Saturday 21 July 2012

Palm Beach Post -By Jane Musgrave - parole office discharged Platshorn loses first round in 'special' parole fight with parole office - header edited by Mark Aldiss

Convicted former pot smuggler Platshorn loses first round in parole fight

By Jane Musgrave

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

WEST PALM BEACH — 

Convicted pot smuggler turned medicinal marijuana advocate Robert Platshorn has lost the first round in his fight with the U.S. Parole Commission.

Pointing out that Platshorn’s quest for freedom to speak at such events as Hempfest Seattle, Sacramento Hempfest and Detroit High Times Medical Cannabis Cup seems to conflict with his marijuana-related crimes, U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks said the 70-year-old Golden Lakes Village resident must remain under the supervision of the parole office.

Platshorn, who was released from prison in 2008 after serving roughly 30 years, said the parole office discharged him in May 2011 but recently alerted him that he is on special parole.

Middlebrooks said special parole is commonly ordered and upheld it.

Platshorn, who founded the Silver Tour to persuade seniors to push to legalize medical marijuana, vowed to continue his legal battle.

 

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/convicted-former-pot-smuggler-platshorn-loses-firs/nPzCB/

GlaxoSmithKline agrees $3 billion fraud payout 05 July 2012

IT'S a hefty pill to swallow. GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay $3 billion for introducing "misbranded" drugs and failing to report safety data, following a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice. The settlement is the largest for healthcare fraud in US history.

"This historic action is a clear warning to any company that chooses to break the law," said James Cole, the US Deputy Attorney General, in a statement.

The charges related mainly to three drugs. The investigators found that between 1998 and 2003, GSK unlawfully promoted an antidepressant, trade name Paxil, for treating depression in people under 18, despite no approval for this from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Likewise, from 1999 to 2003, GSK promoted Wellbutrin, a drug approved at that time only for major depressive disorder, for a host of other conditions, including sexual dysfunction and addiction to drugs.

Finally, the investigation found that between 2001 and 2007, GSK failed to send the FDA safety data which revealed that the diabetes drug Avandia carried risks of congestive heart failure and heart attacks.

"I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learnt from the mistakes that were made," said Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of GSK, in a statement. He added that the offences were symptomatic of conduct that is no longer tolerated. "The company reached this settlement with the government to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience and uncertainty of protracted litigation," said Witty.

The company's annual report reveals that GSK posted an operating profit last year of more than quadruple the fine, at $12.4 billion, and turnover of $43 billion. The company is valued at $113 billion.

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It Isn't Their Money!

Thu Jul 05 09:37:08 BST 2012 by ullrich fischer

If the $3b were to come out of the pockets of the GSK execs responsible for the decisions leading to this crime, that might be a slight taste of justice, but to fine the company is to take the money out of the pockets of GSK shareholders most of whom had no say in those decisions. As it stands, this is not a proportional deterrent. Consider that Bernie Madoff is in jail for life despite having killed no one. The action described in the article may well have killed thousands due to inappropriate medication and thousands more due to the support this scandal gives to the "big pharma is a conspiracy" meme which is currently causing thousands of families around the world to refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases

It Isn't Their Money!

Fri Jul 06 09:18:44 BST 2012 by sevenleafclover

So you're saying they embezzled the money to pay the 3b fine? hmmm, I don't know...

These corporate conspiracy theories are interesting, but nothing will change unless consumers take action:

Consumers must hold these shady corporations accountable through the organization of boycotts, and through the enaction of new legistation. Only then will corporations hold their execs personally responsible for their actions.

Socal media has given consumers a much greater power, it's high time consumers start using that power justly.

It Isn't Their Money!

Sat Jul 07 00:27:39 BST 2012 by Chris

'So you're saying they embezzled the money to pay the 3b fine?'

Nope, he didn't say that or even imply it at all, it might be better if you actually read, and understand, what someone has written before you comment on it.

The point being made was that the fine, being levied against the company, is to be paid out from the companies profits thereby badly affecting the shareholders dividends for a year or two, (remember the shareholders were not the ones who decided to mis-sell and mis-report these drugs)

Meanwhile the excutives who did decide to put peoples lives and health at risk to increase sales do not themselves pay the fines despite being those responsable.

Money grabbing management parasites like those here should pay compensation out of their own pockets to all those affected in this debarcle, receive heftly fines and/or prison terms and should of course be banned from working in a management position in any healthcare, medical or drug company again

It Isn't Their Money!

Tue Jul 10 04:12:55 BST 2012 by Jamie W.

I vehemently disagree with Chris and Ullrich that the shareholders are somehow innocent in all this. Of course the Glaxo exec's should face the music (or perhaps a firing squad), but anyone who holds shares should know exactly where their money is invested. They may not design the profit-making schemes but they're happy to rake in the dividends. Would it be acceptable for me to take shares in a crystal meth factory? Should I evade punishment if the cooks get busted?

It Isn't Their Money!

Tue Jul 10 03:58:52 BST 2012 by Jamie W.

"The company reached this settlement with the government to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience and uncertainty of protracted litigation,"

The above quote says it all, really. If the swine thought they had a chance in court they would have sent in the lawyers. Their accountants would have determined that settling was the option least damaging to the shareholders' hip pockets.

