Headines for Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Parole Hearing for Leonard Peltier
In central Pennsylvania today, about 200 people gathered outside the walls of Lewisburg Penitentiary to support Native American activist Leonard Peltier during a parole hearing.  Peltier has been serving out two consecutive life sentences for the murder of two FBI Agents: during a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation In South Dakota. Robin Carneen has more.

After serving 33 years behind bars, THE 64-year old Peltier has been granted his second parole hearing since 1993.  He has maintained his innocence throughout his time in prison, and is considered by many to be a political prisoner.  Peltier’s attorney, Eric Seitz, says Peltier should be released, because he has already served his 30 year mandatory minimum sentence.

Robin Carneen, FSRN.

Boat Carrying Haitian Migrants Capsizes
Nine Haitian migrants are dead and more than 70 missing after a boat capsized off the Turks and Caicos Islands.  The US Coast Guard says 113 people were stranded on several reefs near British territory Monday afternoon, and found by Coast Guard and Turks and Caicos authorities. The small wooden sailboat was overloaded with an estimated 200 Haitians trying to reach the United States.

Zelaya Supporters Detained in Honduras
Protests against last months Presidential coup continue in the streets of Tegucigalpa, as the Honduran congress has begun to discuss the proposed San Jose Agreement, to end the month long constitutional and political standoff.  Tim Russo has more.

Protests against last months Presidential coup continue in the streets of Tegucigalpa, as the Honduran congress has begun to discuss the proposed San Jose Agreement, to end the month long constitutional and political standoff.  Tim Russo has more.  Early Monday morning, the police and military broke up the camp of Hondurans that had been virtually trapped in el Paraiso since Friday, while trying to get to the Nicaraguan border to accompany ousted President Manuel Zelaya.  70 people were detained and taken to a nearby holding facility.  Monday afternoon, the Honduran Congress began to discuss the proposed San Jose Agreement drafted by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.  The debate focused on giving Amnesty to both Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti, who’s currently serving as President.  But they did not discuss but not the return of Manuel Zelaya.  Meanwhile, in a press conference in Ocotal, Nicaragua, Zelaya said that he will not travel to Washington, nor most likely to the upcoming meeting of Central American and Caribbean presidents in Costa Rica, that he and Organization of American States President Miguel Insulza were invited to participate in later this week.

Tim Russo, FSRN, Tegucigalpa

Detainees Released in Iran
In Iran, officials have released some 140 protestors from a detention facility.  A National Security and Foreign Policy Committee spokesperson says that 200 protestors are still being detained, because they are suspected of carrying weapons, vandalism, or being members of revolutionary groups. But protest supporters say that many more than those 200 people are actually being held in secret. Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader has ordered the closure of another detention facility, because it ‘failed in preserving the rights of detainees’,

Journalists Detained in Advance of Moldovan Elections-Miles Ashdown
The Republic of Moldova is holding its parliamentary elections on Wednesday; and authorities have detained three Romanian journalists arriving at the capitol airport to cover the election. The election comes amid accusations against the ruling communist party of vote rigging in recent elections. Miles Ashdown reports.

Besides the 3 detained journalists, an additional reporter was turned away from the border under the pretext that he didn't have a medical certificate not normally required by foreigners.  Moldova held its first parliamentary elections back in April, but those resulted in violent protests, including the killing of three demonstrators. The ruling Communist Party dissolved the parliament in June after the country’s political parties failed to work together to select a president.  There are also charges of vote rigging on the part of the Communist Party of Moldova. Grigore Petrenco, parliamentary candidate for the Communist Party and the deputy speaker of the Parliament, denied these allegations.

In Chisinau in the Republic of Moldova, I’m Miles Ashdown for Free Speech Radio News.

New Rules Make it Easier to Evict Families from NYC Homeless Shelters
A new policy starts to take effect in New York City’s homeless shelters today; making it easier to kick out families, for infractions such as not signing in or staying out past curfew.  The New York Times reports the new rules are designed to make the almost 10 thousand families in New York City’s homeless shelter system accept permanent housing, even if they don’t like it.  The evictions would last for 30 days and the rules dictate no evictions should not take place if the temperature outside is below 32 agrees.