(2021-02-12). Hearings continue against anti-terror law in the Philippines. peoplesdispatch.org On Tuesday, February 9, the second day of the hearings on Philippines' controversial Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the Supreme Court continued to receive oral arguments from the petitioners. Lawyers representing 37 petitioners against the law focused their attack on the new law's potential to do away with protections that were earlier afforded to prisoners and the accused. | According to
(2021-02-12). 'Progressive' prosecutors put thousands of lives at risk. workers.org 
Philadelphia The novel coronavirus has claimed an unlikely victim in the United States: the Sixth Amendment. The right to a "speedy trial" is in critical condition. Philadelphia's county jail population has risen to 4,500 and is growing steadily. Half of those behind bars have "detainers," meaning they aren't eligible for . . . |
(2021-02-12). Make Our Schools and Communities Safe caravan takes to streets of San Francisco. liberationnews.org 
More than 100 cars bearing signs saying "More resources, less lawsuits"; "Fund our schools"; and "Fund our communities" traveled through San Francisco Feb. 10. The Make Our Schools and Communities Safe caravan was called in response to City Attorney Dennis Herrera's announcement that the City would sue the school district to reopen schools. Over 100 …
(2021-02-12). 'We want real justice': Loujain al-Hathloul's family slams conditions of release. middleeasteye.net 
'We want real justice': Loujain al-Hathloul's family slams conditions of release | Since Loujain's sentence was only suspended, not pardoned, Saudi Arabia retains right to return her to prison for any perceived criminal activity | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 16: 27 | A woman viewing a tweet posted by sister of Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, Lina, in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on 10 February (AFP/File photo) | Af…
(2021-02-12). Biden and Harris won't help prisoners. workers.org 
The following are lightly edited remarks from a Workers World Party webinar on January 21. It's actually been a very painful time for those of us who are involved in supporting incarcerated workers. And people behind the walls are incarcerated workers, and they're part of our working class. They're part . . . |
(2021-02-12). Resignation of Trump-Appointed US Attorneys Is Just The Start Of DOJ's De-Trumpification. cepr.net Talking Points Memo See article on original site In the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, the Department of Justice was created in part to deliver and oversee equal rights to formerly enslaved Black men and women. This corrective institution was a major step toward building a federal government that protects the civil rights of all …
(2021-02-12). NY AG brands Amazon 'corporate bully' after tech giant sues to block lawsuit on alleged Covid worker negligence. rt.com 
New York state's attorney general has dismissed Amazon's move to preemptively sue the office over its inquiries into the e-commerce retailer's alleged neglect of employee safety amid the pandemic as a "sad attempt" at distraction. | On Friday, Amazon sued NY Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of legally threatening the company and overstepping her remit. The suit also said that an unannounced city inspection of Amazon's Staten Island facility on March 30 — the first day of worker protests over conditions at the site — found that complaints about safety were "completely baseless". | Respondi…
(2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. democracynow.org 
Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and hold Boeing fully accountable. "This is just another example of giant companies getting away with their corporate criminal…
(2021-02-12). Where Are the Witnesses? Ralph Nader Says Democrats' Impeachment Case Is "Prescription for Defeat" democracynow.org 
As the historic Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump continues, we speak with longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who says Democrats have set themselves up for defeat by rushing proceedings and failing to call witnesses — including Trump himself. "The narrow approach of the articles of impeachment keep the Democrats from having a full hand," says Nader. "They have like 10 arrows in their quiver and they're using one or two."
