Category Archives: human rights

Brazil: Democracy at Risk

“There is no judicial basis for this process of impeachment,” Rousseff said. “I am not accused of crimes of corruption, diversion of public funds, nor do I have accounts abroad or any accusations of money laundering.” She said even some members of the opposition are beginning to support her, not necessarily because they agree with her policies, but rather because they see the impeachment push as a threat to Brazil’s democracy.

Source: News from The Associated Press

New Orleans Police Officers Plead Guilty in Shooting of 6 Katrina Survivors – The New York Times

The five former officers were charged after six unarmed people were shot, two fatally, on the Danziger Bridge in the chaos after Hurricane Katrina.

The guilty pleas, which drew prison terms from three to 12 years, were the latest development in a wrenching 10-year saga that began when police officers responding to a distress call on the Danziger Bridge on Sept. 4, 2005, opened fire on unarmed residents, killing two and injuring four.

The officers — Sgt. Kenneth Bowen, Sgt. Robert Gisevius, Officer Anthony Villavaso and Officer Robert Faulcon, as well as a detective, Arthur Kaufman, who was assigned to investigate the shooting — were initially indicted on state charges. Those indictments were dismissed, and the officers were then charged in federal court.

Source: New Orleans Police Officers Plead Guilty in Shooting of 6 Katrina Survivors – The New York Times

Japan plans final push to bring home its war dead | Asia | DW.COM | 19.04.2016 Prelude to? Renewed Imperialism, Reconciliation, Uber-Nationalism?

More than 70 years after the end of World War II, the government announces plans to locate and repatriate 1.13 million Japanese who died on battlefields across the Asia-Pacific region. Julian Ryall reports.

Source: Japan plans final push to bring home its war dead | Asia | DW.COM | 19.04.2016

“There had been talks about joint recovery operations prior to the visit by the emperor and empress, but that trip did become something of a catalyst for more action,” said Charles Mitchell, the deputy chief of mission at the embassy of Palau in Tokyo.

Buried alive

On Peleliu, many of the Japanese defenders refused to surrender and so were simply buried in the tunnels that they had turned into a warren of interconnected fighting positions. Many of those tunnels have not been reopened to this day.

“We expect to be able to provide local knowledge of exactly where these caves are and where other remains might be, but there will also be a strong commitment to safety when recovery work begins,” Mitchell said. “We need to make sure that it is safe to enter these tunnels before we can start recovering remains.”

In May last year, a ceremony was held at Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery, built in 1959 to serve as the last resting place for the remains of unidentified Japanese repatriated from battlefields overseas, to inter the latest sets of remains.

Attended by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prince Akishino and his wife, Princess Kiko, the remains of 2,498 soldiers killed in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Russia were solemnly interred.

John Grisham: ‘I Am Not Worried about Trump’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE

Grisham: Bernie is a fluke. Bernie is the kind of guy that the Democrats used to nominate because the left wingers ruled the party, just like the right wingers rule the Republican Party.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: But doesn’t he bring up valid issues?

Grisham: They sound great to a point, but look at our history. In 1972, McGovern was a left-wing guy and got annihilated by Richard Nixon, I think it was the largest defeat in history. In 1984, Walter Mondale got killed by Reagan. In 1988, Michael Dukakis, a Democrat, got slaughtered. Bernie cannot win in November. He has a lot of far-left voters, but there aren’t enough to win. He’s got a bunch of young kids who have no clue what they’re talking about. He’s not going beat Hillary. And if he does, we’re doomed as Democrats. He can’t win in November. If it’s Bernie versus Trump, God help us.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Either way, it seems like we’re heading into a nasty fall campaign.

Grisham: The divisions are getting deeper. Most of my friends are Republicans, my family is split 50/50. And we never discuss politics because if we did it would get really ugly really fast. We all have such strong feelings, and their feelings are just as strong as mine. So we learned. Don’t get anywhere near politics. It cannot be discussed. It’s been that way for the last 20 years, and it’s not getting any better today.