There's no conspiracy here, there's no cabal of evil pharma-lords, just a system that prioritises profit-maximisation and limits personal responsibility. The Glaxo decision-makers were doing their job, and their job isn't developing and providing treatments for unwell people, it's providing ever-increasing dividends. The average large pharmaco spends around three times more money on marketing than they do on R&D, a fact which tells us exactly what their priorities are.

It seems to me that there's something profoundly wrong with a system where treatments for the unwell (or food for the hungry, or heating for the cold, or shelter for the homeless) are provided or withheld on the basis of profitability.

I agree with sevenleafclover (do they grow near Pripyat?) that action is desperately needed, but I suspect boycotts and legislatory changes are nothing more than inconveniences, like fleas on a rabid dog.

Perhaps it's time we stopped referring to human beings as consumers. Perhaps we can use the power of the web to do more than complain. Perhaps it's time we take back the world.

It Isn't Their Money!

Mon Jul 09 19:21:57 BST 2012 by James

I am now curious where the 3BN is going? How much did it cost to get the 3BN fine so how much is my government actually making? Additionally I thought we had a law that corporate execs could be charged with this as a crime, Knowingly choosing proifits over the safety of people.

It Isn't Their Money!

Tue Jul 10 04:25:41 BST 2012 by Jamie W.

"...and thousands more due to the support this scandal gives to the "big pharma is a conspiracy" meme which is currently causing thousands of families around the world to refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases"

Ullrich, you've got to be kidding. I absolutely agree that scientifically-illiterate idiots refusing to vaccinate their kids is a huge problem, but you can't seriously be suggesting that we should let stuff like this slide in order to preserve the respectable face of the pharmaceutical industry. Perhaps I've misread your intentions?

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

GlaxoSmithKline agrees $3 billion fraud payout 05 July 2012

IT'S a hefty pill to swallow. GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay $3 billion for introducing "misbranded" drugs and failing to report safety data, following a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice. The settlement is the largest for healthcare fraud in US history.

"This historic action is a clear warning to any company that chooses to break the law," said James Cole, the US Deputy Attorney General, in a statement.

The charges related mainly to three drugs. The investigators found that between 1998 and 2003, GSK unlawfully promoted an antidepressant, trade name Paxil, for treating depression in people under 18, despite no approval for this from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Likewise, from 1999 to 2003, GSK promoted Wellbutrin, a drug approved at that time only for major depressive disorder, for a host of other conditions, including sexual dysfunction and addiction to drugs.

Finally, the investigation found that between 2001 and 2007, GSK failed to send the FDA safety data which revealed that the diabetes drug Avandia carried risks of congestive heart failure and heart attacks.

"I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learnt from the mistakes that were made," said Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of GSK, in a statement. He added that the offences were symptomatic of conduct that is no longer tolerated. "The company reached this settlement with the government to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience and uncertainty of protracted litigation," said Witty.

The company's annual report reveals that GSK posted an operating profit last year of more than quadruple the fine, at $12.4 billion, and turnover of $43 billion. The company is valued at $113 billion.

Issue 2872 of New Scientist magazine

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It Isn't Their Money!

Thu Jul 05 09:37:08 BST 2012 by ullrich fischer

If the $3b were to come out of the pockets of the GSK execs responsible for the decisions leading to this crime, that might be a slight taste of justice, but to fine the company is to take the money out of the pockets of GSK shareholders most of whom had no say in those decisions. As it stands, this is not a proportional deterrent. Consider that Bernie Madoff is in jail for life despite having killed no one. The action described in the article may well have killed thousands due to inappropriate medication and thousands more due to the support this scandal gives to the "big pharma is a conspiracy" meme which is currently causing thousands of families around the world to refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases

It Isn't Their Money!

Fri Jul 06 09:18:44 BST 2012 by sevenleafclover

So you're saying they embezzled the money to pay the 3b fine? hmmm, I don't know...

These corporate conspiracy theories are interesting, but nothing will change unless consumers take action:

Consumers must hold these shady corporations accountable through the organization of boycotts, and through the enaction of new legistation. Only then will corporations hold their execs personally responsible for their actions.

Socal media has given consumers a much greater power, it's high time consumers start using that power justly.

It Isn't Their Money!

Sat Jul 07 00:27:39 BST 2012 by Chris

'So you're saying they embezzled the money to pay the 3b fine?'

Nope, he didn't say that or even imply it at all, it might be better if you actually read, and understand, what someone has written before you comment on it.

The point being made was that the fine, being levied against the company, is to be paid out from the companies profits thereby badly affecting the shareholders dividends for a year or two, (remember the shareholders were not the ones who decided to mis-sell and mis-report these drugs)

Meanwhile the excutives who did decide to put peoples lives and health at risk to increase sales do not themselves pay the fines despite being those responsable.

Money grabbing management parasites like those here should pay compensation out of their own pockets to all those affected in this debarcle, receive heftly fines and/or prison terms and should of course be banned from working in a management position in any healthcare, medical or drug company again

It Isn't Their Money!

Tue Jul 10 04:12:55 BST 2012 by Jamie W.