(2021-02-12). Ralph Nader: Biden Must Hold Boeing Accountable for Deaths Due to Faulty Planes. truthout.org 
Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and…
(2021-02-12). Syrian militants urged to release US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem. middleeasteye.net 
Syrian militants urged to release US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem | Idlib-based reporter was arrested six months ago after raising concerns about alleged torture of prisoners by HTS | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 15: 55 | Bilal Abdul Kareem has reported from opposition-held Syria since 2014 (Screengrab) | A leading media freedom monitor has called for the release of US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, six months aft…
(2021-02-12). Jettison the Johnson: Transwomen Athletes Crashing Female Sports Will Only Hurt the Game. strategic-culture.org 
As the Biden administration moves to make it illegal to deny the participation of birth males in female sport, a number of courageous athletes and academics are beginning to speak out on the issue, warning that the presidential orders will have disastrous consequences on their profession, and possibly their lives. | On the very same day of his locked-down inauguration, Joe Biden signed off on dozens of executive orders, including one gem entitled, 'Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation'. The controversial legislation, which has never been the subject of seri…
(2021-02-12). If Navalny deserves support, why not Issa Amro? zcomm.org Where is the U.S. government on a Palestinian activist at a time when it has highlighted the freedom of other groups to protest (notably the imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Russia)…
(2021-02-12). Saudi Arabia releases Women's Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul but Bans her Travel. juancole.com (Beirut) — Saudi authorities released from prison the prominent women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul on February 10, 2021, Human Rights Watch said today. However, she is banned from travel and has a suspended sentence, which allows the authorities to return her to prison at any time for any perceived criminal activity. In late December 2020, …
(2021-02-12). The Racial Justice Act & Addressing Bias in our Criminal Justice System. indybay.org Join the ACLU NorCal Club and BLSA on Feb. 23rd from 12-1pm PST (Zoom) to learn from experts about racial bias in our criminal justice system and the recently enacted California Racial Justice Act. | The CA RJA prohibits the state from seeking or obtaining a conviction or imposing a sentence "on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin." How successful should we expect the Act to be in its mission to address racial bias? Where does it fall short? What more can we do to work toward a truly equitable criminal justice system devoid of racial bias? | Register here to be entered in a raffle where you can win o…
(2021-02-11). Brazil: Army and Supreme Court Plotted To Keep Lula Imprisoned. telesurenglish.net The Brazilian Army plotted with the Supreme Court to prevent the socialist leader Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva from leaving prison and challenging Jair Bolsonaro for the presidency back in 2018, the Army's former head Eduardo Villas-Boas revealed on Thursday. | RELATED: | According to the 13-hour testimony, the Army threatened the Supreme Court to reject a habeas corpus appeal to free Lula. " We had an increase in demands for military…
(2021-02-11). Immigrants Win Lawsuit Against Los Angeles Sheriff Department. telesurenglish.net The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) must pay US$14 million in monetary damages to over 18.500 migrants who were illegally detained at its facilities. | RELATED: | The case is a warning for all U.S. law enforcement agencies, which continue to detain immigrants without proper warrants. | "Law enforcement agencies act as if basic pr…
(2021-02-11). US cancels $42 million in Myanmar aid over military coup… then redirects it to nation's 'civil society'. rt.com 
The US has slapped a raft of sanctions on Myanmar's top military to block their access to more than a billion dollars in government funds being held in America, and will redirect millions in US aid to "strengthen civil society." | The Biden administration has designated six members of Myanmar's National Defense and Security Council, including General Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the ruling military junta that seized power last week after ousting Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government. Hlaing led the military detention of Suu Kyi and Myanmar's other political leaders, who are currently under house arrest, and…
(2021-02-11). Turkey quickly gets into fight with Biden over Osman Kavala. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey quickly gets into fight with Biden over Osman Kavala | US State Department criticises Ankara over its human rights record while top officials avoid calling Turkish counterparts | Thu, 02/11/2021 – 12: 04 | A journalist stands in front of a poster featuring jailed businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala during a press conference of his lawyers on 31 October 2018 (AFP) | Tensions rose between Tu…
(2021-02-11). UN human rights expert demands release of rights activists imprisoned in the UAE. peoplesdispatch.org 
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, asked the UAE government on Wednesday, February 10, to release three human rights defenders serving 10 year jail terms. She claimed that their mistreatment and harassment in prison amounts to torture. | In a press release, Lawlor claimed that, "not only have Mohamed Al-Roken, Ahmed Mansoor and Nasser Bin Ghaith been criminalized and imprisoned for their non-violent and legitimate calls for respect for human rights in the UAE, they have been subjected to ill-treatment in prison." | #AhmedMansoor (2021-02-11). Letter from an inmate: St Louis prisoners protest COVID violations, inhumane conditions. liberationnews.org 
Early in the morning of February 6, inmates at the St. Louis City Justice Center protested for seven hours over the complete lack of response by jail officials to complaints from inmates about conditions in the CJC.
