodriguez/Bloomberg via Getty Images | On February 18, Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, suggested he would dissolve the country's National Council for People with Disabilities, claiming it only fulfills administrative functions. He did no…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/mexico-shouldnt-eliminate-key-disability-rights-agency

ThaàØlande: Un bahreàØnite libéré retourne en Australie
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Hakeem Ali al Araibi a été libéré du centre de détention provisoire de Bangkok le 11 février 2019, après que les autorités bahreàØnites eurent renoncé à leur demande d'extradition. Il est reparti en Australie le jour même. Hakeem Ali al Araibi a été arrêté le 27 novembre 2018 par les autorités thaàØlandaises à son arrivée à l'aéroport international de Bangkok, sur la base d'une notice rouge diffusée par Interpol demandant son extradition vers BahreàØn. Il devait y purger une peine injuste de 10 ans d'emprisonnement, et risquait d'être victime de torture et d'autres mauvais traitements en déte…
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa39/9883/2019/fr/

The hidden victims of repression — how activists and reporters can protect themselves from secondary trauma
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Peaceful protest has long been a way for ordinary people to take a stand against hate, injustice, and corruption. The contentious issues — and types of repression meted out — may change with the times, but the violence itself remains a constant. | Sweeping crackdowns on protest in Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela in recent weeks serve as a reminder of the violence people face when they dare to speak out. Governments continue to unleash an arsenal of tools to suppress dissidents, from batons and pipes, to tear gas and even live bullets. As the death tolls in these countries mount, so does a growing sense…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/how-activists-and-reporters-can-protect-themselves-from-secondary-trauma/

Residents Caught in Outbreak of Violence in Cameroon
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-20
A school classroom in the Anglophone region of Cameroon. | © 2018 Bede Sheppard/Human Rights Watch | On February 16, 170 students, mostly girls under 18, were abducted by a group of armed separatists from a boarding school in Kumbo, in the North-West region of Cameroon. The separatists, who stormed the building in the early hours, also abducted a teacher and two guards. Everyone was released the following day amid rumours of ransoms being paid. The school remains closed. | Human Rights Watch has interviewed numerou…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/residents-caught-outbreak-violence-cameroon

With Trump Beating War Drums, Coalition Calls on Congress to Oppose Sanctions, Back Diplomacy With Iran
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-02-20
Amid rampant warnings that "the drums of war are beating" since President Donald Trump ditched the Iran nuclear deal last year, more than 50 pro-democracy groups representing millions of Americans are calling on members of Congress to rein in the Trump administration's hawkish policy toward Iran—which has included crippling economic sanctions—and instead push for diplomacy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
commondreams.org/news/2019/02/20/trump-beating-war-drums-coalition-calls-congress-oppose-sanctions-back-diplomacy?cd-origin=rss

Argentina: The ignored law of Sexual Education
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Even though the implementation of Sexual Education has been mandatory in all schools in Argentina since 2006, many young people around the country still have no access to basic knowledge of their sexual rights.: | We finish our look into the fight for Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Argentina by looking at how two different communities, in La Plata and Tucuman, address the lack of Sexual Education available to young people. | For young people, having Sexual Education classes is key to learning about their changing bodies, desires and relationships. But, equally important, these classes are necessary for…
amnesty.org/en/latest/education/2019/02/argentina-fighting-for-sexual-education/

'Irritated' by Russia, US Admiral Sends Warship to Black Sea
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2019-02-20
(ANTIWAR.COM) — In November, a maritime incident saw Ukrainian boats enter Russian territorial waters without permission, leading to their capture and detention of their crew. US Admiral James Foggo says he is 'irritated' by that To that end, the admiral has ordered the USS Donald Cook, a destroyer, to enter the Black Sea and conduct naval exercises with Ukraine to …

‘Irritated’ by Russia, US Admiral Sends Warship to Black Sea

United Arab Emirates: Baloch Activist Held Incommunicado: Rashid Hussain Brohi
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
On 26 December 2018, Emirati security forces detained Pakistani national Rashid Hussain Brohi without an arrest warrant. He has been held incommunicado since then. Emirati authorities have not disclosed his location, any cause for arrest, or any charges being raised against him. There are strong indications that Emirati officials are preparing to deport or extrajudicially render Rashid Hussain to Pakistan, where he was involved in Baloch activism prior to moving to the Emirates. There is reason to fear his life would be in danger if he were forcibly returned to Pakistan.
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/9880/2019/en/