I vehemently disagree with Chris and Ullrich that the shareholders are somehow innocent in all this. Of course the Glaxo exec's should face the music (or perhaps a firing squad), but anyone who holds shares should know exactly where their money is invested. They may not design the profit-making schemes but they're happy to rake in the dividends. Would it be acceptable for me to take shares in a crystal meth factory? Should I evade punishment if the cooks get busted?

It Isn't Their Money!

Tue Jul 10 03:58:52 BST 2012 by Jamie W.

"The company reached this settlement with the government to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience and uncertainty of protracted litigation,"

The above quote says it all, really. If the swine thought they had a chance in court they would have sent in the lawyers. Their accountants would have determined that settling was the option least damaging to the shareholders' hip pockets.

There's no conspiracy here, there's no cabal of evil pharma-lords, just a system that prioritises profit-maximisation and limits personal responsibility. The Glaxo decision-makers were doing their job, and their job isn't developing and providing treatments for unwell people, it's providing ever-increasing dividends. The average large pharmaco spends around three times more money on marketing than they do on R&D, a fact which tells us exactly what their priorities are.

It seems to me that there's something profoundly wrong with a system where treatments for the unwell (or food for the hungry, or heating for the cold, or shelter for the homeless) are provided or withheld on the basis of profitability.

I agree with sevenleafclover (do they grow near Pripyat?) that action is desperately needed, but I suspect boycotts and legislatory changes are nothing more than inconveniences, like fleas on a rabid dog.

Perhaps it's time we stopped referring to human beings as consumers. Perhaps we can use the power of the web to do more than complain. Perhaps it's time we take back the world.

It Isn't Their Money!

Mon Jul 09 19:21:57 BST 2012 by James

I am now curious where the 3BN is going? How much did it cost to get the 3BN fine so how much is my government actually making? Additionally I thought we had a law that corporate execs could be charged with this as a crime, Knowingly choosing proifits over the safety of people.

It Isn't Their Money!

Tue Jul 10 04:25:41 BST 2012 by Jamie W.

"...and thousands more due to the support this scandal gives to the "big pharma is a conspiracy" meme which is currently causing thousands of families around the world to refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases"

Ullrich, you've got to be kidding. I absolutely agree that scientifically-illiterate idiots refusing to vaccinate their kids is a huge problem, but you can't seriously be suggesting that we should let stuff like this slide in order to preserve the respectable face of the pharmaceutical industry. Perhaps I've misread your intentions?

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Friday 20 July 2012

The Guardian - Simon Harwood cleared of manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/19/simon-harwood-not-guilty-ian-tomlinson

 

Simon Harwood cleared of manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson

Met police officer cleared of manslaughter over death of bystander hit with baton and pushed to the ground

Footage from CCTV cameras, broadcasters, protesters and bystanders retraces the movements of PC Simon Harwood and Ian Tomlinson on 1 April 2009 Link to this video

A policeman has been acquitted of killing Ian Tomlinson during G20 protests in London by striking the 47-year-old bystander with a baton and pushing him to the ground as he walked away from police lines.

The jury at Southwark crown court on Thursday cleared PC Simon Harwood, 45, a member of the Metropolitan police's elite public order unit, the Territorial Support Group, of manslaughter following one of the most high-profile cases of alleged police misconduct in recent years.

Harwood told the court that while in retrospect he "got it wrong" in seeing Tomlinson as a potentially threatening obstruction as police cleared a pedestrian passageway in the City on the evening of 1 April 2009, his actions were justifiable within the context of the widespread disorder of that day.

Speaking outside the court, the Tomlinson family said: "It's not the end, we are not giving up for justice for Ian." They said they would now pursue a civil case.

The jury's verdict, after four days of deliberations, brings about something of a legal contradiction: 14 months ago another jury, at the inquest into Tomlinson's death, ruled that he was unlawfully killed by Harwood. The inquest ruling was made on the same burden of proof as a criminal trial, that is, beyond reasonable doubt.

Neither jury heard details of Harwood's prior disciplinary record, which can only be reported now. This includes how he quit the Met on health grounds in 2001 shortly before a planned disciplinary hearing into claims he illegally tried to arrest a driver after a road rage incident while off duty, altering his notes to retrospectively justify the actions. Harwood was nonetheless able to join another force, Surrey, before returning to serve with the Met in 2005.

He allegedly punched, throttled, kneed or threatened other suspects while in uniform in other alleged incidents.

PC Simon Harwood leaves court

The verdict will come as a huge disappointment to Tomlinson's family, following a saga that began when the father of four, who was stepfather to his wife's five other children, collapsed as he tried to make his way home through police lines. It followed a day of protests connected to the meeting in London of leaders from the G20 group of nations. He died shortly afterwards.

Tomlinson had been an alcoholic for some years and was living in a homeless hostel. It was initially presumed he died from natural causes, a conclusion supported by an initial postmortem examination, which gave the cause as heart failure.

But six days later the Guardian published video footage, shot by an American in London on business, which showed a policeman in riot gear striking Tomlinson on the leg with a baton before shoving him violently to the pavement, minutes before his final collapse.

Three pathologists involved in two further postmortem examinations said Tomlinson instead died from internal bleeding associated with his liver and consistent with being pushed to the ground. While the officer was soon identified as Harwood, prosecutors initially decided against charging him, changing their mind only after the inquest verdict.

