2009 Report on International Religious Freedom, US Department of State, October 26, 2009 . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here. Latest commentary available here. JURIST has more on religious freedom....

Sri Lankan Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe announced Monday that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to appoint an independent committee to investigate allegations of human rights violations in that nation. "Incidents...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday announced the formation of a task force to respond to the Goldstone Report , which accused both Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas fighters of...

A prominent opposition leader and human rights activist in Russia's southern province of Ingushetia , Maksharip Aushev, was reportedly shot dead Sunday while traveling on a highway in the North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria....

Uruguayan voters on Sunday rejected an initiative to end the country's Expiry Law , which grants amnesty to military officials accused of human rights violations during the country’s 1973-1985 dictatorship. With approximately 48 percent voting in support,...

The Supreme Court of Hawaii announced Friday that state courts will be closed two Fridays each month beginning in November 2009. Chief Justice Ronald Moon found that the difficult decision [Honolulu...

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Monday temporarily adjourned proceedings against former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic after Karadzic failed to appear for the opening of his war...

An Ontario law banning the use of handheld devices while driving took effect Monday, outlawing text messaging and talking on a cellphone while behind the wheel. The ban makes it illegal to use any handheld wireless...

The Seoul Central District court on Monday found Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk guilty of embezzling research funds and bioethics violations. Hwang was acquitted on fraud charges and given a two-year suspended sentence instead of the four-year sentence requested...

Former Uruguay military dictator and army chief Gregorio Alvarez was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday for his role in 37 homicides during the country's 1973-1985 military rule . Alvarez, who...