(2018-11-21). Council of Europe: A Threat to Rights of People With Disabilities. hrw.org 
| | The headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. | © 2018 Human Rights Watch | (Brussels) — Council of Europe member states should oppose new proposed standards regulating the detention and forced treatment of people with disabilities, Human Rights Watch said today. The body in charge of developing the standards, the Council of Europe's Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO), consisting of expert…
(2018-11-21). Families Could Be Held Indefinitely in Unlicensed Detention Centers. truthdig.com Migrant families could be held indefinitely in unlicensed detention centers under a new federal plan that also would end critical court protections for immigrant children, according to new court records. | Under the so-called Flores agreement, created in 1997, the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement "shall release a minor from its custody without unnecessary delay" to a parent, relative, legal guardian or adult designated by a parent. | But new Trump administration regulations would dismantle the landmark Flores agreement and allow authorities to release children only to a parent or legal guardian — even if…
(2018-11-21). Libya: Migrants Forced off Ship at Libya Port. hrw.org 
| (Milan) — Libyan security forces forcibly removed 79 migrants and asylum seekers on November 20, 2018 from the Panama-flagged cargo ship Nivin in the port of Misrata in Libya, after they refused to leave the ship for 10 days, Human Rights Watch said today. Security forces reportedly used force and tear gas. An unknown number of people were taken to hospital, and others were taken to the al-Karareem detention center in…
(2018-11-21). I May Have to Quit Harvard Because the TSA Won't Stop Searching Me. aclu.org The TSA has repeatedly questioned a Muslim-American journalist about her religion and criticism of the government. We're demanding answers from DHS. | This piece was originally published by The Washington Post in August. | I realized my life had entered a new phase while crossing into the United States from Canada in September 2016. | "You both have to come inside," the border officer sa…
(2018-11-21). Lebanon: Deportation Threat for Sudan Refugees. hrw.org 
| | People wave a Lebanese national flag during a protest in Central Beirut December 11, 2006. | © 2006 Reuters | (Beirut) — The Lebanese government should revoke the deportation orders of three United Nations-recognized Sudanese refugees and release them from detention, Legal Agenda, the Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), Human Rights Watch, Insan, and the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) said today. Dur…
(2018-11-21). Hundreds of teachers walk off for refugees. greenleft.org.au 
Teachers, education support staff and even some principals walked off government and private schools across Victoria and assembled at the State Library on November 20, in support of refugees currently being detained on Manus Island and Nauru. A similar protest was held in Brisbane that same day. | More than 30 refugee support organisations, including Teachers for Refugees, which organised the protest, had set November 20, Universal Children's Day, as the deadline for the federal government to evacuate refugee children and their families in offshore detention centres to Australia. | The Walk Off for Refugees…
(2018-11-21). The bravery of those who speak out from Manus Island will go down in history. amnesty.org By Charmain Mohamed, Head of Refugee and Migrants Rights | Since 2013 Australia has been sending refugees who attempt to reach its shores by boat to be 'processed' on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. On this remote island thousands of people have endured years of detention and abuse while their refugee claims are assessed. | The Australian government has gone to great lengths to hide the magnitude of the suffering it has caused on Manus Island. | Between 2015 and 2017 there were strict secrecy laws in place, designed to stop staff from speaking out about conditions in detention centres. Details about contractors a…
(2018-11-21). Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Anti-Immigrant Military Enlistment Policy. aclu.org Last year, the Pentagon implemented a background investigation process that effectively banned green card holders from serving in the military. | Despite attacking family members of fallen war heroes, criticizing Sen. John McCain for being captured in war, and recently deploying troops…
(2018-11-21). Boston Police Has a Secret Point System That Turns Normal Teenage Behavior Into Gang Membership. aclu.org The department arbitrarily labels immigrant teenagers as gang members and helps the federal government deport them. | In the face of the Trump administration's stepped-up deportation efforts, officials in Boston and other progressive cities have declared their communities safe spaces for immigrants. But behind the scenes, progressive havens like Boston are facilitating the deportations of some of our most vulnerable young people. | As the federal government's rhetoric and action around immigration have sharpened and hardened, young immigrants are being systematically slandered and deprived of their rights here in…
(2018-11-21). Duty to warn: US spies pressed to tell if they knew of Saudi plot against journalist Khashoggi. rt.com 
A US group promoting press freedom has sued US intelligence agencies to find out whether they failed to warn Jamal Khashoggi about an impending Saudi plot against him.
