Iran is on an “execution binge,” killing one prisoner every eight hours, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said in a statement released on Sunday. Forty-seven prisoners have reportedly been executed in Iran since the new year, many from the country’s Kurdish minority. “The execution of Kurdish activists, without fair trials and following [...]
A federal judge on Friday told the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that it must investigate the destruction of interrogation tapes related to 9/11 and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York made the statement while considering a complaint [...]
A US Military panel has recommended in its latest report released Friday that women should be allowed to serve on the front lines of combat. The Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC) , comprised of retired and current military leaders, says that women, who under current defense policy are prohibited from serving in direct line-of-fire combat, [...]
The Supreme Court of Louisiana on Friday granted the request of a Louisiana federal judge who sought to permanently resign from practicing law. Ex-federal judge Thomas Porteous voluntarily surrendered his law license after being convicted on four articles of impeachment and removed by Congress in December. Pursuant to the order, Porteous is no longer permitted [...]
The Tunisia Constitutional Council on Saturday officially announced that President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali has permanetly left the office of the president. The council, the country’s highest legal authority on constitutional issues, declared that the leader of the lower house of parliament, Foued Mebezza, will assume power until elections are held in two months. The [...]
Former Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards was released from a federal prison Thursday after being allowed to finish the remainder of his sentence in home detention. Edwards has been in prison since 2002 when he was sentenced to 10 years for fraud , racketeering and extortion. The former four term governor was convicted for attempting to [...]
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk on Friday alleged that Israeli authorities had committed several illegal acts in the Palestinian territories since the start of the year, making the prospect of a viable Palestinian state unlikely. These events include the killing of four Palestinians by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) , all of which were not [...]
US President Barack Obama on Friday ordered the Departments of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security to take steps to ease restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba. The new regulations, to be promulgated as modifications of the Cuban Assets Control and Customs and Border Protection regulations, will allow greater travel from the US to Cuba [...]
Amnesty International (AI) called for Hungary to amend its new media law that has caused outbreaks of public protests in Budapest and Vienna. The new law took effect January 1 and creates the National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) , which controls private television and radio broadcasters, newspapers and online news sites. Under the law, [...]
Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali declared a state of emergency Friday amid nationwide protests, banning public gatherings and allowing police to fire on anyone refusing to obey orders. The declaration came a day after Ben Ali promised to cut prices on basic food supplies and order security forces not to use live ammunition except [...]
