Tony Pecinovsky (2020-01-13). Review: "To The Promised Land," King's fight for economic justice. peoplesworld.org As we near the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday we would do well to reassess the role that economic justice played in the 1960s civil rights movements, especially for African Americans. Dr. King said in 1967, "It is the black man who to a large extent produced the wealth of this nation…the black man …

RT (2020-01-13). 'Life full of agony & misery': Indian man SUES mother for allegedly abandoning him for Bollywood career 38yrs ago. rt.com An Indian man is seeking damages for the "mental trauma" he endured after being intentionally abandoned on a train in Mumbai 38 years ago by his mother who wanted to pursue a career in the film industry, his lawsuit says. | In a lawsuit filed to the Bombay High Court and cited by local media, make-up artist Srikant Sabnis, 40, alleges that his biological mother willfully abandoned him when he was just two years old. | Sabnis claims that in September 1981, his mother, Aarti Mhaskar, left his hometown of Pune for Mumbai to seek a job in the film industry. According to the plaintiff, the woman left her infant son…

Joe Piette (2020-01-13). Act now: Prison activist-writer placed in solitary. workers.org Workers World writer and prisoner at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Albion, Jerome Coffey, was removed from his cell and placed in solitary confinement on Jan. 6. Jerome Coffey Coffey has been told he's in the hole while prison officials conduct a phony investigation for a disturbance last week . . . | Continue reading Act now: Prison activist-writer placed in solitary at Workers.org

RT (2020-01-13). WATCH: Assange caught on camera leaving UK court in prison van after US extradition hearing. rt.com WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been filmed leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court in a police van after a brief preliminary hearing on Monday, part of his bid to prevent his extradition to the US to face espionage charges. | The 48-year-old Australian — who has been charged by the US with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, working with former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to break into Department of Defense systems and gain access to US state secrets — left court after a 12-minute hearing in London. | He was caught on camera as he was taken away in a police van, looking pale-f…

RT (2020-01-13). UK summons Iran's ambassador over brief detention of British envoy accused of taking part in 'illegal rally' in Tehran. rt.com The Foreign Office has summoned the Iranian ambassador to express its "strong objections" over the brief detention of his UK counterpart in Tehran who was nabbed by law enforcement when he took part in an "illegal rally." | In the ongoing diplomatic spat, London summoned Ambassador Hamid Baeidinejad in an apparent tit-for-tat move. UK envoy Rob Macaire was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday over his "unconventional behavior." | "This was an unacceptable breach of the Vienna Convention and it needs to be investigated," the Foreign Office said on Monday. "We are seeking full assurances from the I…

RT (2020-01-13). Catalan leader Puigdemont attends EU Parliament session despite Spain arrest warrant. rt.com Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has arrived for his first session as a member of the European Parliament despite facing an arrest warrant against him in Spain. | The former Catalan president is bent on using the parliament to continue his political fight for an a independent Catalonia breaking away from Spain. His parliamentary position also gives him immunity. | Puigdemont used his arrival on Monday to demand the immediate release from a Spanish jail of another Catalan leader who was elected to the European Parliament, former Catalonia Vice President Oriol Junqueras, AP said. | Puigdemont was together with f…

BayAction to Free Assange (2020-01-13). GLOBAL NO.MORE.WAR! #Free Assange & Manning #Solidarity. indybay.org We must stand/speak out in solidarity on this GLOBAL day of protest for NO.MORE.WAR! | We the People stand against DIRECT THREAT to FreePress/FreeSpeech by oligarchy INTIMIDATION, SILENCING and WAR distraction! WE ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR VERY DEMOCRACY ON TRIAL, while truth-tellers Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning sit jailed for revealing WAR CRIMES!

