The UN's new Universal Periodic Review has made great strides in protecting human rights but still has far to go, departing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said in her last address...

Australian advocacy group International Criminal Court Action (ICCACTION) sent a brief to the International Criminal Court (ICC) Friday requesting charges be laid against former Australian Prime Minister John Howard for war crimes in connection...

A federal judge in California subpoenaed a Washington Times reporter Saturday, ordering him to reveal the government sources he used for a 2006 story about a Chinese spy ring. Defense and national security reporter William Gertz cited...

Several Russian gay rights activists were arrested by police in Moscow Sunday for holding events commemorating the 1993 law that put an end to government prosecution for homosexual activity in Russia. For the third consecutive year, Moscow Pride [advocacy...

US federal authorities are prosecuting significantly more illegal immigrants than in past years, at least partly because of a 2005 zero-tolerance initiative allowing agents to charge almost all illegal immigrants with minor crimes, according to a report [text; press...

The US Supreme Court handed down three decisions Monday, including United States v. Santos , where the Court held 7-2 that the term "proceeds" in a federal money laundering statute...

The US has held terror detainees on roving prison ships in an effort to hide them from media scrutiny and legal watchdogs, UK prison rights group Reprieve alleged Monday. According to Reprieve, it is suspected...

An Iranian court has sentenced a man to one year in prison after police arrested him last year for collecting signatures in a Tehran park in support of women's rights, his lawyer said Sunday....

Swiss voters Sunday rejected by roughly 64-36 percent a referendum initiative that would have allowed municipalities control over granting Swiss passports without the possibility of appeal...

Bangladesh police have arrested dozens of politicians since Friday in a renewed anti-corruption drive. The drive comes amid an even wider crackdown in which authorities have arrested more than 1,600 political activists and...