(2020-03-24). Egypt imposes nighttime curfew, partially closes shops to fight coronavirus spread. rt.com 
The Egyptian government has imposed a two-week long curfew and is shutting down shops and restaurants to curb the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. | The curfew will be in force between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. starting Wednesday and apply to all citizens and transport, Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly announced in a televised address. Violators would be subjected to fines and prison terms. | Businesses will have to stay shut between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. on all days except Fridays and Saturdays, when they will not be allowed to open at all. | Cafes and restaurants will be allowed to deliver foo…
(2020-03-24). President Rouhani says about half of Iran's state workers are staying home. rt.com 
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday about half of all government employees were staying at home as part of measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak. | Another measure to contain the outbreak, the temporary release of prisoners, will be extended until the end of the current Iranian month of Farvardin, about April 18, he said, according to state TV. | Iran is one of the hardest hit countries outside China. The country's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak increased by 122 in the past 24 hours to 1,934, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Tuesday. | The total number of people…
(2020-03-24). Jewish Activists Demand Governor Newsom Release Detainees In Light of Covid-19 Outbreak. indybay.org In a March 21 press release, Never Again Action Bay Area calls on Governor Newsom to take immediate steps to release migrants from unsanitary, overcrowded "death camp" detention centers…
(2020-03-24). Julian Assange to apply for bail amid coronavirus dangers in British prisons. wsws.org A press release issued by WikiLeaks stated that Assange's lawyers "will argue that he is vulnerable to the COVID-19 outbreak in the prison where he is on remand."
(2020-03-24). Five Demands for Emergency COVID-19 Survival. indybay.org With the Bay Area and now all of California on coronavirus lockdown, millions going without paychecks and health insurance, prisoners and unsheltered folks at great risk of contracting the virus, wheatpaste posters have gone up in Oakland making five reasonable demands to increase our collective chance at survival.
(2020-03-24). Twenty-three die in Colombia prison revolt over coronavirus conditions. wsws.org Amid fears of the rapidly spreading pandemic, prison riots erupted across Colombia and were brutally suppressed by prison guards.
(2020-03-24). Ramsey Orta denied basic safety measures in Solitary Confinement as COVID-19 virus spreads. indybay.org Ramsey Orta and other inmates in the New York State Prison system are extremely vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. If Governor Cuomo does not act now, it will be blood on his hands.
(2020-03-24). Military, Trump administration ready plans for domestic crackdown as virus spreads across US. wsws.org The Justice Department has asked Congress to suspend habeas corpus and due process, even as the military develops plans to deploy troops on US soil to suppress "riots" and "civil disobedience."
(2020-03-24). India Releases Ex Jammu and Kashmir Chief Omar Abdullah after Eight Months of Detention. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Around 500 Kashmiri leaders were detained after India stripped the state of its special status in August. Among those detained were former state leaders Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti.
(2020-03-24). Bangladesh Government Suspends Jail Sentence of Ex-PM Khalida Zia on Humanitarian Grounds. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Khaleda Zia is the former prime minister of Bangladesh and the head of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. She is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for her involvement in a graft case.
