(2020-01-17). Eighty-six Pakistani Islamists handed decades in prison for role in violent rallies over Christian woman's blasphemy acquittal. rt.com 
A Pakistani court has sentenced 86 members of a radical Islamist group to 55-year prison terms each for instigating violent protests against the acquittal of a Christian woman who had been accused of insulting Islam. | The decision was announced on Thursday by the court in Rawalpindi, a city near Islamabad. A leader of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik party, whose members were among the defendants, said that they would appeal the ruling. | The 86 were accused of damaging public property, assault and disrupting public order, as part of their unruly protest against the acquittal of Asia Bibi. The Christian woman wa…
(2020-01-17). 'Most brazen anti-competitive scheme in a generation': 4 tech firms sue Facebook to force Zuckerberg to sell his stake. rt.com 
Four tech companies are suing Facebook, accusing the Silicon Valley titan of running the worst "anti-competitive scheme" in a generation and demanding that CEO Mark Zuckerberg give up his stake in the company. | The four companies are Beehive Biometric, an identity-verification website; Cir.cl, an online marketplace and social media platform; Lenddo, a Singapore-based financial services provider; and Reveal Chat, a messaging service. | In a federal lawsuit filed in San Francisco on…
(2020-01-17). 20th Anniversary of Rosa Parks Day. indybay.org 20 years later the struggle continues in the City of Sacramento to honor the "Patron Saint" of the Women's Political Council who later became the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." Thankfully, Attorney Fred Gray, Esq. is still on the case and preparing to join us MLK 50 Anniversary – Sacramento Public Library.
(2020-01-17). Parnas Spins Tales of Trumpian Corruption — and We Know Most of Them Are True. truthout.org Following the rules of an anachronistic 18th-century ritual, the House managers walked in formation to the Senate to deliver the articles of impeachment on Thursday. The sergeant at arms informed the senators that if they speak during the trial they could be imprisoned, and then the chief justice arrived in his robes accompanied by four senators. He then administered the constitutionally prescribed oath to deliver impartial justice to the assembled senators, after which, one by one, they signe…
(2020-01-17). Dalit Leader Vows to Continue Protest Against CAA After Release From Prison. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Police in India's national capital arrested the leader of a Dalit (underprivileged caste) political group, the Bhim Army on 20 December. He was protesting outside the Jama Masjid Mosque in the old part of Delhi against the new citizenship law.
(2020-01-17). Delta workers poisoned by toxic work uniforms file class action lawsuit. wsws.org "I am confident that these uniforms are affecting many thousands of people," lead attorney Bruce A. Maxwell told the World Socialist Web Site .
(2020-01-17). Lawsuit Challenges Trump Plan to Frack, Drill 1 Million Acres of California Public Lands, Minerals. indybay.org LOS ANGELES, January 14, 2020 — Conservation groups sued the Trump administration today challenging the last step in the administration's plan to allow oil drilling and fracking on more than 1 million acres of public lands and minerals in Central California.
(2020-01-17). Pakistani FM highlights plight of Kashmiris at DC event. yenisafak.com Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi used an event Thursday hosted by a think tank in Washington, D.C. to call attention to the plight of the Kashmiri people, who have been under severe restrictions for the past several months.Speaking at a discussion held by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Qureshi said India has been seeking to break the will of Kashmiris by imprisoning them in their homes and imposing a communications blockade."Thousands of Kashmiris, particularly young boys, have been imprisoned, tortured. Even children as young as nine have not been spared," he said.Earlier in t…
(2020-01-16). Rep. Duncan Hunter pleads guilty, resigns, goes to prison, collects lifetime pension. peoplesworld.org 
One of these centuries soon—but really, soon—Congress has got to come to grips with the problem of its errant members. So far, for the crimes you commit, you can be ordered to stop voting on bills, you can be deprived of all committee assignments, and of course you won't be held accountable for any number …
(2020-01-16). Headlines for January 16, 2020. democracynow.org House Lawmakers Deliver Articles of Impeachment to Senate, Ex-Giuliani Associate Says Trump Knew of Ukraine Pressure Campaign, U.S. Troops Resume Iraq Operations Despite Parliament's Expulsion Order, Afghan Reconstruction Watchdog Tells Congress of U.S. "Mendacity" and "Lies", Trump Signs "Phase 1" Agreement with China, Easing Trade War, Russian Government Resigns as Vladimir Putin Seeks to Retain Power Beyond 2024, At Least 21 Killed in Idlib Amid Syrian, Russian Airstrikes, Court Blocks Trump Order Allowing Local Leaders to Refuse Refugees, ACLU Sues to End Trump's Policy of Sending Asylum Seekers to Guatemala,…
(2020-01-16). Arkansas Legislators' Attack on Abortion is Unconstitutional. aclu.org The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled time and again that | reproductive privacy is "central to personal dignity and autonomy, [which] are | central to the liberty protected by" the Constitution. The Court has made | eminently clear that under the Constitution, the right of a pregnant person to | terminate a pregnancy prior to viability is a right so essential to our freedom | that our government cannot ban or impose an undue burden on its exercise. But | despite the long-standing clarity of this principle, reproductive health and rights | continue to come under blistering, unrelenting attack. | Nowhere is this cl…
(2020-01-16). The White House's Dangerously Expansive Views on Trump's Powers That You Can't See. aclu.org A basic legal consensus about our democracy is that the Constitution assigns the " power of the purse" to Congress. Turning this edict on its head, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) lawyers reportedly concocted a legal theory that President Trump can override Congress's foreign policy spending decisions enshrined in law. If such a dangerously expansive proposal exists as a full legal opinion, it…