The trial hinged on two key questions: firstly, whether Harwood's actions amounted to a criminal assault; then, whether they directly led to Tomlinson's death.

The first issue was simple, the prosecution argued: Harwood carried out "a gratuitous act of aggression", Mark Dennis QC told the jury. Harwood had recklessly abandoned the police van he was designated to drive to arrest a man seen writing graffiti on another vehicle. Humiliated when the man wriggled free, he opted to join a line of other officers clearing a pedestrian passageway by the Royal Exchange complex.

But in his evidence Harwood said he had been separated from his van by a threatening crowd before following orders to clear the passage. He insisted his actions towards Tomlinson were correct at the time, a version of events supported by two other officers at the scene called as defence witnesses.

The issue of cause of death saw the testimony of the first pathologist, Dr Freddy Patel, who reasserted his belief that Tomlinson died from heart failure, placed against that of Dr Nat Cary, who told the court that even a relatively small amount of internal bleeding would have caused death. The jury was not told that Patel has twice been suspended by medical authorities for mistakes in other postmortem examinations and is no longer on the Home Office's register of approved pathologists.

No police officer has been convicted for manslaughter for a crime committed while on duty since 1986.

Thursday 19 July 2012

Dear Governor Brown: I am writing to urge you to grant clemency to Sara Kruzan

http://www.savesara.com/Letter.php

 

 

 

You may either endorse the letter below on this website 
or send this letter or your own version by mail. This is 
one of the strongest ways to push Sara's case forward. 

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814


Dear Governor Brown: I am writing to urge you to grant clemency to Sara Kruzan, a woman who is serving a 25-year-to-life term in a California penitentiary for shooting and killing, when she was 16 years old, a man who had sexually abused her and who had previously been her pimp, making him a very serious child sex offender. While I am not condoning vigilantism, Sara's sentence of life without parole, imposed when she was a juvenile, is too extreme considering her youth and the extraordinary circumstances surrounding her crime, and fails to reward the remarkable personal growth and transformation that she has demonstrated during her 16 years in prison. 

This is your opportunity to correct the woefully inadequate action of your predecessor, Governor Schwarzenegger, who commuted Sara's sentence from life without parole to twenty-five years to life. At this point she has spent more than half her life in prison and has served more time than most murderers. You can now restore justice by commuting Sara's sentence to time served. She, the State of California, and all women everywhere will benefit. 

Sara was just two months past her 16th birthday when she shot and killed a well-known pimp who raped her and sexually abused her since she was 11 and forced her into prostitution since she was 13. Now 32 years old, Sara has spent more than half her life in prison. She has been a model inmate, and has earned her college education, and received a 2009 Honor Dorm"Woman of the Year" award from corrections officers. 

Prior to her incarceration, Sara grew up in Riverside, California where she excelled in school, making the honor roll and running track. But starting at a young age, Sara was a victim of regular abuse: she was molested by several men, gang-raped by neighbors, physically and emotionally abused by her mother, and then abused and manipulated by her pimp. Two nationally known experts have determined that Sara was suffering from the effects of intimate partner battering when she committed the crime. 

Despite being only 16 and having no criminal record, Sara was tried as an adult and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. At the time of her sentencing, the California Youth Authority found Sara amenable to treatment. Had the court followed this recommendation, Sara would have been released at age 25. Even while her youth, abuse, and trauma help to mitigate her offense, Sara expresses remorse for her crime. In a 2007 Human Rights Watch interview, she reflects: 

"I definitely know that I deserve punishment. You don't just take someone's life and think it's okay. I am very sorry to take his life like thatÉIf I had a parole hearing, I would want to tell the people that, first of all, I have learned what moral scruples are. Second, that every day is a challenge, but I realize that I have a lot of good to offer. Now the person who I am today... I believe that I could set a positive example." 

The terrible crimes committed by youth can take and ruin lives. Yet we believe that the sentencing choices in California should reflect the circumstances of the offender as well as the nature of the crime, and leave open the possibility that a person redeem herself. This is especially true of youth. As the United States Supreme Court re-affirmed earlier this year, youth are different from adults, and thus a life without parole sentence is "an especially harsh sentence for juveniles." 

Sara is not the same person that she was at age 16. Considering her background of trauma and abuse, her young age at the time of the offense, and her rehabilitation over the last 16 years, I ask that you commute her sentence to time served. 

Sincerely, 

Mark DJ Aldiss
projectbrainsaver
Harlech
Wales
UK
LL46 2YT 

You may email a copy of this letter or your own, along with your name, address, contact info and electronic signature to facesforsarakruzan@gmail.com and it will be sent to Governor Brown of California. 

5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files

 

Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files – more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012. This extraordinary data set derives from 680 Syria-related entities or domain names, including those of the Ministries of Presidential Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Information, Transport and Culture. At this time Syria is undergoing a violent internal conflict that has killed between 6,000 and 15,000 people in the last 18 months. The Syria Files shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.

