The Council of the European Union voted unanimously on Thursday to extend its sanctions against Iran by one-year because of human rights violations. The sanctions, now extended until 13 April 2019, include: asset freeze and visa bans for individuals and entities responsible for grave human rights violations ban on exports to Iran of equipment which [...]
Amnesty International (AI) released its 2017 global review of death penalty on Thursday noting a significant decrease in the imposition of death penalty sentences in Sub-Saharan African nations. AI noted key developments such as Guinea becoming the 20th state in sub-Saharan Africa to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, Kenya abolishing the mandatory death [...]
The ACLU of Massachusetts filed a class action lawsuit Tuesday against President Trump and other administration officials on behalf of a Rhode Island resident and Guatemalan native, along with six similarly-situated plaintiffs, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts . The lead plaintiff, Lilian Calderon, a mother of two, had been [...]
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Thursday ruled that an unaccompanied minor who turns eighteen during the asylum procedure remains entitled to family unification, provided the application for family reunification is filed within three months of the recognition of the minor’s refugee status. Those who reach the age of majority during this process will [...]
The United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) Appeals Chamber on Wednesday reversed the acquittal of Vojislav Šešelj by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and convicted him for crimes against humanity. The Appeals Chamber found that the ICTY Trial Chamber erred in not finding Šešelj accountable for a 1992 speech [...]
The Navajo Nation filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of New Mexico seeking damages from 11 major opioid drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies. The claim asserts that the defendants’ conduct is the cause of the opioid epidemic. The plaintiffs assert that the epidemic was caused by the defendants [...]
The Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA) and Consumer Service Alliance of Texas (CSAT) filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) final rule on “Payday, Vehicle Titles, and Certain high-Cost Installment Loans” is unconstitutional and violates the Administrative Procedure [...]
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky Tuesday challenging the Kentucky abortion measures that Governor Matt Bevin signed into law earlier that day. ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of the EMW Women’s Surgical Center, P.S.C., Kentucky’s sole licensed abortion facility, and [...]
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in state court seeking a declaration that residency is a requirement for gubernatorial candidacy in the state. The suit comes as 10 non-residents have taken the steps to run in the 2018 Kansas governor race. Schmidt argues in the suit that, while there is no [...]
A UN report published Tuesday detailed the conditions of thousands of people are being held in Libya, describing them as human rights violations. According to the report, released by the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) about 6,500 people are being held in official prisons, but thousands are being detained in facilities [...]