(2020-03-24). Libya: Haftar militias target prison in Tripoli. yenisafak.com The UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) said Tuesday that militias affiliated with Eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar targeted the Ain Zara prison facility in southern Tripoli.Spokesman for the GNA-led Burkan Al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage) Operation, Mustafa al-Majee, told Anadolu Agency three security officers were injured in the attack.Despite the GNA approval on a humanitarian cease-fire to focus on efforts to combat the coronavirus, Haftar has regularly violated the terms by attacking different locations in Tripoli, he said.GNA justice minister has appealed to the international commun…
(2020-03-24). Bangladesh's opposition leader Khaleda Zia to be freed from jail. yenisafak.com Bangladesh will suspend the jail sentence of its ailing former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia and release her for a period of six months, the nation's law minister said on Tuesday."We have decided to release her on humanitarian grounds as per the instructions of the prime minister," Law Minister Anisul Huq said at a media briefing. "She can receive treatment staying at her home, but she cannot go abroad."Khaleda, 74, who has twice been prime minister, has been in jail since she was convicted in a graft case in February 2018. Her health has been deteriorating for months and she was moved to a hos…
(2020-03-24). NATO's Kosovo operation marks 21 years. yenisafak.com Over 20 years ago, NATO launched an air campaign against the former Yugoslavia to end the oppression and massacre against the civilians in Kosovo.NATO's Operation Allied Force on March 24, 1999, opened a new chapter in the history of this small Balkan nation, forcing the Serbian military out of Kosovo and allowing the stationing of international mediators in the country.The operation was a turning point for Kosovo's people as it paved the way for the safe return of all refugees and displaced persons.On September 23, 1998, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1199, calling for a cease-fire amid increasing te…
(2020-03-24). UN calls for respecting human rights in COVID-19 fight. yenisafak.com UN experts on Tuesday called on governments to respect human rights while combatting the coronavirus pandemic.In a joint statement by the chairs of the 10 UN Treaty Bodies, the experts called on states to ensure equal access to health care to all without any discrimination."Only by including all people in COVID-19 strategies can the pandemic be combatted," said Hilary Gbedemah, chairwoman of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.Experts also warned states to take extra care of vulnerable people such as "elders, people with disabilities, minorities, indigenous peoples, refugees, asylum s…
(2020-03-23). Former ICE Director: Release Immigrants from Detention or COVID-19 Will Spread Like Wildfire Inside. democracynow.org 
Alarm is growing about the safety of more than 37,000 people held in immigrant detention centers and private jails that contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, where it is nearly impossible for them to avoid close contact to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Nearly half of those detained by ICE are accused of no crime other than civil immigration violations. Immigrants at three jails in New Jersey are now on hunger strikes over unsanitary conditions that put them at high risk during the pandemic.‚Ä®‚Ä® We hear from a detained person on hunger strike and speak wit…
(2020-03-23). Justice Dept reassures Americans only judges can suspend their constitutional rights during coronavirus epidemic. rt.com 
The US Department of Justice has reassured Americans freaked out by a request to Congress for powers of indefinite detention without trial by explaining that only judges — not President Donald Trump — would be able to use it. | DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec lamented the "confusion" caused by a Politico report
(2020-03-23). COVID-19 Will Spread Like Wildfire in Migrant Jails If Detainees Aren't Released. truthout.org Alarm is growing about the safety of more than 37,000 people held in immigrant detention centers and private jails that contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, where it is nearly impossible for them to avoid close contact to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Nearly half of those detained by ICE are accused of no crime other than civil immigration violations. Immigrants at three jails in New Jersey are now on hunger strikes over unsanitary conditions that put them at high…
(2020-03-23). Car protest at Gov. Walz's mansion demands immediate release of immigrants in Minnesota jails. fightbacknews.org Saint Paul, MN – In one of the first known protests organized since the widespread implementation of 'social distancing' and 'shelter-in-place' with the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, a car caravan lined Summit Avenue outside Governor Tim Walz's mansion in Saint Paul to demand immediate release of all immigrant detainees in Minnesota jails. | The protest participants stayed in their cars to avoid social spread of coronavirus. Cars were painted and adorned with posters with slogans like "Governor Walz: Free them all." People in some cars led chants with megaphones. Periodically, all the cars would honk at the…