List of Releases

Released onName
2012-07-19 14 The Pope and the dictator: as the Syrian bloody crackdown starts, Assad writes to Benedict XVI
2012-07-18 08 The best jokes of Bachar al-Assad
2012-07-17 02 Mail on Sunday (UK) Wikileaks files (Week 2)
2012-07-16 12 Evidence Shows Syrian Security got Comms from West
2012-07-15 00 Syrias førstefrue shoppet mens blodet fløt
2012-07-11 09 Spanish Young Communists to Syrian comrades: we don't trust Spanish media, tell us the truth
2012-07-11 09 The relationships between the Syrian Communist Party and the Italian and Spanish communists
2012-07-11 02 Rami Makhlouf: Buying Syria One Bank at a Time
2012-07-11 00 القرارات الحكــــومية تصدر على مضض وببطء
2012-07-10 23 Qatari Royal Dumps Syrian Stocks Pre-Ramadan 2011
2012-07-09 06 Al Asad mantiene a una queridísima amiga en una universidad inglesa
2012-07-09 06 “En estos días difíciles nos hemos dado cuenta de quién es nuestro amigo”
2012-07-09 00 US Firm Encourages 'Fist and Open Hand' in Syria
2012-07-09 00 Asma and Bashar: Syria's British Royals
2012-07-08 05 The Mail on Sunday Assad files
2012-07-06 07 El TETRA de Selex no lleva solo componentes italianos
2012-07-06 07 Siria amplió el contrato a Selex a los tres meses de las revueltas
2012-07-06 06 The US spin doctor of Asma al-Assad
2012-07-06 04 Italienische Verschlüsselungstechnologie für Assad
2012-07-06 00 How the Finmeccanica technology is helping the Syrian regime
2012-07-05 10 Los misteriosos vínculos entre Finmeccanica y el 'banquero de Dios'
2012-07-05 10 TETRA ayuda a la represión en Siria
2012-07-05 10 Italia vende a Siria alta tecnología que puede usarse para la represión
2012-07-05 10 Wikileaks pone al desnudo el correo electrónico interno del régimen sirio

Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files

 

Today, Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files – more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012.

This extraordinary data set derives from 680 Syria-related entities or domain names, including those of the Ministries of Presidential Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Information, Transport and Culture.

Over the next two months, ground-breaking stories derived from the files will appear in WikiLeaks (global), Al Akhbar (Lebanon), Al Masry Al Youm (Egypt), ARD (Germany), Associated Press (US), L’Espresso (Italy), Owni (France) and Publico.es (Spain). Other publications will announce themselves closer to their publishing date.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said: "The material is embarrassing to Syria, but it is also embarrassing to Syria’s opponents. It helps us not merely to criticise one group or another, but to understand their interests, actions and thoughts. It is only through understanding this conflict that we can hope to resolve it."

At this time Syria is undergoing a violent internal conflict that has killed between 6,000 and 15,000 people in the last 18 months. The Syria Files shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.

The range of information extends from the intimate correspondence of the most senior Baath party figures to records of financial transfers sent from Syrian ministries to other nations.

The database comprises 2,434,899 emails from the 680 domains. There are 678,752 different email addresses that have sent emails and 1,082,447 different recipients. There are a number of different languages in the set, including around 400,000 emails in Arabic and 68,000 emails in Russian. The data is more than eight times the size of ’Cablegate’ in terms of number of documents, and more than 100 times the size in terms of data. Around 42,000 emails were infected with viruses or trojans. To solve these complexities, WikiLeaks built a general-purpose, multi-language political data-mining system which can handle massive data sets like those represented by the Syria Files.

In such a large collection of information, it is not possible to verify every single email at once; however, WikiLeaks and its co-publishers have done so for all initial stories to be published. We are statistically confident that the vast majority of the data are what they purport to be.

We would like to thank our sources, technical team, donors and defenders without whom this contribution to the historical record would not be possible. https://wlfriends.org/

For more information on the Syria Files, please see: http://wikileaks.org/syria-files/re...

For media enquiries, please see: http://wikileaks.org/Press

Faces For Sara Kruzan - A VISUAL PETITION & MOVEMENT TO FREE CHILD SEX-TRAFFICKING VICTIM SENT TO LIFE IN PRISON

http://www.elizabethohara.com/ffskpetitioninfo.php

 

 

 

    
A VISUAL PETITION & MOVEMENT TO FREE CHILD SEX-TRAFFICKING VICTIM SENT TO LIFE IN PRISON

For More Details, Read The Sara Kruzan Story Here

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

 

SIMPLY SUBMIT YOUR OWN HI-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPH TO FACESFORSARAKRUZAN@GMAIL.COM

Read the below details if you are unsure how to submit a photograph.
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOGRAPH: THREE VERY SIMPLE RULES FOR EXAMPLES OF PHOTOS SEE "FACES" GALLERY 

1) Send 1 to 3 pictures of yourself that are clear, HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOS (over 500k, preferably 1MB or higher). No photoshopped images or otherwise doctored images. 

2) You may send me a sentence/statement that will be attached as your quote along with the photo you send. Pictures with you looking into the camera are stronger for this project. 

3) Group photos are absolutely not accepted without my permission. 

That's it!

Again, please send your photo to FacesForSaraKruzan@gmail.com Please include your first name and last name. 