(2018-11-21). SPLC vows to sue Trump administration again over second approval of Kentucky Medicaid waiver scheme. splcenter.org The SPLC said today that it will sue the Trump administration again for approving Kentucky's Medicaid waiver plan a second time. This lawsuit will be brought in collaboration with the National Health Law Program (NHELP) and the Kentucky Equal Justice Center (KEJC). The law firm Jenner & Block is representing NHELP in the lawsuit.
(2018-11-21). Sign The Petition – It's Time For Micki To Go! Under Callahan's Tenure Lawsuits Cost Millions. indybay.org
(2018-11-21). Netanyahu's Ceasefire is Meant to Keep Gaza Imprisoned. counterpunch.org 
Palestinians in Gaza should have been able to breathe a sigh of relief last week, as precarious ceasefire talks survived a two-day-long, heavy exchange of strikes that threatened to unleash yet another large-scale military assault by Israel. Late on Tuesday, after the most intense bout of violence in four years, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu More
(2018-11-21). United Arab Emirates: Open Letter to Drivers, Teams and Performers at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix 2018. amnesty.org In this joint open letter, human rights organizations urge drivers, teams and performers at the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix 2018 to use their celebrity status to call on the UAE authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience who have been detained solely for peacefully criticizing the authorities, or for calling or advocating for the respect and protection of human rights.
(2018-11-21). DR Congo: Pre-Election Crackdown on Activists. hrw.org 
| | Three members from the Vigilence Citoyenne (VICI) citizens' movement who were arrested in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 14 of their colleagues on November 1, 2018. The activists were charged with incitement to civil disobedience and were provisionally released on November 18. | © Private 2018 | (Kinshasa) — The Democratic Republic of Congo government has made new arrests of pro-democracy activists during November…
(2018-11-21). Israeli Soldiers Abduct Two Palestinians In Hebron. imemc.org Israeli soldiers invaded, on Wednesday at dawn, many areas of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and several surrounding towns, before breaking into and searching homes, and abducted two Palestinian men. The Hebron office of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that the soldiers invaded many homes in …
(2018-11-21). NGO WORKER PRISON VISIT DENIED FOR MONTHS. amnesty.org Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che, the first foreign NGO worker detained after China's new Foreign NGO Management Law came into effect, has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for "subverting state power". His family is not allowed to see him since the last prison visit on 10 September 2018. His whereabouts remain uncertain.
(2018-11-21). Zambia: Anti-corruption activist facing trumped-up charges must not be jailed. amnesty.org A Zambian human rights activist is facing jail simply for accusing the country's judiciary of corruption, Amnesty International said today. | | Gregory Chifire's verdict and sentencing are due to be delivered on 23 November following a grossly unfair trial on four trumped-up contempt of court charges. | "This trial is an affront to t…
(2018-11-21). Headlines for November 21, 2018. democracynow.org Trump Sides with "Great Ally" Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi Killing, Lawmakers Condemn Trump's Defense of Saudi Arabia, WaPo Publisher Blasts Trump over Murder of Columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Rights Groups: Saudi Arabia Is Torturing Feminist Activists, Yemen: Saudi-Led War Caused 85,000 Young Children to Die from Hunger, Afghanistan: Suicide Bomber Kills 50 at Kabul Religious Gathering, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Warns Migrant Caravan over Asylum, Texas ICE Jail to Release 29 Families After Federal Ruling on Asylum, Mississippi GOP Senate Candidate Posed for Photos in Confederate Garb, Federal Judge Strikes Down…
(2018-11-21). Portugal: Convention gears up Left Bloc for year of critical fights. zcomm.org The Left Bloc's Eleventh National Convention was an important step forward in building the fightback against hate-mongering racism and xenophobia…
(2018-11-20). Turkey: European Court decision on detained opposition leader exposes broken judicial system. amnesty.org Responding to today's ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Turkey's repeated extensions to the pre-trial detention of opposition leader Selahattin Demirta≈ü, were politically motivated and violated Articles 5(3) and 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights and were "stifling pluralism and freedom of political debate", Turkey Strategy and Research Manager, Andrew Gardner said: | "This ruling by Europe's top human rights court should have far-reaching implications within the country where civil society actors are routinely remanded in prolonged pre-trial detention under trumped up charg…
(2018-11-20). Judge Orders Trump Administration to Stop Ban on Asylum Seekers. mintpressnews.com "This ban is illegal, will put people's lives in danger and raises the alarm about President Trump's disregard for separation of powers," said Lee Gelernt of the ACLU.
