Medical Doctors Issue Urgent Australian Appeal to Save Julian Assange
Doctors for Assange | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
More than 100 medical doctors have issued an urgent appeal to the Australian government to protect the life of its citizen, imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist and publisher Julian Assange. | The doctors' action follows warnings from medical and human rights experts that …
globalresearch.ca/medical-doctors-issue-urgent-australian-appeal-save-julian-assange/5697853

Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Assange's threatened extradition, but declares he is "not a journalist"
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
The blog post justifying the decision to exclude Julian Assange from a list of imprisoned journalists is shot through with contradictions and double-speak.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/cpjj-d16.html

Plea for the Liberation of Julian Assange. Response from the Archbishop of Canterbury
Diana Johnstone | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Dear Friends, | The plea which you kindly signed calling on the Archbishop of Canterbury to use his moral influence to bring about liberation of Julian Assange from Belmarsh prison was delivered to Lambeth Palace in London last November 29. On | …
globalresearch.ca/plea-liberation-julian-assange/5697818

After UK government silence, over 100 medical doctors urge Australia to defend Assange
John McEvoy | thecanary.co | 2019-12-16
On 22 November, over 60 medical doctors signed an open letter to the UK government concerning WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The letter, addressed to the UK home secretary Priti Patel and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, expressed concerns that Assange "could die in prison". Despite wide media coverag…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2019/12/16/after-uk-government-silence-over-100-medical-doctors-urge-australia-to-defend-assange/

2019 was a Watershed Year in the Movement to Stop Solitary Confinement
Amy Fettig | aclu.org | 2019-12-16
Back in 2016, then President of the United States, Barack Obama, called | solitary confinement " an | affront to our common humanity" and ordered the Justice Department to | implement reforms to the practice in U.S. prisons. Although just three short | years ago, in too many ways it seems a different age: We have seen a resurgence | of the "tough on crime" rhetoric that favors harsh policies and approaches that | we know don't work. Despite these…
aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/2019-was-a-watershed-year-in-the-movement-to-stop-solitary-confinement

EXPLAINED: What Really Happened in Jamia?
Newsclick | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-16
In the afternoon of December 15, news broke about violent clashes between youths and students protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the police in Delhi's Jamia area. What followed was a series of violent attacks and detentions through the evening and night to early Monday morning. As these developments took place, social media started getting flooded with different reports about the events, some true, and some unverified. But what really happened? NewsClick brings to you a timeline of events, as they took place yesterday.
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/16/explained-what-really-happened-in-jamia/

Israeli Soldiers Abduct 23 Palestinians In West Bank
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Israeli soldiers abducted, Monday, at least 23 Palestinians from several parts of the occupied West Bank; 22 of the abducted were taken prisoner after the soldiers stormed and ransacked their homes, and one after being stopped at a military roadblock. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said the soldiers abducted Majd …
imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-abduct-23-palestinians-in-west-bank/

Those Torture Drawings by Guantanamo Prisoner in the NYT
John Kiriakou | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
In 2002, John Kiriakou captured the Guantanamo prisoner who drew those sickening pictures. Abu Zubaydah has a constitutional right to face his accusers in court, or be released, Kiriakou says. | *** | The New York Times last week published shocking drawings…
globalresearch.ca/those-torture-drawings-nyt/5697899

Berkeley City Council Passes Resolution Supporting Factory Farm Whistleblowers
DXE | indybay.org | 2019-12-16
Six Berkeley residents potentially face years in prison after rescuing dying animals from Sonoma county factory farms…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/15/18828911.php

The Freedom of the Cuban Five Will Never be Reversed
Alicia Jrapko and Bill Hackwell | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-16
Celebration upon the release of the Cuban Five in Washington DC (Photo by Bill Hackwell) Five years ago tomorrow, in near disbelief, we watched on television as the Cuban Five were released from US prisons and flown home after a 16 year struggle. Leading up there had been some signs that their freedom was being …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/the-freedom-of-the-cuban-five-will-never-be-reversed/

Egyptian dictatorship causing spike in youth suicide
Aboulfotouh Kandil | peoplesworld.org | 2019-12-16
The increasing suicide among youth is one of the fatal consequences of the 2013 military coup in Egypt. This has become a nightmare to the regime fearing that it could cause revolution that topples it. Neither the regime nor Egyptians have forgotten that in order to show his opposition to injustice, oppression and poverty, the …
peoplesworld.org/article/egyptian-dictatorship-causing-spike-in-youth-suicide/

Brexiteer who harassed Anna Soubry jailed
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-16
A Brexiteer who repeatedly harassed Anna Soubry before standing against her in the general election has been jailed for 28 days.Amy Dalla Mura targeted Soubry between January and March this year, turning up at events and calling her a "traitor" on live television, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.Former MP Soubry, a Remainer who lost her Broxtowe seat while standing for the Independent Group for Change, said she was left "frightened" following the incidents.Dalla Mura, from Hove, claimed that her behaviour was politically motivated debate and did not accept it was frightening, despite standing in the general…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/16/brexiteer-who-harassed-anna-soubry-jailed/