Thailand: Further Information: Released Bahraini Returns To Australia: Hakeem Ali al-Araibi
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
On 11 February 2019, Hakeem Ali al-Araibi was released from Bangkok's remand prison after the Bahraini authorities dropped their extradition request. He flew back to Australia the same day. Hakeem was arrested on 27 November 2018, by the Thai authorities upon arrival at Bangkok's international airport, based on an Interpol red notice requesting his extradition to Bahrain. He was expected to serve an unfair 10-year prison sentence there, and would have been at risk of torture and other ill-treatment in detention. Upon his return to Australia, Hakeem thanked the human rights organizations that had acted on his beha…
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa39/9883/2019/en/

US Gov't Settles Another Suit Against Border Patrol Sex Abuse
teleSUR | telesurenglish.net | 2019-02-20
A young Guatemalan women has settled with the United States government to receive US$125,000 in damages for being sexually assaulted by a U.S. detention center agent in July 2016, after she and her older sister, Clarita, turned themselves over to authorities while trying to enter Texas from Mexico. | RELATED: | Third Migrant Dies in US Border Patrol Custody | The Guatemalan migrant, identified as JI to protect her identity, was 17 years old when she and her then 19-year old sister, Clarita, l…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Govt-Settles-Another-Suit-Against-Border-Patrol-Sex-Abuse-20190220-0015.html

Tunisia: Emergency Powers Bill Threatens Rights
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-20
Riot police patrols the district of Intilaka, north of Tunis, Tunisia, Thursday Jan. 11, 2018. | © 2018 Amine Landoulsi/AP Images | (Tunis) — Tunisia's Parliament should abandon or substantially revise a bill that would give the government sweeping powers to restrict rights during declared states of emergency, Human Rights Watch said today. | The legislation would allow the executive to prohibit any strike or demonstration deemed to threaten publ…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/tunisia-emergency-powers-bill-threatens-rights

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Activist Held in Solitary Confinement: Nassima al-Sada
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Woman human rights defender, Nassima al-Sada, was placed in solitary confinement since early February 2019, in al-Mabahith Prison in Dammam. Nassima has been detained since July 2018 without charge or trial. Nassima's detention was part of a recent wave of arrests that targeted Saudi human rights activists. Since May 2018, at least 15 human rights activists, including several women human rights defenders have been detained without charge in Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International calls on the Saudi authorities to release Nassima al-Sada and all other human rights activists immediately and unconditionally.
amnesty.org/en/documents/mde23/9874/2019/en/

Egypt: Execution of nine men after an unfair trial a monumental disgrace
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Responding to the news that Egyptian authorities have today executed nine men convicted after a grossly unfair trial for the 2015 killing of the country's former Public Prosecutor, Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director said: | "By carrying out the executions of these nine men today Egypt has demonstrated an absolute disregard for the right to life. | "Those responsible for the attack that killed Egypt's former public prosecutor deserve to be punished but executing men who were convicted in trials marred by torture allegations is not justice but a testament to the magnitude of i…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/egypt-execution-of-nine-men-after-an-unfair-trial-a-monumental-disgrace/

Nauru: Deterring essential medical transfers risks deadly consequences
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
Responding to news that the government of Nauru has passed a law severely restricting medical transfers to Australia for refugees and asylum seekers, Meghna Abraham, Director of Global Thematic Issues at Amnesty International, said: | "This move by the Nauru government is a dangerous and callous act that could have deadly consequences for the women, men and children whom Australia has exiled there. | "Nauru has failed to provide refugees with the health care they desperately need. Denying them medical transfers is yet another blow and demonstrates just how far the human rights of refugees have slipped down Nauru…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/naurudeterring-essential-medical-transfers-risks-deadly-consequences/

Somaliland: Free Poet Detained for Critical Poems
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-20
Abdirahman Abees. | © 2019 Private | (Nairobi, February 19, 2019) — Somaliland authorities should immediately and unconditionally release from arbitrary detention Abdirahman Ibrahim Adan, a poet known as "Abdirahman Abees," Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said today. Abdirahman, a popular Somaliland poet and British dual citizen, has been held at the central prison in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, for over a month, solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.
hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/somaliland-free-poet-detained-critical-poems

Cloaks and Daggers vs Pens and Ballots
DJ Mouse | indybay.org | 2019-02-20
John Kiriakou, on weekly vigil for Julian Assange, outlines how frame up that greeted his truth telling on torture is waiting for any other spies who come in from cold, or any writers out there reporting on it who've escaped the cloaked daggers…(1hr.)…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/02/19/18821280.php