(2018-11-20). PRESS CALL TODAY: Civil Rights Leaders Blast Farr Nomination and Timing of Vote. naacp.org Washington, D.C. — Leaders of the NAACP, Repairers of the Breach, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and NAACP Legal Defense Fund will hold a telephone press briefing, Tuesday, November 20 at 3 PM ET, condemning President Trump's nomination of Thomas Farr to the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Senate's expected […]
(2018-11-20). Egypt: Joint Statement: Children face shocking violations including torture and enforced disappearance. amnesty.org The Egyptian authorities must uphold their legal obligation to protect the rights of children, in particular those arrested or detained, said Amnesty International and the Egyptian Front for Human Rights on World Children's day. | Egyptian security forces have forcibly disappeared at least 12 and physically tortured at least six children since 2015 in relation to political cases. Prison officials have failed to separate children from adults in places of detention, while both civilian and military courts regularly prosecuted and sentenced children along with adults in military trials and even sentenced at least th…
(2018-11-20). Uzbekistan: Stop Harassing Human Rights Defenders. hrw.org 
| | Akzam Turgunov, a former political prisoner and rights activist, has been increasingly subjected to surveillance by security services in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. | © 2017 Steve Swerdlow for Human Rights Watch | (Tashkent) — The Uzbek authorities should stop harassing human rights activists, including those recently released from prison, and ensure their safety, Amnesty International, Civil Rights Defenders, Front Line Defenders, the International P…
(2018-11-20). Papua New Guinea: Australian and PNG leaders must act urgently to save lives on Manus Island. amnesty.org The misery of indefinite detention in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is pushing increasing numbers of refugees and people seeking asylum to suicide attempts and self-harm, a new report by the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) and Amnesty International finds today. | | In the report, …
(2018-11-20). Azerbaijan: Right to freedom of peaceful assembly must be protected and detained peaceful demonstrators released. amnesty.org The 17 November 2018 detention of Azerbaijani opposition leaders and activists as they were attempting to organize a peaceful rally in the capital Baku is a violation of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
(2018-11-20). #WontBeErased, Won't Be Forgotten, Won't Be Alone. aclu.org We should honor the transgender people who have died this year by taking action for trans justice and survival. | On Trans Day of Remembrance the trans community honors our dead. Too many names are read and remembered at vigils around the world marking the deaths of trans people who have been murdered during the year. This year is again on pace to be the deadliest year for transgender people in the United States. As of October, …
(2018-11-20). We Are Thankful for Our Friends. naacp.org 
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we're acknowledging a special group of people we are especially thankful to have at our side — our partners in the civil rights and social justice movement with whom we have powerful friendships with. 2018 was a pivotal year for NAACP, a year in which we made great strides […]
(2018-11-20). AUDIO:CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS HOST THOMAS FARR PRESS CALL. naacp.org Listen to the full audio of Civil Rights groups opposing the nomination of Thomas Farr Organization participants include: NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Repairers of The Breach
(2018-11-20). Opioid Crisis: Purdue Pharma Billionaire Owners to be Sued. therealnews.com 
Suffolk County in New York is suing the Sackler family, which owns the maker of OxyContin, one of the main drugs behind the opioid drug overdose crisis. Just how responsible is the family and might the lawsuit achieve? We speak to Sam Pizzigati of IPS
(2018-11-20). Following SPLC lawsuit, judge blocks president's asylum ban. splcenter.org A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from denying asylum to migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border between ports of entry.