(2020-03-23). This is No Time to Play Politics with our Democracy. aclu.org To ensure elections proceed and eligible Americans can vote, any federal legislative package addressing the impact of COVID-19 on our elections must include an immediate, substantial infusion of federal funding and federal requirements for no-excuse mail-in absentee voting and early in-person voting. While the coronavirus pandemic should not be a political issue, with presidential primaries and the general election coming up, it could soon directly impact our politics. It is simply not an option for Congress to fail to act on these basic issues to protect American elections while the pandemic is ongoing. , , F…
(2020-03-23). Headlines for March 23, 2020. democracynow.org Global COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 15,000 as Italy Drafts Military to Enforce Lockdown, Angela Merkel to Self-Quarantine After Her Doctor Tests Positive for COVID-19, First COVID-19 Cases Reported in Occupied Gaza, War-Stricken Syria and Afghanistan | , Coronavirus Cases Mount Across Africa, Two Nigerians Overdose Self-Medicating with Chloroquine After Trump Praised Anti-Malaria Drug as Possible COVID-19 Treatment, Coronavirus Leads to Lockdowns, Travel Bans in Latin America, as a Colombian Prison Riot Turns Deadly | , Fate of Tokyo Olympics Still Unknown as Canada, Australia Refuse to Send Athletes | , India Lock…
(2020-03-23). Colombia: Prison Riots Under Investigation. telesurenglish.net The Colombian Prosecutor's Office will open an investigation into the deaths of 23 inmates after protests on March 22. The prisoners requested the government instittute preventive measures against the Covid-19 inside the prison facility. The demonstration resulted in violence and the death of several inmates. | RELATED: | The legal body said in a communication: "Because of these regrettable events in which 23 inmates at the La Mode…
(2020-03-23). US States Release 'Low-Risk' Inmates Over COVID-19 Spread. telesurenglish.net Thousands of 'low-risk' inmates in at least 16 U.S. states are being released in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in crowded jails and prisons. | RELATED: | "Jails can be incubators for disease so we have to take bold and drastic steps," New Jersey's Attorney General Gurbir Singh Grewal said, adding this measure is made to protect the health of prisoners and limit COVID-19 effect in prison population. | T…
(2020-03-23). Arab League Demands Israel Release Palestinian Prisoners. imemc.org The League of Arab States, consisting of 22 Arab countries, addressed international human rights organizations and other relevant bodies, on Monday, what they describe as an imperative release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, from Israeli jails. A press release, issued by the Deputy-Secretary General of the Arab States' League for …
(2020-03-23). Army Abducts Three Palestinians In Qalqilia. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, Monday, three Palestinian men in Qalqilia governorate, in northern West Bank, after invading and violently searching their homes, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS said the soldiers invaded and ransacked homes in Sniria village, south of Qalqilia, before abducting 'Ala Sadeq Omar, 38, and …
(2020-03-23). COVID-19 Pandemic and Coronavirus Suppression — Should Schools Close? globalresearch.ca The world is in the grip of a COVID-19 pandemic that is now impacting relatively poor countries in Africa and South Asia. Rich island continent Australia (population 25 million) has only about 1,000 cases so far and has achieved this …
(2020-03-23). Lawsuit against EPA for "Re-approving" Monsanto Cancer-causing Pesticide. globalresearch.ca Today, Center for Food Safety (CFS) on behalf of a broad coalition of farmworkers, farmers, and conservationists,
(2020-03-23). 'Ticking Time Bombs': Democrats and Advocates Demand Release of At-Risk Inmates Amid Coronavirus Pandemic. commondreams.org Rights advocates and Democrats holding state and federal elected offices across the United States are doubling down on demands for the release of "at-risk" inmates and more prevenative measures in jails and prisons to prevent mass outbreaks of the new coronavirus, which has killed at least 473 people and infected over 35,000 nationwide as of Monday morning. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-5660331311.jpg …
(2020-03-22). US Urged to Release Detainees at ICE Centers as Virus Spreads. telesurenglish.net Legal rights groups RAICES, Rapid Defense Network, and ALDEA-The People's Justice Center filed an emergency lawsuit on behalf of families and children detained by the United States (U.S.) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to demand their immediate release as the new coronavirus is fast-spreading across the country. | RELATED: | The organizations said Saturday in a press release that all the migrant detention cen…
(2020-03-22). Coronavirus hits US prisons: "thousands face death sentence" thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Dr. Amanda Klonsky, the chief program officer at a prison education organization, about…
