A new report on April 25 by a respected think tank has estimated that US sanctions imposed on Venezuela in August 2017 have caused around 40,000 deaths. This atrocity has been almost entirely blanked by the British ‘mainstream’ media, including BBC News. Additional sanctions imposed in January 2019 are likely to lead to tens of thousands of further deaths.

‘Why for example, would the media not point out the real crimes of the US vassals of South America, like Colombia, where over 6 million people are internal and external refugees, where at least 240,000 peasants and human rights activists were massacred and many were burned by US-funded paramilitary groups, atrocities that are ongoing as of this day..’

The report was co-authored by Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs for the US-based Center for Economic and Policy Research. CEPR was founded in 1999 ‘to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people’s lives.’ Its advisory board includes Nobel Laureate economists Robert Solow and Joseph Stiglitz.

Continue reading “US Sanctions kill 40,000 Venezuelans : Media Tsunami of Blatant Lies”

Mother gets 7 years for Speech at Son’s funeral ..Stop Turkish Fascism!

Elderly mother of Suruc bombing victim jailed for seven years on terror charges

May 1, 2019 IPA News

Besra Erol, the mother of Evrim Deniz Erol who died in a suicide bombing carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) that killed 33 people and injured 104 more in Sanliurfa’s Suruc district in 2015 has been sent to jail on terror charges, Gazete Duvar news portal reported on Tuesday.

Besra Erol, 60, was on Monday sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.

She was convicted on charges that include being a member of a terrorist organization and sent to Mus E Type Closed Prison.

The mother was accused of being a member of a terrorist organization due to her remarks in a speech that she gave over the grave of her son Evrim Deniz Erol and some other press statements regarding his death. continues below

July 20, 2015, Suruç: 34 Kurdish humanitarian volunteers were killed and about 100 injured in a suicide bombing in the predominantly-Kurdish town of Suruç near the border with Syria. Turkish officials blamed ISIS. But instead of cracking down on ISIS which at the time was covertly sponsored in Turkey, they immediately began a blitzkrieg persecution of the Kurds themselves who were the victims, resulting in the end of the ceasefire (and the whole Peace Process initiated and maintained by the imprisoned Kurdish leader Ocalan) and unleashing the wave of Turkish nationalism that boosted Erdogan’s march to supreme dictator. ISIS never claimed the attack.

Erol’s lawyer Abdulbakir Erdogmus told Gazete Duvar that accusations against the mother are legally unacceptable. Continue reading “Mother gets 7 years for Speech at Son’s funeral ..Stop Turkish Fascism!”

New campaign “#riseup4rojava – Smash Turkish fascism!”

#RiseUp4Rojava: From Global Action Days to an worldwide campaign against Turkish fascism.

On January 27 and 28 the Global Days of Actions, activists in more than 60 locations in over 20 countries demonstrated against the looming attacks by the Turkish state against the Rojava revolution

. The activists not only denounced the imperialist policy of Erdogan regime, but also made clear which companies benefit from the war.

They protested in front of various arms companies such as BAE Systems in London, Rheinmetall in Austria and Germany, and financial institutions such as CreditSuisse in Switzerland.

Suruç Families Initiative: ‘We are Getting Arrested Instead of Killers’

From the action days, which the Internationalist Commune of Rojava had called for, now a campaign with the name “RiseUp4Rojava” – smash Turkish fascism” emerged, which has been already joined by around 20 organizations, such as CNT, PlanC, the Association of students Kurdistan (YXK) and InfoAut. Continue reading “New campaign “#riseup4rojava – Smash Turkish fascism!””

Anarchist genius Enric Duran needs help in Exile

Enric is the Catalan activist who took out bank loans of 500,000 euros and gave the cash to occupiers, anarchists and Coops. Then he helped found the Integral Coop, the FairCoop, and Faircoin, the popular non exploiting crypto currency

At his trial the State banned his witnesses who aimed to expose the multi billion frauds of the banks themselves, So Robin (Enric) ‘did a runner’, and he’s still free 7 yrs later but needs cash urgently.

click here to make your donation if you wish . ..finishes on 3rd May 2019 Pre-campaign for the future of Enric Duran’s exile Pre-campanya pel futur de l’exili d’Enric Dura n

‘Enric still lives as a fugitive outside Spain, and is still busy organizing the FairCoop, – Open Cooperative, Faircoin, Commons Transition,,etc… (here’s lots more about Fair Coop http://commonstransition.org/portfolio/faircoop/)

FairCoop Introduction from Radi.ms on Vimeo.