(2018-11-20). NAACP Youth and College Division National Director, Tiffany Dena Loftin Honored at Black Girls Vote Ball. naacp.org 
BALTIMORE, MD — National Director of the NAACP Youth and College Division, Tiffany Dena Loftin was awarded the Rising Star Award on Friday, November 16, 2018 at the 2nd Annual Black Girls Vote Ball. The Black Girls Vote Ball celebrates the accomplishments of black women in politics and activism who are making a difference not […]
(2018-11-20). Saudi Arabia: Reports of torture and sexual harassment of detained activists. amnesty.org Several Saudi Arabian activists, including a number of women, who have been arbitrarily detained without charge since May 2018 in Saudi Arabia's Dhahban Prison, have reportedly faced sexual harassment, torture and other forms of ill-treatment during interrogation, Amnesty International said today. | According to three separate testimonies obtained by the organization, the activists were repeatedly tortured by electrocution and flogging, leaving some unable to walk or stand properly. In one reported instance, one of the activists was made to hang from the ceiling, and according to another testimony, one of the det…
(2018-11-20). Vietnam: End Crackdown on Freedom of Expression. hrw.org 
(New York) — Vietnam should drop all charges against human rights campaigner Huynh Thuc Vy, who faces trial under article 276 of the 1999 penal code for allegedly disrespecting the national flag, Human Rights Watch said today. She faces up to three years imprisonment if convicted by the People's Court of Buon Ho town, Dak Lak province at trial on November 22. | | | Huynh Thuc Vy holds a sign that reads "Praying for Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and for Vietnam. S…
(2018-11-20). SPLC sues Trump administration for records detailing rollback of protections for transgender people in prison. splcenter.org The SPLC, along with Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, sued the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) today.
(2018-11-20). Charges dropped against falsely accused Texas man. wsws.org Christopher Precopia faced life in prison on false charges of assault on a former girlfriend.
(2018-11-20). Army Abducts Fourteen Palestinians In The West Bank. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that Israeli soldiers abducted, on Tuesday at dawn, at least fourteen Palestinians, from their homes in several parts of the West Bank, especially in occupied East Jerusalem. The PPS office in Qalqilia, in northern West Bank, the soldiers abducted two children, identified as …
(2018-11-20). Fired Chipotle manager offered job back after being wrongfully accused of racism. rt.com 
Chipotle has offered to rehire a manager in St. Paul, Minnesota, three days after bowing to social media pressure and terminating the employee over internet-fueled accusations of racism. Spoiler alert: the internet was wrong.
(2018-11-20). Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams Vows to Continue to Fight Voter Suppression. therealnews.com 
Republican candidate Brian Kemp will be next Governor of Georgia, but Stacey Abrams vows a legal fight for voter rights while building a new movement
(2018-11-19). The Fatal Flaws in a Congressional Resolution to End US Support for the Saudi-Led Yemen War. aclu.org The resolution's language would have mistakenly resulted in extending Yemeni suffering instead of ending it. | One consequence of the Saudi government's horrific murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is a renewed congressional focus on ending U.S. support for the Saudi-led war against an anti-government movement in Yemen. This has to be somewhat bittersweet for many Yemenis, who have been pleading for the world to help…
(2018-11-19). Anti-Choice Politicians Are Taking Direct Aim at Roe v. Wade. aclu.org Ohio is trying to ban abortion, and it won't be the last state to do so. | Anti-abortion politicians wasted no time going after Roe v. Wade after the midterm elections. Last week, the Ohio House of Representatives passed a ban on abortion starting at six weeks in pregnancy, which would effectively ban almost all abortions given that most people don't know they are even pregnant at that time. | The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is likely to pass. If it does, the outgoing governor could veto it, but the legislature may have enough votes to override it. And if the legislature doesn't override the veto, the…