Restrictions

The following: inappropriate images, including full nudity or provocative/suggestive poses (for minors). For adults, artistic expression will be limited to partial nudity (no private areas showing), but can be provocative to make a statement about abuse, sex trafficking, injustice, etc. NO racially-based language or any other racially discriminatory language or slang. No profanity please. 

Now that you know the rules and have submitted your photo, please pass this along to everyone you know. Thank You! 

  

STATEMENT AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE PETITION

The main objective: to find everyone who supports Sara Kruzan's freedom who is proud and willing to show their face in support of her Freedom. This collective petition will be exhibited in galleries and around Sacramento, in the press, sent to politicians for support and ultimately, to Governor Brown's hands in the form of a petition "photo book" style format. I also urge every Sara supporter to write Governor Brown of California, a one page letter asking for Sara's freedom (globally). Contributing here and doing that will be the best of both worlds. 

The purpose is to use this photo petition to display the strength of a visually personalized movement, through the faces of her supporters, not only to attempt greater attention surrounding her need for full clemency, but also as a means of support to Sara. I want Sara to see all of the people who care about her through the lens. Personal statements I'm sure, will make it more interesting for her to browse through. There is an emotional attachment and magnitude that a book or a wall full of pictures can achieve that an anonymous online petition cannot. This story must be spread and supported around the world. 

Contribution to this project is a very simple and can make a huge difference in the freedom of someone who is powerless to change her situation. If you were in her position, you would hope strangers would take the time to do the same for you. 

Sincerely,
Elizabeth O'Hara @SAVESARA www.savesara.com

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March for Justice for Kingsley Burrell to be held in Birmingham

TUESDAY, 10 JULY 2012 00:00
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A march demanding justice for Kingsley Burrell will be held on 18th August 2012 in Birmingham.

Burrell lost his life after he was forcibly restrained by police, while detained under the Mental Health Act.

A year after Burrell’s death, no one has been charged and his body has still not been released to his grieving family for burial.

Community members are urged to attend the march in large numbers in memory of Burrell and all who havedied in custody.

MARCH FOR JUSTICE FOR KINGSLEY BURRELL
Date: 18th August 2012
Time: 12:00
Venue: Summerfield Park, Dudley Rd/Icknield Port Rd, Birmingham B16
http://www.facebook.com/BirminghamStrong4Justice

Justice for Kingsley Burrell supports the UFFC No. 10 Petition re: deaths in custody

Justice for Kingsley Burrell supports the UFFC No. 10 Petition re: deaths in custody

Deaths in police, prison, mental health & immigration detention

The United Families & Friends Campaign (UFFC) calls for an independent judicial inquiry into all suspicious deaths in custody.

UFFC is a coalition of families and friends of those that have died in the custody of police and prison officers as well as those who died in psychiatric and immigration detention. It also has members and supporters from campaign groups and advocacy organisations from across the UK.

The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody report published in 2011 states: in total, there were 5,998 deaths recorded for the 11 years from 2000 to 2010. This is an average of 545 deaths per year.Despite the fact there have been 11 unlawful killing verdicts since 1990 there has never been a successful prosecution.

Our joint efforts have yielded some results. The police self-investigation of deaths was replaced by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman now investigates deaths in prison and immigration detention. The Attorney General was forced to undergo a review of the role of the Crown Prosecution Service, and corporate manslaughter laws are now extended to custody deaths.

However, these reforms have not addressed the lack of justice in outstanding cases. We believe that equitable dispensation justice in the UK must be done and be seen to be done if the general public are to enjoy high levels of trust and confidence in the fair administration of justice.

The poor quality and speed of independent investigations conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and an Inquest process that is seriously under resourced, subject to delay and limited in remit and is not fit for purpose. Both critically fail to protect or support the rights of victims or their families.

Our Demands:

1.  Replacement of the IPCC to ensure open robust transparent and thorough investigations from the very outset of police deaths in custody - with a removal of all ex-police officers for it to be a truly independent body.

2.  The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman should be placed on a statutory footing.

3.  Deaths in psychiatric detention and / or of those detained under the Mental Health Act must be subject to a system of properly funded investigation that is completely independent of the Health Service.

4.  Officers and officials directly involved in custody deaths are suspended until investigations are completed.

5.  Immediate interviewing of officers and all officials concerned with the death.

6.  Officers and officials should never be allowed to collude over their evidence and statements of fact.

7.  Full and prompt disclosure of information to the families affected.

8.  Prosecutions should automatically follow ‘unlawful killing’ verdicts at Inquests and officers responsible for those deaths should face criminal charges, even if retired.

9.  Implementation of police body cameras and cameras in all police vehicles in the interests of both the officers and the public.

10. There should be an automatic right to non means tested legal aid for families. There is a lack of funds for family legal representation at Inquests whilst officers and NHS staff get full legal representation from the public purse – this is unbalanced.

US civil rights veteran, Rev Jesse Jackson supports the inquiry campaign.

For those wishing to lobby their local MP:http://www.theyworkforyou.com/
Posted by Campaign Admin at 02:31

The Official Kingsley Burrell Poster for the National Demo 18 August. Please spread the word, post, email and promote @march4justice

The Official Kingsley Burrell Poster for the National Demo 18 August. Please spread the word, post, email and promote @march4justice

 

http://justiceforkingsleyburrell.blogspot.co.uk/

Justice for Kingsley Burrell

Campaigning for Justice for Kingsley Burrell and for legislative reform in regards to deaths in custody. In unity with all those who have lost a loved one in these circumstances.