(2020-03-22). Taliban-Afghan Gov't Skype Call Revives Hopes of Peace Process. telesurenglish.net Afghanistan's Taliban and the current government held a "virtual" meeting on prisoner releases Sunday, officials reported, breathing life back into the nascent peace process. | RELATED: | The two sides spoke for over two hours in a Skype meeting facilitated by the United States and Qatar, officials said. | "Prisoner releases by both sides is an important step in the peace process, as stated in the U.S.-Taliban agree…
(2020-03-22). Prison Protests Due to Overcrowding Ends in 23 Dead, 83 Wounded. telesurenglish.net At least 23 prisoners died and 83 were wounded in the La Modelo Prison in Bogotá during the riots last night, the Colombian Ministry of Justice reported on Sunday. According to the Ministry, several prisoners protested the overcrowding of these facilities amid fears of the coronavirus spreading. | RELATED: | "The result of the escape attempt in La Modelo was 23 dead and 83 wounded, of which 32 are in hospital centers,"
(2020-03-22). Israel's Palestinian Inmates to Hunger Strike Due to COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Palestinians detained in Israel threatened to start an indefinite hunger strike to protest Israel's response to the coronavirus pandemic including a ban on meeting attorneys, absence of preventive measures, and refusal of protection gear, Haaretz reported Sunday. | RELATED: | Prisoners affiliated with Hamas, the group governing Gaza, returned their breakfast and lunches Thursday, and others affiliated with Fatah, the faction tha…
(2020-03-20). How the ACLU Organized to end Racial Profiling on Greyhound Buses. aclu.org Two years ago, the ACLU set a clear goal: push Greyhound to refuse Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers access to their buses to conduct warrantless searches. As part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, CBP officers were targeting bus passengers around the country, boarding their buses to racially profile, harass, and too often, detain people who they suspected of being undocumented. Of course, you can't tell someone's immigration status by how they look or sound — this practice is unconstitutional and blatantly racist. By pushing aggressively with the help of our membership and…
(2020-03-20). Headlines for March 20, 2020. democracynow.org Worldwide COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 10,000 as Italian Nurses "Stop Counting the Dead", Refugee Groups Warn of COVID-19 "Carnage" in Camps Housing Millions, Coronavirus Multiplies Across Australia, Latin America, Africa and Middle East, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Issues Statewide "Stay at Home" Order for 40 Million, New York Mayor Calls on Trump to Mobilize Military to Aid Overwhelmed Hospitals, Georgia State Legislators Urged to Self-Quarantine; Spring Break Revelers Party On in Florida, Demands Grow to Empty ICE Jails as NJ Detention Center Worker Tests Positive, Trump Blasts "Corrupt" Media at Rambling Coronav…
(2020-03-20). "A Storm is Coming" — Doctors Warn of COVID-19 Wave Racking US Prisons. mintpressnews.com Doctors are warning that the huge numbers of inmates locked inside large communal cells, often with dozens of other people, a perfect breeding ground for disease.
(2020-03-20). FRSO condemns the murder of Communist Party of the Philippines leader Julius Giron. fightbacknews.org Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) condemns the brutal government murder of the prominent Filipino communist Julius Giron, his wife Lourdes Tan Torres and their aide. We extend our condolences to his family, friends and our comrades of the Communist Party of the Philippines. | We are given to understand Julius Giron made a lifetime of huge contributions to revolutionary struggle of the people of the Philippines to end all oppression and exploitation. This cruel and cowardly killing, carried out by police thugs at 3 a.m., stands as an indictment of the Duterte regime and its imperialist masters. This crimi…
(2020-03-19). We Know Prisons Need COVID-19 Plans, but our Arizona Prison Tour Suggests it's not Happening. aclu.org Earlier this month, the
(2020-03-19). Headlines for March 19, 2020. democracynow.org Italy Records Record 475 Coronavirus Deaths as Infections Continue Climbing, British PM Boris Johnson Closes Schools After Reversing Lax Virus Containment Plan, Millions of Brazilians Protest from Windows and Balconies Demanding President's Ouster, World Health Organization Warns Critical Lack of Testing Is Costing Lives, Egypt Arrests Protesters Calling for Release of Prisoners at Risk of COVID-19, Yemen, Already Wracked by U.S.-Supported, Saudi-Led War, Braces for Coronavirus, Trump Admin Tightens Sanctions That Have Devastated Iran's Public Health System, Trump Signs Coronavirus Relief Bill Providing Paid Leav…
(2020-03-19). Preventing discrimination against people with disabilities in COVID-19 response. news.un.org Unless Governments and communities take action, discrimination against people with disabilities could increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, an expert with the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