Tailandia: Bahreiní regresa a Australia tras quedar en libertad
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-20
El 11 de febrero de 2019, Hakeem Ali al Araibi salió en libertad del centro de presos preventivos de Bangkok tras retirar las autoridades de Bahréin su petición de extradición. Ese mismo día embarcó en un vuelo en dirección a Australia. Hakeem había sido detenido por las autoridades tailandesas a su llegada al aeropuerto internacional de Bangkok, el 27 de noviembre de 2018, por una notificación roja de la Interpol en la que se solicitaba su extradición a Bahréin, donde se suponía que debería cumplir una condena injusta de 10 años y habría corrido peligro de tortura y otros malos tratos bajo custodia. A su llegada…
amnesty.org/en/documents/asa39/9883/2019/es/

Trump's Iran strategy: regime change or regime collapse?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-02-19
When Donald Trump took office in January 2017, he made it clear that countering Iran was a top priority on his agenda. Trump ripped up the Iran Nuclear Deal, also known as JCPOA; reimposed pre-JCPOA sanctions and even added new ones that were unprecedented in terms of their scope and scale; and put Iranian citizens, …
uwidata.com/2271-trumps-iran-strategy-regime-change-or-regime-collapse/

Financial blockade: Chronology of a strategy to destroy Venezuela
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-02-19
Sanctions against Venezuela are real and palpable mechanisms of destruction of the State, identity and, with it, of Venezuelan society. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/02/19/financial-blockade-chronology-of-a-strategy-to-destroy-venezuela/

Cleveland labor gears up for fights on multiple fronts
Rick Nagin | peoplesworld.org | 2019-02-19
CLEVELAND — Like bees preparing to swarm, delegates to the Feb. 13 AFL-CIO meeting in Cleveland gathered to plan actions to support workers rights to organize, strike, hold political office and protect their working conditions. The meeting revealed the wide ranging attack now facing organized labor. "We will be much weaker if we lose these …
peoplesworld.org/article/cleveland-labor-gears-up-for-fights-on-multiple-fronts/

A Wisconsin School District Shrugged After High School Coaches Body-Shamed Cheerleaders
ACLU | aclu.org | 2019-02-19
Parents say staff are subjecting students to pervasive gender discrimination in the Kenosha Unified School District. | The cheerleaders at Tremper High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, looked forward to the annual spring banquet as a time to celebrate their hard work in the company of over 100 friends and family members. What they never expected was for the banquet to become a humiliating exercise in body shaming. | In the banquet hall of a Kenosha restaurant in March 2018, the cheer coaches presented some squad members with…
aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/womens-rights-education/wisconsin-school-district-shrugged-after-high-school

Nigeria: Police must release #ArewaMeToo activist Maryam Awaisu immediately and unconditionally
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-19
Responding to today's arrest of one of the leaders of the #ArewaMeToo movement, Maryam Aiwasu, who is pursuing justice for victims of sexual violence in Nigeria, Osai Ojigho Director Amnesty International said: | "Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Maryam Aiwasu who has done nothing more than speaking up for women's rights. Her arrest appears to be an attempt to intimidate and harass both her and other women supporting #ArewaMeToo — a movement seeking justice for victims of sexual violence in Nigeria. | "While arresting Maryam, the police attempted to gain access to her laptop and mobi…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/nigeria-police-must-release-arewametoo-activist-maryam-awaisu-immediately/

Former Pinochet secret police agent Adriana Rivas arrested in Sydney
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-02-19
The following statement was released by the Australian-based National Campaign for Truth & Justice in Chile on February 19. | *** | After years of eluding justice, notorious Chilean torturer Adriana Rivas has finally been arrested and her extradition request by the Chilean state accepted by Australian authoriti…
greenleft.org.au/content/former-pinochet-secret-police-agent-adriana-rivas-arrested-sydney

Ireland: Brexit and DUP's opposition to rights put unity referendum firmly on the agenda
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-02-19
Brexit and DUP's opposition to rights put unity referendum firmly on the agenda | By Rachel Coyle | While the political establishment in Ireland is determined to downplay the need for an Irish unity referendum, it is plainly obvious that the appetite for such a poll is growing by the day. Besides the obvious major constitutional shift that Brexit will cause, the demand for a referendum is being fuelled by the clear lack of social progress in the North, as well as Britain's arrogant disinterest in a region it insists on keeping control of. | In this debate, people talk a lot about identity, but the supposed straig…
greenleft.org.au/content/ireland-brexit-and-dup%E2%80%99s-opposition-rights-put-unity-referendum-firmly-agenda