The key to going global is the Commons Transition (new website here http://commonstransition.org/), linking up commons projects like CIC, the P2P Foundation, Ubuntu, Wikipedia, the makers movement, occupy, etc.

Read all the dirty details and join in here: Fairness and the Commons, an Interview with Enric Duran.

Enric’s blog in English HERE

Announcement by Enric Duran from Exile
Comunicat d’Enric Duran des de l’Exili 23-04-19

Today April 23 is the 7th anniversary that went far from home, resisting a “national” order of detention for the action of denunciation and expropriation of the unjust and stingy banking system, which I made public in 2008, and for which still calls for 8 years in prison, although the banks reported to the state coffers 120000 times more than what I had to do to them and no prosecutor’s office has asked for criminal charges for that. Continue reading “Anarchist genius Enric Duran needs help in Exile”

Extinction Rebellion .. We need Direct Action not Symbolic Pleading

By: thecollective .. From A C G

Extinction Rebellion has managed to organise an impressive number of people into a civil disobedience movement. They have managed to shut down and occupy significant parts of London including numerous major road junctions over the past week.

They have many admirable principles such as “breaking down hierarchies of power for more equitable participation” and “creating a world that is fit for generations to come”. However is civil disobedience really the best method for getting action to be taken on climate change?The aim of Extinction Rebellion’s civil disobedience campaign is to attempt to cause enough disruption so that the State meets their demands to bring back order – as appearing to have order and control is important for the State. It is quite possible that the State will partially concede to a couple of the demands of extinction rebellion – however what isn’t going to happen is a significant system change.

This is an issue because the root cause of climate change is capitalism with its requirement for constant growth. The people in the corridors of power are simply too vested in capitalism to allow something better to replace it.

Because climate change is a product of capitalism, our aim must not be to get concessions from the system but to replace it. The police have still arrested over 1000 people at the XR protests. Despite such vast numbers of arrests, which was actually the intention of XR, the State rarely capitulates in the face of civil disobedience on the part of tiny mobilised minorities, even highly committed ones like XR.

Generalised mass mobilisations, however, based upon civil disobedience, such as the anti- Poll Tax campaign with widespread non-payment, community mobilisation and anti-Poll tax riot in London in 1990, were relatively successful. .. continues below

Green Anti-Capitalist Front

The Green Anti-Capitalist Front is a new movement supported by radical groups and individuals across London and the UK which aims to supportthe surge of actions being carried out by Extinction Rebellion while also offering a radical alternative for those who see the abolition of capitalism as the only real means of avoiding complete ecological catastrophe. We also recognise that many of us would like to be involved in actions which do not include asking to be arrested or collaborating with the police. We are calling for an open assembly where we can decide how we wish to interact with Extinction Rebellion and what a lternative actions we can pursue.

The idea that the police are potentially our friends, which is spread around by XR, is just wrong. Many people were abused by the police (especially people who are part of a minority) with people being dragged into cells and stripped searched by force or threatened with broken bones.The nice police officers you might come across when you’re protesting “nicely” pretend to be friendly to get information and to get into peoples’ heads, but they will turn into brutes the moment they are ordered to. This idea that the police are possible allies is harmful to everyone who has been abused or has suffered systematic abuse from the police as it marginalises their experiences.

And despite the best efforts of thousands of people for over a week, how many police officers have thrown their badges on the floor and refused to serve a regime which throws people in cells for protesting what is going to kill billions of people?

It is obvious that the police are not going to change sides and help shut down all the different things which are poisoning the planet. Rather, as was shown as the week drew on, they will continue to protect them. Furthermore, it is only a matter of time before the police start using more heavy-handed methods (the bully cannot let people stand up to him and get away with it!). continues below…

Rebellion Extinction: ‘a capitalist scam’ ???