 

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Planning meetings for 2nd March 4 Justice 4 Kingsley Burrell to be held at: Handsworth Park, Community Play centre on   
Saturday 21st July    6-8pm
Saturday 28th July    6-8pm
Saturday 4th August  6-8pm
Saturday 11th August 6-8pm
Please attend if you can and volunteer your time to help 
co-ordinate the March on 18th August. 

www.facebook.com/Justice4Kingsley

Twitter: @March4Justice

 


Update: Body of Birmingham dad Kingsley Burrell not released one year on
Originally published at Birmingham Mail

Distraught sister Kadisha and Kingsley Burrell who has not been buried a year after his death
Distraught sister Kedisha and Kingsley Burrell who has not been buried a year after his death


ANGRY relatives of Kingsley Burrell who mysteriously died after being detained by police a year ago are still waiting for his body to be released for his funeral.

Kingsley Burrell, 29, dialled 999 after being threatened by a group of men while with his young son in Icknield Port Road, Birmingham, on March 27 last year.

But when officers turned up they detained the trainee security guard under the Mental Health Act – despite his family saying he had no history of mental illness.
Kadisha and Kinsgley's daughter Travita
 Within hours Mr Burrell was sectioned and taken to a mental health unit in the city, where his family claim he had mysterious physical injuries and was not allowed to speak to them.

Three days later, police were called to the Mary Seacole mental institute in Winson Green after an “incident” involving the dad-of-two and he was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he died on March 31.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission immediately launched an inquiry and has now asked Dorset Police to begin a further investigation into the death.

Last night Mr Burrell’s sister, Kadisha Brown-Burrell said the family still had no idea how he had died – and could still be months away from having a funeral.

She said: “How can they keep a body for a year? It’s been more than a year now and they are dragging their heels.

‘‘We are still grieving and need closure but have been told the Dorset Police investigation will take at least take another six months.

“We’re angry and frustrated and don’t know what is happening.

‘‘It’s been painstakingly difficult, frustrating, and emotionally overwhelming for the family to begin to come to terms with his death. Especially, not being able to lay his body to rest, not knowing the sequence of events that led up to his death and how he died.’’

Mr Burrell was dad to five-year-old son Kayden – who was with him when he was detained by police – and 10-year-old daughter Travita.

Student Miss Brown-Burrell regularly visits her brother’s body, which is being held at the mortuary at Sandwell Hospital.

She added: “I personally don’t have much confidence in the IPCC investigation and we have not been kept informed.

“The family has now attended eight or nine pre-inquest hearings, yet still nobody can tell us what or who killed Kingsley.

‘‘It’s not fair on his children, especially his little boy who can’t stop thinking and talking about what happened that day.”

A spokesman for the IPCC said investigators have interviewed four West Midlands police officers under criminal caution and a further 10 officers as witnesses.

He added: “In total, more than 100 witness statements have been obtained from police officers, medical professionals, ambulance staff and members of the public.

‘‘Footage from CCTV cameras at four locations has been recovered and reviewed and hundreds of documents have been seized as part of the independent investigation.

“Earlier this year, after liaison with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Dorset Police were requested by the IPCC to begin an investigation into the actions of non-police personnel who had contact with Mr Burrell and they continue to undertake enquiries.

“The IPCC has provided regular updates at HM Coroner’s pre-inquest hearings and to the family and interested parties.’’
Posted by Campaign Admin at 02:55

Monday 16 July 2012

STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN in Iran and Afghanistan

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/VIOLENCE_AGAINST_WOMEN_AND_CHILDREN

 

STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

This petition is awaiting approval by the Avaaz Community
STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN
100
16

16 signers. Let's reach 100

Why this is important

I am working in favour of the culture of human rights and democracy in Iran and Afghanistan and I want to STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN in Iran and Afghanistan

 

I would like to call upon the national and international community to give more room and opportunity to the role of women in peace- and security building in Iran and Afghanistan. I would like to ask the Iran and Afghan Government to ban any discriminatory acts and practices which are against Iran and Afghan women’s rights.

• I would like to call upon the Iran and Afghan state and international partners to support the Afghan and Iran women in reducing poverty. Poverty is one of the main challenges for the Afghan and Iran women in their social life.

• Domestic violence is also a very important challenge for the Afghan and Iran women.

Posted July 11, 2012

Taslima Nasreen - Our men throw acid in our faces, destroy our lives but we never stop loving men. Warning: Violent images

http://freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/2012/07/14/our-men-throw-acid-in-our-faces-destroy-our-lives-but-we-never-stop-loving-men/

 

Our men throw acid in our faces, destroy our lives but we never stop loving men. Warning: Violent images

 July 14, 2012 at 3:25 pm  Taslima Nasreen

Men throw acid on us with the intention of injuring and disfiguring us. Men throw acid on our bodies, burn our faces, smash our noses, melt our eyes, and walk away as happy men.
Acid attack is common in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Cambodia, and a few other countries. Men throw acid on us because men are angry with us for ending relationships and for refusing sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, proposals of marriage, demands for dowry. They throw acid on us for attending schools, for not wearing Islamic veils, for not behaving well, for speaking too much, for laughing loudly.