'Where's my apology, Jim?' Trump taunts Comey after former FBI chief says sorry for 'sloppy' Russia investigation
rt.com | 2019-12-15
President Donald Trump took to Twitter to demand a personal apology from former FBI Director James Comey, after Comey apologized on TV for his (mis)handling of the 'Russiagate' probe. | "So now Comey's admitting he was wrong," Trump tweeted on Sunday. "Wow, but he's only doing so because he got caught red handed. He was actually caught a long time ago. So what are the consequences for his unlawful conduct. Could it be years in jail? Where are the apologies to me and others, Jim?" | So now Comey's admitting he was wrong. Wow, but he's only doing so because he got caught red handed. He was actually caught a long…
rt.com/usa/475966-trump-comey-apology-russiagate/

Southern Poverty Law Center report highlights abusive conditions in US immigration detention centers
wsws.org | 2019-12-14
The report was based on a comprehensive study of four adult immigrant detention facilities in southern Florida.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/14/immi-d14.html

Breaking: Cop Charged with Making Multiple False Arrests
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-14
Baltimore Police Sgt Ethan Newberg is facing 32 counts of false imprisonment and assault for using illegal arrests to intimidate the community, prosecutors allege.
therealnews.com/stories/cop_charged_with_making_multiple_false_arrests

The Inside Story of an Elite Law Enforcement Unit Which Ran a Criminal Gang Inside a US Jail
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-13
The police accountability report talks to a first-hand witness to the alleged crimes of a group of corrections officers charged with brutalizing inmates as part of a larger criminal scheme.
therealnews.com/stories/inside-story-elite-law-enforcement-unit-which-ran-criminal-gang-inside-us-jail

Weekend Read: Amid Alabama's prison crisis, the voices of the people living through it should be heard
splcenter.org | 2019-12-13
For years, Alabama's prison system has been under a microscope. Harsh sentencing laws coupled with chronic underfunding have led to horrific conditions for people behind bars.
splcenter.org/news/2019/12/13/weekend-read-amid-alabamas-prison-crisis-voices-people-living-through-it-should-be-heard

Eddie Conway Tells It Like It Is
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-13
Please donate and help Eddie–Real News Executive Producer and former Black Panther–continue to expose issues relating to the prison-industrial complex.
therealnews.com/stories/eddie-conway-tells-it-like-it-is

Exxon Won a Major Climate Change Lawsuit–but More Are Coming
Zoà´ Carpenter | thenation.com | 2019-12-13
Exxon Won a Major Climate Change Lawsuit–but More Are Coming…
thenation.com/article/exxon-lawsuit-climate-change/

The 2020 Election Promises Record Turnout
Bobby Hoffman | aclu.org | 2019-12-12
Due to high levels of enthusiasm and interest, election experts are predicting record-setting turnout rates in the upcoming 2020 election. In anticipation of this historic election, the ACLU, volunteers, and supporters of voting rights across the country have been advocating for state legislatures to adopt policies that improve registration, the voting process, and ensure that more citizens are eligible to participate. | This year, no state made greater improvements to the registrati…
aclu.org/news/voting-rights/the-2020-election-promises-record-turnout

'December in Chicago'
Mumia Abu-Jamal | workers.org | 2019-12-12
By Mumia Abu-Jamal This slightly edited version is taken from a Dec. 8 audio commentary on prisonradio.org. It was an early morning in December 1969 when a joint FBI/Chicago police crew raided an apartment building, ostensibly for weapons charges. In fact, they came to kill Fred Hampton, chairman of the . . . | Continue reading 'December in Chicago' at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44865/

Support the Workers of Iran, but Oppose US Sanctions
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-12
How is it possible to oppose the violent suppression of Iranian protest while still condemning U.S. sanctions on Iran?
therealnews.com/stories/support-iran-oppose-us-sanctions

The Battle for Abortion Access Is In the States
Jessica Arons | aclu.org | 2019-12-11
This past year has been a critical one in | the fight for reproductive freedom. For decades, politicians who want to | interfere with people's personal decisions about pregnancy have worked to push | abortion care out of reach. They've quietly passed 483 state abortion | restrictions since 2011 — including 59 new restrictions passed in 2019 alone. | And after Trump was able to put two new justices who are hostile to abortion | rights on the Supreme Court, politicians decided to go for broke. | Since Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation, | seven states have passed laws banning abortion from the earliest day…
aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/the-battle-for-abortion-access-is-in-the-states

Devin Nunes' Cow Has a First Amendment Right to Call Rep. Nunes a 'Treasonous Cowpoke'
Brian Hauss | aclu.org | 2019-12-11
You might think that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the | Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, would be too busy to file baseless | defamation lawsuits against anonymous Twitter accounts. But you'd be wrong. | Last year, Rep. Nunes sued a number of people who were | mean to him online, including the Twitter parody accounts Devin Nunes' Mom and | Devin Nunes' Cow. Now, he's trying to unmask the Cow by subpoenaing the | author's identity from a local law firm. The ACLU and Public Citizen have filed…
aclu.org/news/free-speech/devin-nunes-cow-has-a-first-amendment-right-to-call-rep-nunes-a-treasonous-cowpoke