M Starks (2020-01-13). Solitary Man: A Visit To Pelican Bay State Prison. indybay.org U U Center | 1187 Franklin/Geary Streets | San Francisco…

yenisafak (2020-01-13). WikiLeaks founder Assange needs time to speak to lawyer, court told. yenisafak.com WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is not getting the time he needs with his legal team to discuss his fight against extradition to the United States, causing delays to the case, his lawyer told a British court on Monday.After skipping bail in Britain, Assange spent seven years holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London before he was dragged out by police in April last year.The United States wants him extradited to face 18 charges including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades in prison if convicted.The 48-year-old Australian appeared for Monday's hearing at We…

yenisafak (2020-01-13). Finnish court rejects Rotenberg's suit against Nordic banks. yenisafak.com Boris Rotenberg, a Russian businessman under U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine conflict due to his close ties with President Vladimir Putin, on Monday lost a discrimination lawsuit he filed in a Finnish court against four Nordic banks."Helsinki District Court has rejected Boris Rotenberg's complaint over the right to banking services and damages for discrimination," the court said in its decision.Rotenberg, who also holds Finnish citizenship, accused Nordea, Danske Bank, Handelsbanken and OP Bank of refusing to allow him to make payments and of violating his right to equal treatment as an EU citizen.

yenisafak (2020-01-13). Seven Taliban commanders ecape in Afghan prison break. yenisafak.com At least seven Taliban commanders broke out of a prison in Afghanistan, officials confirmed Monday.The prison break took place last evening in the southeastern Paktia province. Abdullah Hasrat, spokesman for the provincial governor, told Anadolu Agency the prisoners escaped through the mosque inside the facility in Gardez city, located 120 kilometers (74.56 miles) south of the capital Kabul.Local broadcaster Tolo News reported that a total of 23 inmates managed to flee the prison.Zabihullah Mujahed, the Taliban spokesman, claimed in a tweet that their fighters have managed to reach a secure place.

teleSUR (2020-01-12). Human Rights Advocates Demonstrate, Demand Guantanamo's Closure. telesurenglish.net As Jan. 11 marked the 18th anniversary of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp opening by the United States, human rights activists rallied Saturday outside the White House to demand the prison's immediate closure and an end to "years of torture and human rights violations." | RELATED: | Roger Waters Plays 'Wish You Were Here' Live in Support of Assange | The organizers explained on social media that their goal was to call "attention to the brutality of the prison, including in…

Staff (2020-01-12). Activists Demand U.S. Close Guantánamo and End 18 Years of Torture. truthdig.com Human rights advocates marked the 18th anniversary of the opening of the U.S. military prison at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba with a rally outside the White House on Saturday to "demand an end to years of torture and human rights violations" and call for the detention camp's immediate closure. | In January 2018, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep the prison open. The move, which revoked an order from Trump's predecessor that called for the pri…

IMEMC News & Agencies (2020-01-12). Israeli to Demolish Detainee's Home for Second Time. imemc.org Israeli forces, for the second timeo, have ordered the punitive demolition of the family house of Ahmad Jamal Qunbu, a Palestinian in Israeli detention, who comes from the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, according to local sources. Qunbu's father told WAFA that Israeli authorities handed him a notice informing …

IMEMC News & Agencies (2020-01-12). Detainee Zahran on Hunger Strike for 112 Days. imemc.org A Palestinian detainee in Israeli jails, Ahmad Zahran, has been on hunger strike for 112 days in a row, protesting his administrative detention without charge or trial, amid very critical health conditions. An Israeli occupation court dismissed, on Tuesday, an appeal submitted by Zahran, where it asked him to …

IMEMC News (2020-01-12). Army Abducts Nine Palestinians In West Bank. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, Sunday, eight Palestinians, including two children, in addition to another Palestinian who was taken prisoner on Sunday evening, in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS said many army jeeps invaded 'Aida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem, searched homes, before abducting …

IMEMC News (2020-01-12). Israel Escalates Violates Against Detained Palestinian Children. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) issued a statement, Saturday, strongly denouncing Israel's escalating violations against the detained Palestinian children, especially after forcing them in solitary confinement. The PPS said that the Israeli Prison Authority transferred imprisoned Palestinian children from Ofar Prison and placed them in solitary condiment cells. It added …