India

She was 18, a college student. Three of her neighbors sexually harassed her for more than two years and then threw acid on her. Her skin on the skull, face, neck, chest and back were melted away. After nine years of that attack Sonali Mukherjee is now blind in both eyes and partially deaf. Her father spent millions of rupees for her treatment. They have now no money. The attackers got bail from the High Court, continued threatening to kill her. She is now asking the government to help her or allow her to end her life.


Cambodia

The face of Sokreun Mean, who was blinded and disfigured by an acid attack.

Carsten Stormer, a German journalist & photographer said,

“Acid attacks deprive people of more than their looks and sight. Families are torn apart. Husbands leave their wives. Children are separated from their parents. Jobs vanish overnight, turning professionals into beggars. Many victims cannot get through a day without constant assistance, becoming burdens on their families. All bear the mark of the pariah.
“What remains is a traumatized society in which domestic disputes, unhappy love affairs, and professional rivalries are nearly always resolved through violence. Hardly a family without its members lost to the ideological battles of the Khmer Rouge – a curse that is passed on from parents to children. Battery acid is known to be most uncomplicated way of causing lifelong suffering. A dollar will buy you a quart of acid on any street corner. The perpetrators are seldom punished. Their targets become outcasts.”


Pakistan

Fakhra Younus was attacked by her husband Bilal Khar, ex-MPA of the Punjab Assembly and the son of Pakistani Politician Ghulam Mustafa Khar. He threw acid in her face after they split up. Tehmina Durrani, the author of ‘My Feudal Lord’, the former step mother of Bilal Khar tried to help Fakhra. She was sent to Italy for treatment. After having 39 re-constructive surgeries, Fakhra committed suicide.

Stories of the girls, from left to right:
Ten years ago Shahnaz Bibi was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute. She has never undergone plastic surgery. Najaf Sultana is now 16. At the age of five Najaf was burned by her father while she was sleeping. Her father didn’t want to have another girl in the family. Najaf became blind. Shameem Akhter (20) was kidnapped and raped by a gang of men who then threw acid on her 3 years ago. Kanwal Kayum, now 26, was burned with acid one year ago by a man whom she rejected for marriage. Bashiran Bibi was burned at her husband’s house just after her marriage. Nasreen Sharif was a beautiful girl. When she was 14, her cousin poured a bottle of sulphuric acid in her face. He did it because he couldn’t stand boys whistling at her when she crossed the street. Her skin melted away, her hair burned away. She is now blind, she has no ears and she has no sense of smell.


Bangladesh
It is very easy for a man to get sulphuric acid if he wants to attack a woman he does not like. The country has become a hot spot for acid attacks. A disfigured woman is not able to get married or get a job. She becomes a financial and social burden on her family.

Neela was forced to marry when she was 12 years old. Her husband threw acid on her face when she was 14. He was angry with Neela because her family was unable to give him the dowry money he asked for.

Nepal


Akriti Rai, 22, was attacked by her husband, a Nepali soldier.

Iran

Ameneh Bahrami rejected the offer of having a relationship with Majid Movahedi, a fellow student at the University of Tehran. He then threw a bottle of acid in her face.

Zambia


A man threw acid on a 13-year-old girl’s face to take a revenge. The older sister of the girl said: “You have to grow crocodile skin to clean the wounds of an acid survivor. The worst ordeal was while in the hospital, as the skin kept peeling off. I didn’t realize that the tongue skin was also peeling off. The young girl was pushing something in her mouth. I opened her mouth to see and found that almost the whole tongue had come off. I had to pull it out like you do with a cow and only a little red thing (tongue) remained.’

Nitric acid, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid are today’s weapons of choice for criminals who hate women. These acids are easy to buy, easy to hide, easy to carry, and easy to throw. A person who witnessed many acid attacks , said, ‘in a less than a minute the bone under the skin can start to be exposed. If there is enough acid, the bone itself can become a soft mass of non-distinguishable jelly. Internal organs can dissolve. Fingers, noses and ears can melt away like chocolate on a hot day.’

Ethiopia


Twenty-one-year-old woman Kamilat Mehdi’s life was changed forever when a stalker threw sulphuric acid in her face. Ismail, Kamilat’s brother said: “The man who attacked her stalked her for a few years. He gave her a hard time but she didn’t tell the family for fear that something would happen to them. He was always saying he would use a gun on them.” Ultimately the stalker’s weapon of choice was not a gun, but a bottle of acid. He used it on Kamilat and destroyed her entire life in one second.

UK

Her lover did it. Richard Remes threw sulphuric acid on Patricia Lefranc. Her nose and eyelids were melted away, she lost sight in one eye and hearing in one ear, she also lost a finger. She came close to death, as the corrosive substance nearly burned through her heart and lungs.The horrific attack physically and emotionally scarred her for life. What was her crime? She ended her relationship with Richard Remes, a married man.


We are more abused, harassed, exploited, kidnapped, raped, trafficked, murdered by our lovers, husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins, friends, or men we know well than by strangers. Whatever happens to us, we never stop loving men.

Flickr - projectbrainsaver

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