The Ontario Superior Court on Monday sentenced Fahim Ahmad , the leader of the Toronto 18 , to 16 years in prison for his role in the terrorist organization. During the trial, the court heard evidence that Ahmad arranged training camps, produced propaganda videos and helped acquire weapons. Ahmad’s sentence was greater than the 12 [...]
Suspects detained under Morocco’s counterterrorism law routinely face serious human rights violations, including illegal detention and torture, according to a report issued Monday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) . The 56-page report was created following interviews with seven men detained pursuant to the counterterrorism law. The stories document a pattern of abuse in which suspected [...]
Former Canadian Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr on Monday pleaded guilty to all five charges against him, including conspiracy, murder and aiding the enemy. Under the terms of the agreement, Khadr will serve up to eight more years in prison in addition to the eight he has already spent in detention. At least one of [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called Saturday for the Iraqi and US governments to launch an investigation and prosecute those responsible for alleged detainee abuse after thousands of previously classified documents detailing torture by US and Iraqi forces were posted on WikiLeaks . The group said the leaked reports detail the US military’s failure to prevent [...]
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced Saturday that it will re-open an investigation into Google after the company announced that privacy breaches earlier this year were more serious than originally reported. The UK Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in June into whether Google violated privacy laws after the company inadvertently collected data on unsecured [...]
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit Friday against Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, seeking to have the deepwater drilling moratorium reinstated. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia , argues that Salazar’s order to lift the ban without conducting a comprehensive review of the effects of drilling on [...]
The Iraqi Supreme Court ruled Sunday that the seven-month delay in forming a government following the March parliamentary elections was unconstitutional, ordering parliament to reconvene. The lawsuit was filed by an independent group after the parliament failed to elect a parliamentary speaker during a brief session in June. The parliament failed to formally close the [...]
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced Friday that his office will not appeal a decision by Florida Third District Court of Appeals striking down the state’s prohibition against adoption by gay men and women. In September, the district court ruled that the prohibition was unlawful because it failed rational basis review and violated the state [...]
The French Senate on Friday approved retirement reform legislation designed to keep the country’s pension system viable. The bill , which passed by a 177-153 vote, increases the age at which individuals can retire from 60 to 62 while also raising the age of eligibility for full pension benefits from 65 to 67. Lawmakers contend [...]
UN Special Rapporteur on torture Manfred Nowak called Saturday for the Obama administration to launch an inquiry into the role of the US in human rights violations allegedly committed in Iraq . Nowak’s comments follow the release of government information on WikiLeaks that included thousands of previously classified documents. Many of the documents purportedly illustrate [...]