The integrity of XR as an organisation was dealt a blow on Easter Monday, when its Twitter account started plugging links to a new website called XR Business, which had been announced in a letter to The Times signed by a host of leading lights in the green business community, including former CEO of Unilever Paul Polman, founder of Ecotricity Dale Vince, The Eden Project’s Sir Tim Smit, founder of Solarcentury Jeremy Leggett, Chris Davis, CSO at The Body Shop International, Safia Minney, founder and former CEO at People Tree Fair Trade group, and Diana Verde Nieto, CEO and co-founder, Positive Luxury Ltd, as well as senior executives at a host of sustainable investment firms, including WHEB, Zouk Capital, Next Energy Capital, and Triodos Bank UK. .After a flood of internal protest the site has been ”temporarily suspended”. The site included a list of “business leaders” some in XR, who have identified environmental catastrophe as yet another get-rich opportunity and are prepared to hijack and exploit people’s real love for life and nature in order to push their profiteering agenda. It remains to be seen if XR supporters can use direct democracy to expel or subdue the clique of rightwing capitalist leaders who seem to be in control and who announced the next phase should be themselves negotiating with the rich and powerful. (However the much maligned Greta Thunberg came out in favour of a climate ‘general strike’.) Meanwhile we are better off distancing ourselves and supporting by using direct action pressure. see also ..XR Business: Green business leaders in support

Therefore, our attempts cannot be restricted to just civil disobedience as it is not capable of dismantling the capitalist system. Instead of imploring the State to stop doing evil things, we must stop these evils ourselves using a wide range of tactics which allow us to attack what is destroying the planet.

But we must remember, because any meaningful response to climate change requires system change, the manner in which we change the system is incredibly important too. If we just have a few thousand people leading the charge we risk making a society which doesn’t represent the needs of everyone – and risks replacing our current form of oppression with a new one. We need to have a mass, global movement from the entire populace to ensure the new system is a good system.

So what’s the alternative? Imagine if the thousands of protestors in London, instead of peacefully occupying public spaces started organising with the public to achieve mass action against things like fossil fuel plants (as in industries?) and the like.

Instead of us asking those powerful people who are benefiting from the destruction of the environment to stop destroying the planet – we could fight to just stop them whether or not they agree to do this! Ultimately though, this will mean a revolution to get rid of capitalism and replace it with a society based on need not profit and exists in harmony with nature.

shared from . anarchistnews.org

Saudis Torture and Execute more Underage Youths

The torture and summary execution of the 37 Shia protestors comes in the context of: continuing religious fascism by the tribal rulers; fierce repression in the Shia areas of Saudi Arabia; virtual slavery of women despite cosmetic changes; the Kashoggi murder; the brutal US sponsored war on the Shia (Houthi) in Yemen; fomenting war against mainly Shia Iran; the sponsoring of Sunni terrorists in Syria. etc. Despite its many crimes the regime still receives ‘Carte blanche’ from the US which in 2017 boasted a $110 billion arms deal and $350,ooo,ooo,ooo over 10 years .

The families of six tortured and executed Saudi minors only heard the news through state media.

By Ruairi Wood via amity underground (illustrations added)

In what can only be described as a state killing spree, on the 23rd of April 2019, Saudi Arabia violently and secretly executed 37 individuals en masse, at least six of whom were minors: Mohammad Saeed Al-Skafi, Salman Amin Al-Koraysh, Mojtaba Al-Sowaiket, Abdullah Salman Al-Soraih, Abdulaziz Hassan Al-Sahwi and Abdulkarim Al-Hawaj.

The placard, for an Indonesian victim, reads ” Stop the Death Penalty”.

The families of these minors were traumatized by the news as they were not informed and had no knowledge of the impending executions, thus depriving them of a chance to say last goodbyes. The family members only came to know of the executions once it had been officially announced via official state media outlets.

The absolute prohibition of the imposition of a death sentence against minors is enshrined in international law. The term minor relates to those under the age of 18 at the time of alleged offense. Of these six executed minors, some were arrested at an age of less than 18 years old, and some were arrested over the age of 18, but regardless, all faced charges related to alleged ‘crimes’ conducted when they were less than 18 years of age, which makes them a protected category in relation of capital punishment.