(2020-01-16). Argentina: Sala Turns 4 Years as Prisoner of the System. telesurenglish.net Argentina's social activist Milagro Sala Wednesday turns four years of political persecution and arbitrary detention due to accusations that have not been proven. | RELATED: | Court To Rule on Milagro Sala's Fifth Trial | In an interview with local outlet Pagina 12, she explained how her detention has harmed both her life and Tupac Amaru, a neighborhood association that works in favor of women and the poor at the Province of Jujuy. | Although authorities allowed her to remain under house…
(2020-01-16). The Trump Administration Weakens Standards for ICE Detention Facilities. commondreams.org Under the new rules, immigrant detainees will face even greater hurdles in accessing lawyers and legal materials. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ice-standards_blog-image-2-600×400.jpg …
(2020-01-16). Detainees Committee: "Political Prisoners In Nafha Prison Face Dire Living Conditions" imemc.org The Palestinian Detainees Committee has reported, Thursday, that the political prisoners who were transferred from Ramon prison to Nafha are facing extremely dire living conditions. In a statement, the Committee said that the prison administration in Ramon has transferred around 100 detainees from Ramon prison to sections three and four …
(2020-01-16). PPS: "Israeli Soldiers Abduct Eleven Palestinians In West Bank" imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Thursday at dawn, eleven Palestinians, including an elderly man, from their homes in Jenin, Jerusalem and Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS said the soldiers invaded and searched many homes in Jenin, in northern West Bank, and …
(2020-01-16). Right-Wing 'Review Boards' in Missouri Would Pave Way for Arresting Librarians Over Books Deemed 'Inappropriate'. commondreams.org The Missouri Library Association says it is monitoring a bill put forward in the state House by a Republican lawmaker, which, if passed, could create committees across the state with the power to jail librarians for distributing material the panels deem "inappropriate." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/4296033560_7f60636867_o_1.jpg …
(2020-01-15). Why Israel's So-Called "Occupation" of "Palestinian Territories" is a Farce. mintpressnews.com 
The root cause of oppression and violence that Palestinians experience is not "the occupation" of 1967 as many people claim it to be. It is something much older and seemingly more benign.
(2020-01-15). Ten poetry books that illuminate a decade's struggles. peoplesworld.org 
Occupy Wall Street. The Peoples Climate March. The Women's March. Black Lives Matter. The ongoing mobilizations to defeat Trump and the extreme right that supports him. As we marched and organized against injustice, poets, often marching right alongside us, were creating enduring works of literary art that spoke to the struggle and the times we …
(2020-01-15). The DWP agreed a man needed money until his benefits were sorted and then offered him 8p. thecanary.co A man who needed money until his benefits were sorted was offered a loan of 8p by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). This is Lancashire reported that Carl Poynton ended up in court for shoplifting after the DWP's decision. | "Nowhere else to turn": | Poynton was released from prison on Christmas Eve with a grant of £46. He applied for benefits. But due to the time taken to process the application, he was left with no money. He applied to the DWP for a loan available to peo…
(2020-01-15). Headlines for January 15, 2020. democracynow.org House to Vote to Send Impeachment Articles to Senate, WaPo: Threatening Text Messages Show Yovanovitch Was Under Surveillance, War Powers Resolution Limiting Trump on Iran Could Pass Senate | , Six Democratic Candidates Took Stage in Des Moines, Iowa, 5,000 Puerto Ricans Still Homeless After 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake, HRW Blasts China for Human Rights Violations Against Uyghurs & Protesters | , 15 Women Murdered in Honduras in First 2 Weeks of This Year, American Citizen Moustafa Kassem Dies in Egyptian Prison After Hunger Strike, Seattle Bans Foreign-Influenced Companies from Political Spending, "Jeopardy!" Apolo…
(2020-01-15). Israel Approves Construction of Four New Prison Complexes. imemc.org Israeli 'housing council' has approved a plan to build four new prisons in the occupied territories as the occupation accelerates its arrest campaign against Palestinians, the Palestine News Network reported. Israeli media sources announced, on Tuesday, that the council authorized construction of the prison complexes, south of the Israeli city …
(2020-01-15). Pennsylvania prisoners resist media censorship. workers.org 
When Vol. 61 No. 48 of Workers World newspaper came across the desk of the prison staff at State Correctional Institution Frackville in December, censors seized on an article that criticized the Pennsylvania facility's administration for a variety of offenses. In direct violation of the inmates' First Amendment rights, staff . . . | Continue reading Pennsylvania prisoners resist media censorship at Workers.org
(2020-01-13). Coercive Plea Bargaining Has Poisoned the Criminal Justice System. It's Time to Suck the Venom Out. aclu.org In 2006, George Alvarez was charged with assaulting a prison guard while awaiting trial on public intoxication. He knew he didn't do it — the guards actually jumped him — but the ten year mandatory minimum sentence at trial scared him so much that he pled guilty. Little did he know that the government had a video proving his innocence, but they buried it long enough for prosecutors to extract the plea first. George spent almost four yea…
(2020-01-10). The Critical Role Auditing Plays in the Battle Against Police Surveillance. therealnews.com 
Auditors across the country are turning the tables on police surveillance. The Police Accountability Report spoke to an auditor who was arrested to understand how filming cops ultimately preserves our civil rights.
