Assange trial updates, ICE whistleblowers, and the FBI spying on folk singers? It's our October 2020 Newsletter!

October 2020   For 18 days in a courtroom in London, the future of the free press has been on trial. In 2010-2011, Julian Assange and WikiLeaks published a trove of secret documents exposing US war crimes and abuses of power. In doing so, they worked with The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde and Al Jazeera. Because of this, the United States government is demanding the UK extradite Assange, an Australian national, to stand trial under the Espionage Act. In an unprecedented assault on free press rights, Assange is the first person indicted under the Espionage Act for publishing truthful information.  DRAD will be joined for a special update on the Assange extradition with Kevin Gozstola, the managing editor of Shadowproof and has been covering the Assange extradition. We hope you can join us on Tuesday, October 8:00 PM Eastern/5:00 PM Pacific. You can RSVP here: RSVP We know this is a tumultuous and disturbing time. The continued abuse of the Espionage Act is just part of the bigger picture. We see the right to protest attacked, dissenters demonized, and law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and now private vigilantes given license to violate the rights of the people. Defending Rights & Dissent is continuing to fight for the rights we cherish and safeguard our democracy.   Stay Loud, Stay Strong, Sue, Chip, Mehdi, and Quentin

The FBI is still spying on dissent. But how do we know what they’re up to? On this episode, Alice Speri of The Intercept talks about the importance of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and whistleblowers to journalists reporting on FBI surveillance. She also discusses the case of Terry Albury, an FBI whistleblower who was prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Listen Now Over A Dozen Civil Society Groups Call on Congress to Investigate FBI & DHS “Black Identity Extremism” Spying After over 100 days of protests of racial injustice, DRAD was joined by over a dozen civil liberties organizations calling for an investigation into the FBI & the Department of Homeland Security's reported spying on so-called "Black Identity Extremism." Read more >>>

Increasing Funding for ICE & CBP is Pouring Gasoline on a Blazing Constitutional Fire CBP and ICE must urgently be reined in — and that starts by halting additional taxpayer dollars funding their deadly efforts at the border or their repressive efforts in our streets. Read more >>> Constitution Day 2020: Chaos and Continuity Fredrick Douglass created a stir in 1851, professing his belief that the Constitution could, in fact, be reconciled with racial equality. That's possible, but only if our professed empathy manifests itself through concrete action. Read more >>>

Tortured Detainee At Guantánamo Wins Court Ruling on Health Care Services The Defense Department needs to not only do the right thing, but follow its own regulations: establish a Mixed Medical Commission for Mohammed al-Qahtani, a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay who has been subjected to torture and abuse. Read More >>> Remembering Kevin Zeese, Tireless Fighter for Our Democracy Defending Rights & Dissent was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Kevin Zeese this September. Over his life & distinguished career, he was on the frontlines of many important causes. Read More >>>

The DOJ Is Spying On Puerto Rican Student Protesters In April of 2017, students at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) were on strike to protest austerity policies, at one point occupying the boardroom where the Board of Directors of the UPR were meeting to discuss $241 million in cuts to the university system. Charges soon followed. Read More >>> FBI Still Can’t Follow FISA Rules, Yet Granted Sweeping Spying Powers Anyways! Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court has rebuked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for failing to follow the rules. Read More >>>

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

DRAD board member and Project South’s Legal & Advocacy Director Azadeh Shahshahan joined us to discuss what’s really happening in ICE detention following the explosive whistleblower allegations made by Dawn Wooten, a nurse at one of the facilities. Watch Now >>> The Still Spying Podcast hosted a discussion with Aaron J. Leonard about his new book, The Folk Singers and the Bureau: The FBI, the Folk Artists and the Suppression of the Communist Party, USA-1939-1956.  Watch Now >>>

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