Ukraine: Five years after the Maydan protests, justice still not attained for victims
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-19
The Ukrainian authorities have failed to attain justice for all victims of police abuses committed during the EuroMaydan protests five years ago, Amnesty International said on the fifth anniversary of the protests' worst day of violence which led to the downfall of then-President Viktor Yanukovych. | "The sheer scope of the human rights violations committed during EuroMaydan was far beyond what the Ukrainian criminal justice system was designed to deal with, to say nothing of its inefficiency. Worse, it has resisted and obstructed justice instead of prosecuting the former and current members of the law enforcemen…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/ukraine-five-years-after-the-maydan-protests-justice-still-not-attained-for-victims/

Iceland: No shame in diversity
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-19
Every year, children are born with sex characteristics (genitals, gonads, hormones, chromosomes or reproductive organs) that vary from the established norms for 'male' and 'female'. In this report, Amnesty International documents the specific human rights violations faced by children with variations of sex characteristics in Iceland, and the lifelong effect of these violations. In particular, the report documents challenges faced by individuals with variations of sex characteristics in accessing appropriate healthcare, and the consequent risks of violations of their right to the highest attainable standard of hea…
amnesty.org/en/documents/eur28/9498/2019/en/

Egypt: Halt imminent execution of nine prisoners on death row
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-19
Egyptian authorities must immediately halt the execution of nine prisoners whom Amnesty International has learned could be put to death as soon as tomorrow morning. The men were convicted after an unfair trial over the 2015 killing of Egypt's former public prosecutor, and have been moved from their prison cells to the appeals prison in preparation for their executions. During the trial some of the defendants said they were forcibly disappeared and tortured to confessing to the crime.
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/egypt-halt-imminent-execution-of-nine-prisoners-on-death-row/

Iceland: Diverse bodies are not mistakes to be corrected
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-19
Individuals born with sex characteristics that vary from female or male "norms" face barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare, risking lifelong physical and psychological damage, Amnesty International said today. In a new report, "No Shame in Diversity", the organization uses case studies in Iceland to show how the lack of rights-based healthcare protocols mean that people born with variations of sex characteristics — who sometimes describe themselves as 'intersex' – face stigma and discrimination and are often subjected to harmful surgery. | A Bill that could help stop this — the Bill on Act on S…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/iceland-diverse-bodies-are-not-mistakes-to-be-corrected/

Justice for Venezuela
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-19
"If we were in a free country my brother would not have been killed…his only 'crime' was thinking different" | This is the fate of thousands of victims of the security forces who, under the command of Nicolás Maduro, have targeted those who took to the streets to demand a change of government in Venezuela. | Instead of seeking solutions and dialogue, the authorities have responded to protests by ordering the military and police onto the streets to repress and punish those who hold different views. In just five days, at least 41 people died during the protests, all from gunshot wounds. More than 900 have been ar…
amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/justicie-for-venezuela/

Jewish Activists Hold Solidarity Shabbat Defending Angela Davis in Birmingham & Across U.S
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-18
Jewish supporters of Angela Davis across the nation held solidarity Shabbat on Friday evening, the night before the civil rights icon had been expected to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The institute rescinded the honor in January due to Davis' support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. The institute later reversed this decision after international outcry, but Davis has yet to accept the award. Democracy Now! was in Birmingham on Friday and attended a Shabbat in support of An…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/18/jewish_ac…

Angela Davis Returns to Birmingham, Reflecting on Palestinian Rights & Fight for Freedom Everywhere
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-18
Civil rights icon and scholar Angela Davis returned to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, over the weekend. She originally planned the visit to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, but the institute withdrew the award last month, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinst…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/18/angela_da…

Birmingham Civil Rights Group Reoffers Award to Angela Davis–But She Says Community Should Decide
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-02-18
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute sparked international outrage in January when it rescinded the Fred L. Shuttlesworth award for civil rights icon Angela Davis, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring her due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinstated the award, but Davis has yet to accept it. Democracy Now! spoke with the president and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Andrea Taylor, on Saturday, before an alternate e…
www.democracynow.org/2019/2/18/birmingha…

Trump Hits Venezuela with More Sanctions as US Military Planes Bring 'Aid'
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-02-18
Three USAF planes landed 8km from the Venezuelan border, allegedly carrying "humanitarian aid."
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14332

