Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning on Tuesday filed for a presidential pardon of her 35-year sentence. In the cover letter of the pardon request, Manning’s lawyer argued that his client disclosed sensitive information neither to harm the US nor for monetary gain. The lawyer further claimed that most of the released information was unclassified. Manning reasoned [...]
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the League of Defense of Human Rights in Iraq on Thursday called on the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) to investigate the deaths of more than 50 refugees discovered on Tuesday by UN officials in Camp Ahraf in the Diyala province . A UNAMI envoy visited [...]
The Syrian government is currently using cluster munitions in its ongoing conflict , according to a report Wednesday by the Landmine and Cluster Munition Moniter (LCMM), an organization co-founded by Human Rights Watch (HRW) . Cluster munitions are similar to landmines and have been voluntarily banned by the international community under two separate treaties, one [...]
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg filed suit on Tuesday against the New York City Council in an effort to overturn recently-enacted legislation relating to the New York Police Department (NYPD) stop-and-frisk program . The legislation at issue, Local Law 71 of 2013, is a bill that expands the definition of racial profiling and gives [...]
The UN Working Group of Experts of People of African Descent and the UN Special Rapporteur on racism on Tuesday called upon the US government to finalize its investigation into the case surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin . The controversial acquittal of George Zimmerman sparked the federal government investigation of the trial to evaluate [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on Tuesday issued an order allowing a Cincinnati man to be listed as “spouse” on the death certificate of his late husband. While the state constitution of Ohio prohibits same-sex marriage, state law does recognize marriages solemnized outside of the state. David [...]
JURIST Guest Columnist Caitlin McNamara, Pepperdine University School of Law Class of 2014, shares her first-hand experience and explains the procedural issues surrounding the trials for those accused of the September 11, 2001 attacks… This year will mark the twelfth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, yet the five men accused of planning those [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday questioned the legality of the US plan to strike Syria. Ban stated that the use of force is lawful only in two very limited circumstances: (1) when used in self-defense according to Article 51 of the UN charter or (2) when the UN Security Council (UNSC) approves such action. [...]
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Wednesday that Pakistan’s anti-terrorism laws will be amended to more effectively combat the threat of terrorism. The statements come after increased violence in the city of Karachi. Sharif presided over security meetings discussing how to improve Pakistan’s approach to terrorism . While he ruled out official military operations, Sharif [...]
The Mexican Senate on Tuesday approved an education reform bill that will require periodic evaluations for teachers. The law, approved by a margin of 102-22, aims to raise the quality of the nation’s education. Under the new law, teachers are required to take an evaluation at least every four years. If they fail the evaluation [...]