(2021-02-11). Saudi dissident files lawsuit against McKinsey for outing him as MBS opponent. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi dissident files lawsuit against McKinsey for outing him as MBS opponent | Omar Abdulaziz claims consultancy firm McKinsey outed him as a critic to the Saudi government and MBS in 2016 | Thu, 02/11/2021 – 16: 36 | Omar Abdulaziz has told MEE that Saudi agents had attempted to lure him to the kingdom's consulate in Canada months before the killing of Jamal Khashoggi (MEE/Jillian Kestler-D'Amour…
(2021-02-11). UAE urged to free Jordanian imprisoned for highlighting corruption in Amman. middleeasteye.net 
UAE urged to free Jordanian imprisoned for highlighting corruption in Amman | Ahmed al-Atoum was sentenced to ten years in prison over social media posts criticising Jordan's king and government | Thu, 02/11/2021 – 13: 15 | The Jordanian activist was sentenced to ten years over his social media posts (Screengrab/Social media) | Human rights organisations have this week urged the United Arab Emirates to r…
(2021-02-11). Headlines for February 11, 2021. democracynow.org "The Inciter-in-Chief": Democrats Accuse Trump of Being "Singularly Responsible" for Insurrection, Trump Attacked Pence on Twitter Minutes After Learning VP Was Evacuated from Capitol, Georgia Prosecutor Opens Criminal Probe of Trump over Election Interference, U.S. COVID Death Toll Tops 471,000; Half of All Deaths Occurred Since Nov. 1, WHO Backs Use of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine, Saudi Women's Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Released After 1,001 Days in Prison, Biden & Xi Jinping Speak on Phone as U.S. Forms Military Task Force on China, U.S. Sanctions Military Junta as Anti-Coup Protests Continue in Burma,…
(2021-02-11). KKK member jailed for driving into crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters. thecanary.co A member of the Ku Klux Klan has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison on charges of driving his pickup truck through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in Virginia. | KKK: | Harry Rogers, 37, of Hanover County, was convicted of three counts of assault and battery, one count of destruction of property, and one count of failure to stop at the scene of an accident in connection with the attack last June in Henrico County near Richmond, the state capital, news outlets reported. | Rogers pleaded guilty on 5 February and had three felony charges and a fourth misdemeanour assault count…
(2021-02-11). After 'Mandalorian' Star Carano's Firing, Twitter Hounds Out Co-Star Pascal's Controversial Posts. sputniknews.com During Black Lives Matter mass protests in 2020, Disney drew sharp criticism from British-Nigerian actor John Boyega, who played Finn in the Star Wars films and accused the media company of pushing black characters "to the side" in the franchise while focusing heavily on the development of white characters.
(2021-02-11). Australia must cut all business and military ties to Myanmar/Burma coup regime. greenleft.org.au The Socialist Alliance strongly condemns the February 1 military coup in Myanmar/Burma and the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for Democracy and calls on the Australian government to deny recognition to the regime.