On the basis of this absolute prohibition, no minor should face a capital trial. However, in the case of these minors they faced grossly unfair capital trials at the Specialized Criminal Court, a court notorious for the use of torture-based confessions and grossly unfair trial.

Being a minor in Saudi Arabia does not protect you from torture. Of those executed, all were subjected to the following forms of torture and ill treatment:

– Mujtaba Al-Sowaiket: Solitary confinement, hung from hands, beaten with wires and hoses, cigarette burns on different parts of his body, beating him and slapping him with shoes on head and face, and leaving him in a cold solitary cell in the winter, nudity.

Amnesty International released a statement on Wednesday to say Saudi Arabia killed the men to crush dissenting voices from its minority Shi’a population. “Today’s mass execution is a chilling demonstration of the Saudi Arabian authorities callous disregard for human life,” said Lynn Maalouf, the group’s Middle East Research Director. The men executed were subjected to unfair mass trials, Amnesty said, or were convicted of violent offenses related to their participation in anti-government protests

.– Abdulkarim Al-Hawaj: Solitary confinement for five months, beaten with sticks and electric wires, kicked with heavy shoes, electrocuted, hands tied above him for over 12 hours, verbal insults and threats.

-Salman AlKoraysh – Solitary confinement for three months, beating with thick plastic, metal, or rubber hoses, high voltage electric shocks, force-feeding hallucinogenic pills.

Trump has overruled Congress vote to stop war on Yemen, taking personal responsibility for genocide and starvation

This is not the first time that Saudi Arabia has executed minors. In 2016 during a mass execution of 47 individuals, four minors were among those executed including peaceful protestor Ali Al Rebh, who was also convicted on torture-based confessions.

The execution of minors, who are afforded a special protection under international law, shows Saudi Arabia has blatant disregard for its international obligations. As a member of UN human rights council and a state party to the convention on the Rights of the Child, Saudi Arabia has very clear responsibilities towards minors, but instead uses these affiliations for the purpose of public relations, and continues to use capital punishment as a tool of terror against minors and others alike.

Some of the 37 men executed by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday claimed before they were killed that they had been forced to confess by their torturers, documents seen by CNN show.
During their trials in 2016, some of the men — who were killed for terrorist offences — said their confessions were written for them by officials.
They also claimed their fingerprints were taken and used as proof their confessions were genuine, CNN said.
According to CNN’s report, one of those executed, 27-year-old Munir al-Adam, told the judge at his trial: “I didn’t write a letter. This is defamation written by the interrogator with his own hand.”
Saudi Arabia is on track to set a new record for the number of executions carried out in a single year in 2019. It has killed 90 people already this year, and looks set to exceed the 158 people executed in 2015 …………………..INSIDER REPORT

In its concluding report on Saudi Arabia, the Committee on the Rights of the Child urged Saudi Arabia to immediately stop the executions of the individuals who were less than eighteen years when they committed the alleged crime, including Salman Al-Koraysh, Mujatba Al-Suwaiket and Abdulkareem Al-Hawaj, whom were amidst the most recent mass execution spree. By executing these individuals, Saudi Arabia has ignored explicit recommendations against the imposition of capital punishment against these minors.

It is noteworthy that all the of these minors were from Eastern Province, which is predominately Shia, and this discriminatory pattern in arrests and death sentences has been noted in the 2018 report by former special rapporteur Ben Emmerson.

ESOHR highlights that Muhammad Bin Salman’s recent promise to reduce the death penalty is a total fabrication which was said only as a public relations stunt. In light of Saudi Arabia’s flagrant disregard for its obligation towards the protection of children, ESOHR calls for an urgent review of Saudi Arabia’s membership at the UN Human Rights Council and committees.

According to ESOHR, dozens of individuals, including minors, remain at imminent risk of execution. ESOHR is deeply concerned about these individuals and calls upon the International Community to take immediate actions to first, strongly condemn this mass execution and secondly, protect those at risk from imminent execution by applying pressure on Saudi Arabia to stop execution on the basis of unfair trials.

Sent to us by the European-Saudi Organisation for Human Rights – Aiming to strengthen the commitment of human rights principles in Saudi Arabiaتهدف المنظمة تعزيز الإلتزام بمبادئ حقوق الإنسان في المملكة العربية السعود