#political repression

[tomorrowusa]

Living in a police state means you're governed by criminals who ignore threats to public safety.

It turns out that the four terror suspects were from Tajikistan though living in Russia. This is essentially an internal matter. Putin's secret police were too busy murdering political opponents and harassing dissidents to be concerned about the threat of terrorism from within.

Moscow terror attack: Russian massacre suspects’ homeland Tajikistan is plagued by poverty and religious strife

Putin buddy Emomali Rahmon is Tajikistan's kleptocratic “Leader of the Nation” – essentially dictator for life. Like Russia, the country is undemocratic but holds sham elections for window dressing.

The pro-democracy organization Freedom House lists Tajikistan as a Consolidated Authoritarian Regime. It's a place only a dictator would love.

Tajikistan: Nations in Transit 2023 Country Report | Freedom House

[catdotjpeg]

The former speaker of the US House of Representatives has said that although she believes the “suffering in Gaza” must stop, calling for a ceasefire is “Mr Putin’s message”. Speaking to CNN, Pelosi says some of the people calling for a ceasefire are connected to Russia – without providing evidence.

-- "Nancy Pelosi says call for Gaza ceasefire is ‘Putin’s message’" by Maziar Motamedi and Nils Adler for Al Jazeera, 28 Jan 2024 17:25 GMT

The clip has been reposted by the official CNN State of the Union twitter and can be viewed here.

[alwaysbewoke]

[useless-catalanfacts]

Jordi Vilanova speaks on behalf of the Catalan grassroots organization ANC in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)'s Human Dimension Conference to denounce Spain's lawfare strategy aimed at repressing the democratic Catalan pro-independence movement.

Spain’s repressive practices have been denounced by international organizations such as the Council of Europe, Amnesty International and the World Organization Against Torture, and endanger democracy. The OSCE should send the High Commissioner on National Minorities to visit Catalonia and report on the situation here.

Video posted by ANC International on their Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

[panicinthestudio]

Further reading:

HKFP: Hong Kong Baptist University students’ union cabinet faces dissolution after penalty over ‘biased’ online documents, April 18, 2023

HKFP: All members of student union cabinet resign after Hong Kong Baptist University probe, May 9, 2023

[herukapadmajungiansworld]

[indizombie]

Earlier this month St Petersburg artist Sasha Skochilenko was arrested and charged with spreading fake news about the Russian armed forces. She is accused of replacing price tags in a supermarket with anti-war messages. Sasha is being held in pre-trial detention. "This shows that free speech in our country is being stamped out," Sasha Skochilenko's partner, Sonia Subbotina, tells me. "It shows that political repression is getting worse and that people with anti-war views are being persecuted and put in prison." "There was protest activity in Russia. People were coming out to protest. But each protest is a major risk. You can be arrested, you can be beaten, you can be put in jail. Right now I feel completely lost. I don't know if anything can be done." Those in power in Russia are demanding unflinching support from the Russian people: for the direction in which the Kremlin is taking Russia, away from Europe; for the anti-Western rhetoric emanating from Moscow; and for Russia's military offensive in Ukraine - no matter what the consequences here at home.

Steve Rosenberg, ‘Mysterious Zamestim artwork in St Petersburg signals Russia's anti-West defiance’, BBC

[catdotjpeg]

Breaking News! Our latest report ‘THE CRACKDOWN ON PALESTINE: UNVEILING NYPD’S REPRESSION TACTICS’ is now live. This pivotal document, crafted by Within Our Lifetime, serves as a dynamic tool for activists in NYC and beyond, shedding light on state repression in its many forms.

In the midst of our fight to resist genocide in Palestine, we’ve witnessed a surge in government surveillance, harassment, and prosecution of our community for their solid support with Palestinians since October 7th. Part of our duty in fighting for the liberation of Palestine is to challenge the state repression targeting our communities in New York.

This statement aims to ignite renewed support, research, legal creativity, and resource dedication to that end. Stay informed and join us in our ongoing fight for Palestine. Regular updates will be posted, so keep an eye on our website. Have insights to share? We welcome your contributions via email. Wolpalestine@gmail.com

-- Within Our Lifetime, 25 Jan 2024

The report can be read here.

[headlinehorizon]

Passport Prohibition: Latest News from Belarus Amidst Ongoing Repression

Belarus' authoritarian president has issued a decree restricting passport renewals for citizens abroad, adding to the challenges faced by those seeking refuge. Learn more about the headline horizon in Belarusian politics and the latest news on political repression.

[playitagin]

1957 – Joseph McCarthy Date of Death.

Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public face of a period in the United States in which Cold War tensions fueled fears of widespread communistsubversion.[1] The term "McCarthyism", coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similar anti-communist activities. Today, the term is used more broadly to mean demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents.

[leviathangourmet]

The Department of Homeland Security is quietly broadening its efforts to curb speech it considers dangerous, an investigation by The Intercept has found. Years of internal DHS memos, emails, and documents — obtained via leaks and an ongoing lawsuit, as well as public documents — illustrate an expansive effort by the agency to influence tech platforms.

The work, much of which remains unknown to the American public, came into clearer view earlier this year when DHS announced a new “Disinformation Governance Board”: a panel designed to police misinformation (false information spread unintentionally), disinformation (false information spread intentionally), and malinformation (factual information shared, typically out of context, with harmful intent) that allegedly threatens U.S. interests. While the board was widely ridiculed, immediately scaled back, and then shut down within a few months, other initiatives are underway as DHS pivots to monitoring social media now that its original mandate — the war on terror — has been wound down.

Behind closed doors, and through pressure on private platforms, the U.S. government has used its power to try to shape online discourse. According to meeting minutes and other records appended to a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican who is also running for Senate, discussions have ranged from the scale and scope of government intervention in online discourse to the mechanics of streamlining takedown requests for false or intentionally misleading information.

“Platforms have got to get comfortable with gov’t. It’s really interesting how hesitant they remain,” Microsoft executive Matt Masterson, a former DHS official, texted Jen Easterly, a DHS director, in February.

In a March meeting, Laura Dehmlow, an FBI official, warned that the threat of subversive information on social media could undermine support for the U.S. government. Dehmlow, according to notes of the discussion attended by senior executives from Twitter and JPMorgan Chase, stressed that “we need a media infrastructure that is held accountable.”

“We do not coordinate with other entities when making content moderation decisions, and we independently evaluate content in line with the Twitter Rules,” a spokesperson for Twitter wrote in a statement to The Intercept.

There is also a formalized process for government officials to directly flag content on Facebook or Instagram and request that it be throttled or suppressed through a special Facebook portal that requires a government or law enforcement email to use. At the time of writing, the “content request system” at facebook.com/xtakedowns/login is still live. DHS and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, did not respond to a request for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

Read More

[panicinthestudio]

China offers bounty for Hong Kong activists abroad, Focus on Europe, November 12, 2023

Finn Lau, who lives in exile in London, has criticized China for its politics concerning Hong Kong. Beijing is offering a high reward for his capture. Deutsche Welle