Source: John Grisham: ‘I Am Not Worried about Trump’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE

IRIN | 18 months on, Gaza donors still falling way short

That’s an increase of only $159 million since the last time the World Bank issued data on the donations in August 2015, and major pledgers continue to fall short: Qatar has given only 15 percent of its $1 billion pledge; Saudi Arabia 10 percent of its $500 million promise; and the UAE just 15 percent of the $200 million it pledged. Kuwait has dispursed none of its $200 million pledge.

Source: IRIN | 18 months on, Gaza donors still falling way short

Germany Green Lights Legal Case Against Erdogan Critical Comic – SPIEGEL ONLINE

Yet even as she announced that legal proceedings would go ahead, the chancellor also signaled her intention to abolish the law before the end of the current legislative session, saying it was “unnecessary.” The chancellor also shared her concerns about the situation of the press in Turkey and the plights of individual journalists in the country. She added that the German government would ensure freedom of expression at home and she emphasized that the independence of the judicial system applied as much in Turkey as it does in Germany and “other countries in the democratic world.”‘Kicking Kurds, Beating Christians’ Merkel, in short, was doing her best to walk a political tightrope — trying to satisfy Erdogan while at the same time seeking to assuage those voices which have accused her of sacrificing European values in the interest of securing a political deal with Turkey aimed at reducing the number of refugees coming to Europe.

Source: Germany Green Lights Legal Case Against Erdogan Critical Comic – SPIEGEL ONLINE

UC Berkeley Student Removed From Flight Out Of LAX For Speaking Arabic: LAist  :(

26-year-old Khairuldeen Makhzoomi was on the phone with his uncle, telling him about a conference he’d attended in L.A.

Source: UC Berkeley Student Removed From Flight Out Of LAX For Speaking Arabic: LAist

According to SF Gate, a female passenger sitting near Makzhoomi looked at him and left her seat, telling an airplane employee she overheard him making “potentially threatening comments,” according to a statement from the airline.

A short time later, Makhzoomi was escorted him off the plane, where he was met by an Arabic-speaking employee who asked him, “Why were you speaking Arabic in the plane?” Makzoomi told the Times he spoke to him “like I was an animal,” and told the employee, “‘This is what Islamophobia got this country into,’ and that made him so angry. That is when he told me I could not go back on the plane.”

“I had an emotional breakdown and cried a little bit,” Makhzoomi told SF Gate. “I was so afraid. I was so scared.”

Makhzoomi was “searched in front of a crowd of onlookers while half a dozen police officers, including one with a dog, stood watch” before he was questioned by FBI agents, who asked about his family; he lives with his mother and brother in Oakland, while his father, a former Iraqi diplomat, was thrown in prison by Saddam Hussein, and later killed by his regine. Makhzoomi said his family came to the U.S in 2010.

Hours later, Makhzoomi was allowed to leave the terminal, and his ticket was refunded by Southwest. He had to purchase another ticket from a different airline, and got back to Oakland nine hours later than he intended to.

Edward Snowden releases song with French legend – The Local

Fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who in 2013 revealed widespread US foreign surveillance, has released a song with French electronic artist Jean-Michel Jarre, the Columbia record company announced on Friday.

The track, titled “Exit”, features Snowden discussing digital surveillance to the backdrop of a lively electronic soundscape created by Jarre.

The song is available to stream online and will appear on Jarre’s forthcoming album “Electronica Vol. 2: The Heart of Noise” which will be released on May 6th.

The pair were brought together by Britain’s Guardian newspaper after Jarre gave an interview and asked to be put in touch with the former National Security Agency contractor, according to the title.

“Edward is an absolute hero of our times. When I first read about him, it made me think of my mother,” Jarre told the Guardian.

“She joined the French resistance in 1941, when people in France still thought they were just troublemakers, and she always told me that when society is generating things you can’t stand, you have to stand up against it.”

After being put in touch, Jarre, 67, travelled to Moscow to meet Snowden, 32, who lives in Russia in exile, and record the samples that feature on the track.

Other guest contributors on the album will include Gary Numan and the Pet Shop Boys.

Source: Edward Snowden releases song with French legend – The Local