(2018-11-19). What a Portrait of General Robert E. Lee Means for One Man's Capital Trial. aclu.org Racial bias can affect a capital punishment case at every legal step. The result of that bias can be deadly. | Anyone walking into the sole courtroom in the town of Louisa, Virginia, is met by an array of portraits covering nearly every square inch of the walls. Overwhelmingly they feature white men. Though on first glance, most of them are not recognizable, one is unmistakable. It's a looming image that dominates the back wall of the courtroom, directly across from the judge. The portrait is of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, in uniform, sword unsheathed at his side. | The presence and prominence of Lee's portra…
(2018-11-19). The 'Resistance' Struggles to Justify Support for Trump's Prosecution of Assange. theantimedia.com 
(CJ Opinion) — Ever since suspicions were confirmed that the Trump administration is indeed working to prosecute and imprison WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing authentic documents, the so-called "Resistance" has been struggling to explain exactly why it is so enthusiastically supportive of that agenda. And when I say struggling, I am being very, very generous. When news broke …
(2018-11-19). Meet the Prisoners Being Paid $1 an Hour to Battle the Deadly Climate-Fueled Fires of California. democracynow.org 
As the death toll from the Camp Fire rises to 77, California is combatting its deadliest fire in state history using prison labor. Some 1,500 of the 9,400 firefighters currently battling fires in California are incarcerated. They make just a dollar an hour, but are rarely eligible to get jobs as firefighters after their release. According to some estimates, California saves up to $100 million a year by using prison labor to fight its biggest environmental problem. In September the Democracy Now! team traveled to the Delta Conservation Camp in Northern California, a low-security prison where more than 100 men are…
(2018-11-19). Jacksonville high school, police, fair management target Black youth with racist dress code. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL — Students at a local Jacksonville high school are calling foul on a racist dress code policy implemented by administration last week. | On November 14, administrators at Robert E. Lee High School issued a new interpretation of the dress code that prohibits students from wearing memorial clothing on campus or at school-sponsored events. Citing prohibitions of "gang-related paraphernalia," the school administrators banned any clothing with the acronym "RIP," or "Rest in Peace," even if the person commemorated has no proven gang affiliations. | The move comes on the heels of a major local con…
(2018-11-19). Headlines for November 19, 2018. democracynow.org NorCal Wildfires Death Toll Soars to 77 as Trump Tours Devastation, Trump Claims Finland Prevents Fires by "Raking and Cleaning" Forests, Florida Democrats Concede Senate & Gubernatorial Races After Recounts, Abrams Ends her Georgia Governor Bid, Vows to Fight Voter Suppression, Orange County Flips to Democrats After Cisneros Wins House Race, CIA Says Crown Prince Ordered Khashoggi Murder, Yemen: Houthi Rebels Call for Ceasefire, Turkey: Government Arrests 14 in Crackdown on Academics and Activists, Trump to Nominate Acting EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler as Permanent Leader, Trump Attacks Admiral McRaven, Who Led Osama…
(2018-11-18). Calling Out Racist Voters Is Satisfying. But It Comes at a Political Cost. theintercept.com 
The silhouettes of attendees are seen during an election night party for 2016 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Hilton Midtown hotel in N.Y., on Nov. 8, 2016. | racist?" and you'll find that just within the last week, at least three major news outlets have taken on that very question. | At the Chicago Tribune
(2018-11-17). These Activists Blocked Migrant Deportations. Now They Face Life Imprisonment in the U.K. theintercept.com 
It was mid-afternoon on November 5 by the time Benjamin Smoke took the witness stand in a courthouse in Chelmsford, a small city about 30 miles northeast of London that voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union in 2016. Smoke is 27 — a freelance journalist and activist with short, black hair, a selection of silver rings in his ears and nose, and no previous convictions. He wore a gray suit, although most of it was hidden behind the stand where he stood that afternoon, answering questions from his lawyer that aimed to explain, and justify, the actions that had led him to being charged with a t…
(2018-11-17). Thousands in London March Against Racism and the Far Right. therealnews.com 
Thousands took to the streets of London to protest xenophobia , and linked the rise of the far-right with austerity and the false promises of Brexit