Immigrants have been Denied Due Process for Years. In New England, that's about to Change
Matthew Segal | aclu.org | 2019-12-09
One of the bedrock principles of our judicial | system is that the government can't just lock people up without showing why | it's necessary. | For noncitizens caught up in Trump's deportation | machine, though, that principle doesn't always apply. But now because of our | litigation in New England that's about to change. | Gilberto Pereira Brito was detained in March by ICE | — snatched from his wife and three children, all of whom are U.S. citizens — and | brought before an immigration judge for a bond hearing. To keep him in | detention, the government had to prove nothing, whereas Gilberto had…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/immigrants-have-been-denied-due-process-for-years-in-new-england-thats-about-to-change

Question for Kirbymoorside UK Hustings Meeting: Would you stand up for Julian Assange?
Heather Stroud | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-09
To those candidates who are putting themselves forward as MPs to become a voice within the UK Parliament — would you stand up for Julian Assange and for those who. in speaking truth, have the audacity to challenge the dialogue of power? I am disappointed that my question relating to the arbitrary detention of Julian …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/question-for-kirbymoorside-uk-hustings-meeting-would-you-stand-up-for-julian-assange99425/

Arizona educators, progressives confront ALEC summit and Betsy DeVos
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-12-09
Tucson, AZ – On December 4, a coalition of union educators, immigrant rights, police crimes, and climate change activists confronted the agenda of corporations like UPS and energy industry giants and billionaires like Charles Koch and Sheldon Achelson. At its height the crowd numbered around 200 with signs reading: "ALEC: Oligarchy in progress" and "Privatization, criminalization, incarceration, climate change, imperialism: #ALECisBehindIt." | The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a notorious organization of hardcore conservatives, was holding its States and Nation Policy Summit in Arizona. ALEC hoste…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/12/8/arizona-educators-progressives-confront-alec-summit-and-betsy-devos

An Australian Tourist, a Bulgarian Prison, and a Recording Session
David Rovics | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-09
Bulgaria, it appears, is a captured state. I'll get to that in a minute. I first heard about Jock Palfreeman, an Australian serving a lengthy prison sentence in Bulgaria, through a fellow Australian. The context was a message from my friend Kamala that was straightforward, to the effect of, "would you write a song about …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/an-australian-tourist-a-bulgarian-prison-and-a-recording-session/

Historic Radical Organization Relaunches to Fight Police Oppression
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-09
Jacqueline Luqman talks to Max Rameau about the relaunch of the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, and the start of a national effort to advocate for community control over the police.
therealnews.com/stories/historic-radical-organization-relaunches-fight-police-oppression

Three Ways the "Fairness for All Act" Doesn't Protect LGBTQ People from Discrimination
Ian S. Thompson | aclu.org | 2019-12-09
On Friday, Congressman Chris Stewart (R-Utah) and | several of his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives introduced | the so-called "Fairness for All Act." The bill is being described by its | supporters as a compromise that protects both LGBTQ people and religious | liberty. | In reality, the bill facilitates the Trump | administration's ongoing efforts to give a greenlight to those who would turn | LGBTQ people away from jobs, health care, housing, even taxpayer-funded | programs, simply because of who they are. The bill also weakens some | longstanding protections in federal and state laws…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/three-ways-the-fairness-for-all-act-doesnt-protect-lgbtq-people-from-discrimination

Immigrant rights activists protest ICE detention at Sherburne County commissioners' meeting
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-12-04
Elk River, MN – Immigrant rights activists mobilized to the Sherburne County commissioners' meeting at 9: 00 in the morning Tuesday, December 3 in Elk River, a town of around 20,000 people an hour northwest of Minneapolis. They held signs throughout the meeting, and several of them spoke passionately during the public comment section of the agenda, appealing to the commissioners to stop participating in and profiting from immigrant detention in the Sherburne County Jail. | The Sherburne County Jail has a contract for 300 beds to detain immigrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), making it the la…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/12/4/immigrant-rights-activists-protest-ice-detention-sherburne-county-commissioners-meeting

SPLC lawsuit seeks to restore Mississippi citizens' right to vote
splcenter.org | 2019-12-04
When they were children, Herman Parker and his three sisters went to their grandparents' house every election day.
splcenter.org/news/2019/12/04/splc-lawsuit-seeks-restore-mississippi-citizens-right-vote

Prison By Any Other Name: A Report on South Florida Detention Facilities
splcenter.org | 2019-12-02
splcenter.org/20191209/prison-any-other-name-report-south-florida-detention-facilities

After parole, Alabama man gets life back on track, helps others
Kathryn Casteel | splcenter.org | 2019-11-21
Chris "Champ" Napier started speaking to students and at-risk youth about his experience in prison before he knew he would ever regain his freedom.
splcenter.org/news/2019/12/03/after-parole-alabama-man-gets-life-back-track-helps-others