(2021-02-11). The DOJ Has Released Its Clearest Evidence Yet Tying Jan. 6 Militants to Trump. truthout.org 
Federal prosecutors filed papers on Thursday asking a judge to keep a militia leader in jail who has been charged with planning an attack on the Capitol on January 6. The papers contain some of the most direct language yet from the Department of Justice (DOJ) tying former President Donald Trump to the members of the mob that violently breached the Capitol building. | In the months leading up to the attack, military veteran, member of the far right militia group Oath Keepers, and leader of th…
(2021-02-11). Angola has decriminalised same-sex relationships. Will the rest of Africa follow? thecanary.co 
Angola has introduced a new penal code which decriminalises same-sex relationships and prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. The colonial-era code, which characterised gay relationships as "vices against nature", was
(2021-02-11). 3 get prison until death for crimes during Bangladesh liberation war. laprensalatina.com Dhaka, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced three people in jail until death and five more to 20 years in prison on Thursday for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 struggle for independence from Pakistan. The three-judge panel of the International Crimes Tribunal, led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam, acquitted one of …
(2021-02-11). Advocacy Groups Sue Biden Admin. to Force Release of Trump-Era Family Immigration Detention Records. commondreams.org "Children should be able to grow up with their families, friends, and communities—not be detained based solely on their immigration status." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/detained.jpg …
(2021-02-11). Fox News Should Pay for the Lies and Slander It Helped Promote. thenation.com Fox News Should Pay for the Lies and Slander It Helped Promote…
(2021-02-11). Launch of Mustafa Kassem Fellowship in Memory of U.S. Citizen Who Died in Egyptian Prison. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-11). DOJ Drops Lawsuit To Block California Net Neutrality Law. popularresistance.org The US Department of Justice under President Joe Biden has dropped a department lawsuit filed under former President Donald Trump that challenged California's net neutrality rules. California's law, considered more strict than federal rules adopted during the Obama administration, could set the baseline for future federal rules. | The DOJ formally dismissed the lawsuit Monday. The suit was first filed in 2018 under ex-US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a Trump appointee. Former California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, signed the California law in October 2018. California adopted the new rules after a Republican-l…
(2021-02-11). British man convicted over policeman's killing released from Bali jail. laprensalatina.com Jakarta, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- A British man jailed on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali over the brutal killing of a local policeman was released from prison Thursday after completing his sentence. David Taylor was released at 8 am, Directorate General of Corrections spokesperson Rika Aprianti told EFE. It is expected he will be deported. Originally …
(2021-02-11). Meghan wins privacy lawsuit against Mail On Sunday. laprensalatina.com London, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, on Thursday won a court battle against the publisher of British tabloids "Mail On Sunday" and "MailOnline" for violating her privacy by publishing a letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle. The High Court in London ruled that Megan had a "reasonable expectation that …
(2021-02-11). How to Build Systemic Equality After Trump. aclu.org The riot on the Capitol building in the last days of Trump's presidency was a powerful inflection point in an era of racial reckoning. In its wake, many pundits and politicians declared that "this is not America." Our guest on At Liberty this week, ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jeff Robinson, would disagree. The image of a Confederate flag paraded through the halls of the Capitol or cries to disavow an election with high Black voter turnout is America; it's just not the one we like to talk about. | In this episode, we speak with Jeff about how building a more equal nation must be rooted in dealing with the racist p…
(2021-02-11). Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul released after 1001 days in prison. peoplesdispatch.org Her release as per a judge's order also includes the conditions that she stay on probation for three years and refrain from travelling outside of Saudi Arabia for five years…
(2021-02-10). For Russian leftists, Western favorite Navalny represents same corrupt elitism. thegrayzone.com Western politicians and media pundits portray Alexei Navalny as the leader of the Russian opposition. But Russian leftists see something quite different: a representative of a different faction of the Russian elite, who backs continued neoliberal policies and aligns with destabilizing NATO-backed actors. The imprisoned Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny has been held up in the West as…