Racial Equity Groups Mobilize In Support of Voting Rights Act Hearings
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2019-02-18
Atlanta Event 2nd in Series of National Hearings to Restore Voting Rights ATLANTA (February 18, 2019) — On Tuesday, February 19, all eyes will be on Georgia when the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration holds its "Field Hearing on Voting Rights and Election Administration in Georgia." Scheduled for 9: 30 AM EST …
naacp.org/latest/racial-equity-groups-mobilize-support-voting-rights-act-hearings/

Spyware firm buyout reaffirms urgent need for justice for targeted activists
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-18
Novalpina Capital, the private equity firm that has supported NSO Group management to acquire the company from Francisco Partners, must immediately disclose how it plans to prevent further human rights abuses by NSO Group, which has been linked to several chilling attacks on human rights defenders, Amnesty International said today. | In an open letter released today, the organization and six other NGOs urged Novalpina to publicly commit to accountability for NSO Group's past spyware…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/spyware-firm-buyout-reaffirms-urgent-need-for-justice-for-targeted-activists/

Haiti: Authorities must protect protesters' right to life and deal with underlying causes of the crisis
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-18
In response to reports of several deaths during recent days in the context of anti-corruption protests that began earlier this month in Haiti, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said: | "The situation in Haiti is a recipe for disaster, with a stream of reported fatalities during the ongoing protests, hospitals running out of supplies, and people unable to access essential services in the poorest country in the Americas." | "The Haitian authorities must not only ensure that people are able to peacefully protest and guarantee the life and physical integrity of those who choose to demon…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/haiti-authorities-must-protect-protesters-right-to-life-and-deal-with-underlying-causes-of-the-crisis/

Open letter to Novalpina Capital, CC: NSO Group, Francisco Partners
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-18
We, the undersigned organizations, release this open letter to Novalpina Capital regarding the recent announcement of the buyout of NSO Group from Francisco Partners. We call on Novalpina to publicly address our serious concerns regarding accountability for NSO Group's involvement in previously documented spyware abuses, Novalpina's current approach to addressing human rights impacts associated with NSO Group's products and services, and the future trajectory of the company.
amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2019/02/open-letter-to-novalpina-capital-nso-group-and-francisco-partners/

Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa's threats 'deeply troubling'
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-18
In response to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's statement that the government will deal with those suspected to be behind the national 'stay-away' protests, including non-governmental organizations, trade union leaders, opposition leaders, doctors and lawyers, Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa said: | | "President Emmerson…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/zimbabwe-president-mnangagwa-threats-deeply-troubling/

Saudi Arabia: Clarify Status of 'Corruption' Detainees
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-18
(Beirut) — Saudi Arabia announced an end to its high-profile anti-corruption campaign on January 31, 2019, but some of those rounded up remain in detention without a clear legal basis, Human Rights Watch said today. Saudi Arabia carried out the mass arrests, including of princes, current and former government officials, and prominent businessmen, on November 4, 2017, holding some for months at Riyadh's five-star Ritz Carlton Hotel and forcing them to turn over assets in exchange for their freedom outside of any legal process. | Those who re…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/18/saudi-arabia-clarify-status-corruption-detainees

10 things you need to know about Venezuela's human rights crisis
amnesty | amnesty.org | 2019-02-18
The human rights crisis that has engulfed Venezuela for the past few years has shattered the lives of millions of people. Here's what you need to know: | 1 – Excessive use of force: | Much of the current unrest in Venezuela can be traced back to 29 March 2017, when the Supreme Court of Justice – backed by President Nicolás Maduro – moved to take over the National Assembly, where the opposition holds a majority. This triggered protests that were repressed by the Maduro administration with the unlawful and disproportionate use of force. Between April and July 2017, more than 120 people were killed, around 1…
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-venezuelas-human-rights-crisis/

Brazil: Keep Sniper Probe Independent
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2019-02-18
Victim shows patch over his wounded ribs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, January 2019. | © Defensoria Pública do Estado do Rio de Janeiro | Brazil should conduct an independent and thorough investigation into allegations that one or more police snipers killed at least two people in a poor neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro in late January, 2019, Human Rights Watch said today. | Witnesses said that the shots came from a tower within the main complex of the Rio de Janeiro civil po…
hrw.org/news/2019/02/18/brazil-keep-sniper-probe-independent

NAACP Restructures to Advance Advocacy Strategy
Austyn Ross | naacp.org | 2019-02-16
New York (February 16, 2019)–The nation's most prominent civil rights organization announced today during its annual national board meeting in New York, a strategic restructuring which better positions the organization to lead the critical policy advocacy and social justice work needed to ensure the rights of all people. The group also signed memoranda of understanding …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-restructures-advance-advocacy-strategy/