Fight Back (2020-01-12). Iraq air base housing U.S. personnel struck by rockets. fightbacknews.org Washington, DC – According to widespread press reports in the Middle East, the Balad Air Base, which houses U.S. personal was struck today, January 12, by multiple rockets. | The events come in the context of the Iraqi parliament passing a resolution telling the United States to remove its forces from the country, and the country's Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi requesting the U.S. to start talks on withdrawing military forces. The Trump administration says it will not leave Iraq. | In the past, the Balad Air Base housed a U.S. facility for holding and torturing Iraqi prisoners. | In related developments, Iraq's…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-01-12). Human Rights Advocates Rally at White House to Demand US 'Close Guant√°namo and End Torture'. commondreams.org Human rights advocates marked the 18th anniversary of the opening of the U.S. military prison at the Guant√°namo Bay Naval Station in Cuba with a rally outside the White House on Saturday to "demand an end to years of torture and human rights violations" and call for the detention camp's immediate closure. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/close_gitmo_0.jpg …

Vincent Taccetta and Makasi Motema (2020-01-11). The coming decade of revolution. workers.org In the last decade the working class — spurred into action by a destroyed economy, state violence, and national and gender oppression — rose up in a series of mass mobilizations, the scope of which had not been seen in two generations. From Occupy to Black Lives Matter to the . . . | Continue reading The coming decade of revolution at Workers.org

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-01-11). Israel Notifies 3 Prisoner's Families of Order to Demolish Homes. imemc.org Israeli forces, overnight Thursday, notified the families of three alleged Palestinian attackers, of their intention to demolish their houses across the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency reported. The Palestine Prisoners' Society (PPS) confirmed that Israeli forces broke into the family home of Mohammad Walid Hanatsheh, in …

Staff (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.

Vania Leveille (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…

splcenter (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.

Staff (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.

Stephen Rohde (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…

Abdi Soltani (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,…

Janine Jackson (2020-01-07). 'This Is a Moment to Be Really Vigilant Against All Forms of Oppression' – CounterSpin interview with Audrey Sasson on antisemitism. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed Jews for Racial and Economic Justice's Audrey Sasson about antisemitism for the January 3, 2020, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Madhuri Grewal (2020-01-07). It Is Time for a New Way Forward. aclu.org In 1996, at the height of the "tough on crime" era, President Bill Clinton signed two laws that dramatically changed the criminal legal system and radically altered the U.S. immigration system. Just as the 1994 crime bill instituted unjust mandatory minimum sentences and ballooned the prison population, the immigration bills of that same era led to similarly disastrous consequences for immigrants — an explosion in the growth of detention and unfairly harsh punishments for immigrants, including mandatory deportations for minor…

Jeffery Robinson (2020-01-06). Tulsa's Troubling Past is Not Far Removed from Its Present. aclu.org The Tulsa massacre of 1921 may have become known to many | Americans because of a fictional HBO series, but it actually happened. Is the | probable discovery of heretofore undiscovered mass graves in Tulsa enough to | propel the city to a reckoning — | an unambiguous admission of responsibility for horrific acts and a determined | mind to make right what was wrong? We are about to find out. | In a recent …

splcenter (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.

Paul Dobson (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.

Liberation Staff (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.

Luiz ignacio lula Da silva (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…

Nicole Zayas Fortier (2019-12-24). Across the Country Harsh Sentencing Laws are Tearing Apart Families and Communities. aclu.org During the holiday season, in the picturesque town of Petoskey, Michigan, Kimiko Uyeda, and her son Marshall celebrate with an annual tradition of selecting a new ornament to add to their tree. Year after year, Kimiko and Marshall add to their collection of ornaments as a part of their tradition. | For years, however, they were separated from one another and unable to enjoy this holiday tradition together. It all began in 2013 when Kimiko was arrested for filing what the local sheriff believed to be a false police report. Because of broken sentencing laws, the prosecutor in the case was able to add four additi…

Kanya Bennett (2019-12-20). A Fair Chance at Opportunity: The U.S. Government Bans the Box. aclu.org When Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) reintroduced the Fair Chance Act earlier this year, he | said: "This bill would give individuals who are reentering society from prison | a fair chance at truly achieving the American dream." The Fair Chance Act would | ban the box that employers use to ask about arrest and conviction history on | job applications. It also requires that federal agencies and contr…

Leila Rafei (2019-12-20). Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year. aclu.org It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories—from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead—what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…

Will Tucker (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.

splcenter (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.

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

Marjorie Cohn (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.

splcenter (2019-12-02). Prison By Any Other Name: A Report on South Florida Detention Facilities. splcenter.org …