(2020-03-18). Delay or Hold Primaries: Can the 2020 Election Be Safeguarded Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic? democracynow.org 
Tuesday night's primary election for the Democratic presidential nomination was marred by chaos, confusion and fears over the spread of coronavirus at polling places as former Vice President Joe Biden consolidated his lead as he won Florida and Illinois by a wide margin and scored a victory in Arizona. We are joined by Vanita Gupta, former head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in the Obama administration, now president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights coalition. They issued a call with 100 voting rights groups for states to proce…
(2020-03-18). Headlines for March 18, 2020. democracynow.org Global COVID-19 Cases Top 200,000 Worldwide with Over 8,000 Dead, Researchers: Left Unchecked, Coronavirus Could Kill 2.2 Million in U.S. , New Yorkers Prepare to Shelter in Place as Hospitals Face Severe Shortages, Coronavirus Fears Grow for Prisoners and Migrants in ICE Jails, Trump Admin Pushes Economic Stimulus Package Worth Over $1 Trillion, WHO Considers Airborne Precautions for Medical Workers After Coronavirus Found in Aerosols, Rewriting History, Trump Says "I've Always Known" About Pandemic, Internet Providers Drop Data Caps as Calls for Net Neutrality Grow, Biden Wins 3 States as Coronavirus Fears Caus…
(2020-03-18). The Military Should not be Searching Cars or Checking Documents at the Border. aclu.org There's an old saying that goes, "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." This adage is especially applicable to the Trump administration's approach toward border policy, which is ever more militarized. On March 6th, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials
(2020-03-17). Inside Prison Amid Coronavirus Pandemic: Incarcerated Journalist Says Millions Behind Bars at Risk. democracynow.org 
As San Francisco takes the most severe measures in the country in response to COVID-19, telling 7 million people to shelter in place, we go inside the Bay Area's San Quentin State Prison, where two prison blocks are under partial quarantine, to speak with incarcerated journalist Juan Moreno Haines. We look at how the coronavirus pandemic is a growing threat to the 2.3 million people locked up in U.S. prisons and jails, as prisons across the country have been shut down in response to the spreading virus and calls grow for mass prison releases around the United States.
(2020-03-17). SPLC's Three Strikes Project helps nonviolent offenders move from prison to parole. splcenter.org Drugs were a way of life in the economically struggling "Brickyard" neighborhood of Clarksdale, Mississippi, where Nicky Patterson grew up.
(2020-03-14). SPLC offices, Civil Rights Memorial Center close. splcenter.org Our work continues with fervor and is needed more now than ever.
(2020-03-13). Headlines for March 13, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Infections Around the Globe Reach 135,000 People, Nearly 5,000 Dead, U.S. Coronavirus Infections Rise to 1,650 as Actual Number Believed to Be Higher | , Dow Jones Plummets 10% in Biggest Drop Since 1987 | , Trump Administration Faces Backlash for Handling of Coronavirus Outbreak, Testing | , Brazilian President Bolsonaro's Aide Tests Positive for COVID-19 Days After Meeting with Trump, Philippines President Duterte Orders Lockdown in Manila Amid Coronavirus Pandemic | , Advocates Afraid of Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak in Immigration Jails Plagued by Medical Neglect, Democratic Presidential Debate Relo…
(2020-03-12). This Law Makes Voting Nearly Impossible for Native Americans in Montana. aclu.org Voting has never been easy for In a state where the majority of individuals vote | by mail, rural tribal communities often work with get-out-the-vote organizer…
(2020-03-12). The Government Has a Secret Plan to Track Everyone's Faces at Airports. We're Suing. aclu.org U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration are putting us on an extraordinarily dangerous path toward the normalization of face surveillance. But because key facts about this surveillance are still secret, the public lacks the information it needs to hold these agencies to account. We're
(2020-03-11). Keep Calm and Carry on Voting: How to Vote By Mail During the Coronavirus Outbreak. aclu.org Coronavirus should not be a political issue, but with presidential primaries and the general election coming up, it could soon directly impact our politics. We should protect not only our health, but our civil liberties at this time — and one of those civil liberties is our fundamental right to vote. , , For many, the best way to vote while safeguarding your health during this time may be to vote by mail. It's easy to request an absentee ballot and there's still enough time to do so for most states with upcoming primaries. While some states limit who can vote absentee — for example, to people with…
(2020-03-10). Civil Rights Memorial Center closed through March. splcenter.org The Civil Rights Memorial Center (CRMC) in Montgomery, Alabama, is closed and will remain closed through the end of March 2020.