(2021-02-10). UN expert calls on UAE to release jailed human rights defenders. middleeasteye.net 
UN expert calls on UAE to release jailed human rights defenders | Sentenced to ten years in prison, three imprisoned human rights defenders have been subjected to 'conditions that may amount to torture', says UN Special Rapporteur | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 15: 56 | A police officer enters Dubai's Al-Awir central prison in the United Arab Emirates, on 21 May 2020 (AFP/File photo) | A United Nations expert has called…
(2021-02-10). Biden's 'prison reform': Smoke and mirrors. workers.org 
Alabama Students Against Prison demonstrate against state plans to construct three new private prisons, Dec. 30, 2020, Birmingham, Ala. In an executive order signed Jan. 26 as part of his "racial equity" plan, President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. Attorney General and the Department of Justice not to renew contracts . . . |
(2021-02-10). I'm on Hunger Strike in Guantánamo. I Dream of Cooking for My Family. truthout.org 
There are very few freedoms at Guantánamo Bay prison, where I have been held without charge or trial — referred to as Guantánamo ISN 1461 — for over 16 years. The right to starve myself is one of them, but even then, they force-feed me, to spare themselves the embarrassment of my death. | Back in Pakistan, before I was kidnapped and tortured and flown halfway around the world in chains, I loved cooking. There is nothing more satisfying than preparing a hot meal for your family and sharing i…
(2021-02-10). Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi activist released from prison. middleeasteye.net 
Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi activist released from prison | Blogger Nouf Abdulaziz, who was also swept up in Mohammed bin Salman's 2018 crackdown on dissent, also reportedly released | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 16: 56 | In a photo shared by her sister on social media, Loujain is shown smiling after her release (Screengrab/Twitter) | Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has returned home after spendin…
(2021-02-10). On the Relative Vileness of George W. Bush and Donald Trump, Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene. counterpunch.org When I think Donald Trump I think the word: VILE. A combination of the evil and repulsive. But when I think George W. Bush I ALSO think "vile." There is no great moral distance between Bush as Texas governor mocking the plea for mercy by a death row female prisoner who'd become a born-again Christian
(2021-02-10). COVID-19 And Democrats' Indifference Killed My Husband In Jail. popularresistance.org In February 2020, my husband, Nickolas Lee, was incarcerated in Cook County Jail in Chicago. The judge didn't offer him bail. So even though he was presumed innocent, he had to await his trial in jail. When the coronavirus seeped into the facility, he was sleeping in a dormitory with 50 other men, including those with active COVID-19 symptoms. Nick and the other men had no ability to social distance. Although the sheriff's office claimed to be "clearly leaders in the Country on dealing with the pandemic [sic]," Nick was denied even basic sanitary products, like sanitizer or a mask. He had to use his shirt to cove…
(2021-02-10). Pakistani court commutes death sentences of 2 mentally ill inmates. laprensalatina.com Islamabad, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday commuted the death sentences of two mentally ill people who have spent decades on death row. The convicts, Imdad Ali and Kanizan Bibi are diagnosed as schizophrenic and sentenced to death in separate murder cases. "We hold that if a condemned prisoner, due to …
(2021-02-10). 'Even prisoners get to exercise!' UC Berkeley bans solo outdoor exercise for dorm-bound students. rt.com 
Students at the University of California, Berkeley are banned from outdoor exercising as the campus extends its lockdown due to a reported spike in Covid-19 cases. Initially set to finish on Monday, it no longer has an end date. | University media revealed on Monday that students living on the Berkeley campus can no longer leave their dorms to exercise, explaining that the baffling new regulation is an expansion of a so-called "self-sequester mandate" imposed last month after an uptick in Covid-19 cases on campus. | Obesity is probably the best-known comorbidity for Covid-19 complications, and even the harsh q…
(2021-02-10). Loujain al-Hathloul Released After Over 1000 Days in Prison—CODEPINK Statement. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-10). 'The Fight Is Not Over': Prominent Women's Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Released From Saudi Prison. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/al-hathloul-released-prison-saudi.jpg …
(2021-02-10). Thai demonstrators call for release of protest leaders. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Feb 10 (efe-epa).- More than a thousand people gathered in Bangkok on Wednesday to protest Thailand's strict lèse-majesté law, which prescribes prison terms of up to 15 years for insulting the monarchy. The fresh demonstration in the Thai capital came a day after prosecutors denied bail for four leaders of the pro-democracy movement who …
