Alan Macleod (2021-01-27). Amnesty International: Navalny a Prisoner of Conscience. But not Manning, Assange or Mandela. mintpressnews.com Amnesty International has a long and sordid history with its prisoner of conscience designation, denying it to enemies of the US government and granting it to some less than savory characters.

MEE staff (2021-01-27). Biden administration freezes US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE. middleeasteye.net Biden administration freezes US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE | The White House is reviewing recent weapons transactions approved by former President Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported | Wed, 01/27/2021 – 15: 43 | The arms sale to the UAE includes American-made F-35 jets and killer drones (AFP/File photo) | The Biden administration has issued a temporary freeze on pending arms sales to Saudi Arabia and…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-26). Loud explosion shakes Riyadh days after Saudi Arabia intercepts projectile. middleeasteye.net Loud explosion shakes Riyadh days after Saudi Arabia intercepts projectile | Residents said the explosion rattled windows in the Saudi capital and saw air defences intercept a missile | Tue, 01/26/2021 – 14: 08 | It is rare for drones or missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels to reach the Saudi capital, which is 700 km away from the border (AFP) | A loud explosion rocked Riyadh on Tues…

WSWS (2021-01-26). UK Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee discusses school reopenings and lessons of Trump's attempted coup. wsws.org UK Educators Rank-and-File Committee passes resolution in support of US Covid whistleblower Rebekah Jones…

yenisafak (2021-01-25). France, Germany, UK condemn attempted airstrikes on Riyadh. yenisafak.com The governments of France, Germany and the UK on Monday denounced the attempted airstrikes on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia."The E3 — France, Germany and the UK — strongly condemn the attempted aerial attacks on Riyadh on 23 January 2021," the three countries said in a joint statement."Proliferation and the use of missiles and drones undermine the security and stability of the region, to which we are strongly committed," the statement added."We reiterate our firm attachment to the security and integrity of Saudi territory."The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Saturday it shot down an air target fired towards…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-01-25). Amnesty Calls on Biden to Close Guant√°namo and End Military Commissions 'Once and For All'. commondreams.org The group says the prison symbolizes U.S. "use of torture, rendition, and indefinite detention without charge or trial—in complete violation of internationally agreed-upon standards of justice and human rights." | www.flickr.com/photos/susanmelkisethian/31897209800/…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-26). Loud explosion shakes Riyadh days after Saudi Arabia intercepts projectile. middleeasteye.net Loud explosion shakes Riyadh days after Saudi Arabia intercepts projectile | Residents said the explosion rattled windows in the Saudi capital and saw air defences intercept a missile | Tue, 01/26/2021 – 14: 08 | It is rare for drones or missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels to reach the Saudi capital, which is 700 km away from the border (AFP) | A loud explosion rocked Riyadh on Tues…

MEE staff (2021-01-25). Amnesty International condemns 'deplorable' conditions in Egypt's prisons. middleeasteye.net Amnesty International condemns 'deplorable' conditions in Egypt's prisons | On anniversary of Arab Spring uprising, rights group says detainees held for years in overcrowded prisons suffered torture and sexual abuse | Mon, 01/25/2021 – 20: 45 | "> | Amnesty International denounced inhumane conditions in Egypt's prisons on Monday, 10 years after the start of the Arab Spring in the c…

Anya Parampil (2021-01-25). Pay for pardons? John Kiriakou on Trump's final flop and Biden's new intelligence picks. thegrayzone.com CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou details his personal experience dealing with Trump insiders including Rudy Giuliani, to secure a pardon. He says Giuliani demanded $2 million to work on his behalf. Kiriakou also shared his thoughts with Anya Parampil on Biden's new intelligence picks.

commondreams (2021-01-25). Biden and Congress Must Close Guant√°namo Bay Detention Center, Not Bring New Charges in Unlawful Military Commissions. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-01-25). Amnesty Calls on Biden to Close Guant√°namo and End Military Commissions 'Once and For All'. commondreams.org The group says the prison symbolizes U.S. "use of torture, rendition, and indefinite detention without charge or trial—in complete violation of internationally agreed-upon standards of justice and human rights." | www.flickr.com/photos/susanmelkisethian/31897209800/…

Partner Program (2021-01-24). Moving the Bar: My Life as a Radical Lawyer — Michael Ratner. theanalysis.news Michael Ratner (1943—2016) was one of America's leading human rights lawyers. Michael won the seminal case in the Supreme Court guaranteeing the right of habeas corpus to Guantanamo detainees. From the torture of prisoners after 911 to the massive racial profiling by the New York Police Department, Michael's voice and vision continue to resonate. His last case, which he worked on until he died, was representing Julian Assange, the editor of WikiLeaks. In a series of interviews with attorneys who knew Michael's work, Law and Disorder hosts Heidi Boghosian and Michael Smith interviewed some of Michael Ratner'

Rod Driver (2021-01-24). The Illusion of Democracy: Power and Secrecy. globalresearch.ca In 2003, millions of people protested against the invasion of Iraq. If Britain and the US had genuine democracies, where the views of ordinary people matter, the invasion, slaughter and torture in Iraq would not have happened. Our governments ignored …

Media Lens (2021-01-23). "A Ghastly Future"? Israeli Apartheid, Biden, Starmer, Assange and Mass Extinction. dissidentvoice.org Back in 2017, before WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange was silenced by Twitter, he used the platform to highlight an immutable truth: 'The overwhelming majority of information is classified to protect political security not national security.' Power hates being exposed. It hates having its inner machinations, its selfish priorities and ugly operations opened up to public …