(2020-01-10). Pregnant Workers Are Still Fighting for the Right to Work. aclu.org In 2015, | Michelle Durham, an ACLU client, was faced with an impossible choice: | continue working and risk the health of her pregnancy or give up her paycheck. | She was working | as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Rural/Metro Corporation, a company | in Alabama that provides emergency medical care to people living in areas that | lack basic medical services. Shortly after joining Rural/Metro Corporation in | Alabama, Michelle learned she was pregnant with her first child and was advised | by her health professional not to lift more than 50 pounds. She was confident | the company would grant her a…
(2020-01-10). Weekend Read: SPLC sues Trump administration over family separation policy. splcenter.org The SPLC and its allies have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration policy that has separated and traumatized thousands of migrant families.
(2020-01-09). International Criminal Court Prepares to Try Israelis over War Crimes. therealnews.com 
Shawan Jabarin of the Al-Haq human rights organization discusses the International Criminal Court decision to prepare a lawsuit against the state of Israel regarding war crimes committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities are already panicking.
(2020-01-09). "Clemency:" Exposing the Machinery of Death. aclu.org People on death | row are the direct object of a deeply flawed system of state killing that is infected | by racial and economic disparities and riddled with fatal errors. We currently | know of at least 166 | innocent people who were wrongfully condemned to die. | "Clemency," a new film starring Alfre Woodard as a prison | warden, explores the brutalizing effect the death penalty has on everyone else | in the system — the wardens, prison guards, chaplains, defense lawyers, and | their families, as well as the families of the victims…
(2020-01-09). Despite horrific prison stay, a mother comes to understand her addiction. splcenter.org When Shanna Rainey was a mother to two young children, she began using methamphetamine.
(2020-01-08). Iranian Americans Have Rights, Too — No Matter What's Happening Abroad. aclu.org Like most Iranian Americans, my family immigrated to the United States in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution in Iran, hoping to find safety and acceptance in a country that prides itself on diversity and freedom of expression. We learned and embraced the principles of the Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, due process, and equal protection — protections that apply to every person, citizen and non-citizen alike. But what happened at the U.S. border this past weekend was a painful reminder that sometimes, we are still considered outsiders. | In the state of Washington this weekend,…
(2020-01-06). Venezuelan Government and Opposition Fraction Announce Release of 14 'Political Prisoners'. venezuelanalysis.com The National Roundtable for Peaceful Dialogue also offered its backing to the new National Assembly president, Luis Parra.
(2020-01-06). Former Head of Identity Evropa Taken Into Custody for Contempt of Court. splcenter.org Elliott Kline, the onetime leader of Identity Evropa, is in federal custody after being found in contempt of court for failing to cooperate in a civil lawsuit stemming from the violent "Unite the Right" rally.
(2020-01-03). Boston anti-prison organizers oppose $50 million project. liberationnews.org 
Liberation News reports from the final 2019 meeting of the Panel on Justice-Involved Women in Boston.
(2019-12-28). Prison gave me a greater will to fight. zcomm.org Interview on the reality that Brazil is experiencing and the social protests that have occurred in several Latin American countries…
(2019-12-16). He spent 36 years in prison because he stole $100 in cash and $4 in food stamps. Now Willie Parker is free. splcenter.org It was pouring rain the day Willie Parker left William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility after 36 years in prison.
(2019-12-13). Weekend Read: Amid Alabama's prison crisis, the voices of the people living through it should be heard. splcenter.org 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.
(2019-12-02). Civil Rights Are on the Chopping Block in New Supreme Court Term. zcomm.org Hello, A very small proportion of ZNet content is available only to Sustainers. You can become a sustainer for a small repeating donation – monthly or yearly via the links for Sustaining, or Donating, available on the top page of ZNet.