Paul Hunt, the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, has called for an independent inquiry into war crimes in Gaza, saying that some Israeli attacks on Gaza are a violation of international humanitarian law . In a statement issued Wednesday, Hunt noted that the humanitarian [...]
Amnesty International (AI) took Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo! to task for "Undermining Freedom of Expression in China" as part of a campaign, launched Thursday, to "combat internet oppression" worldwide. The report alleges that the Internet companies have been complicit in efforts by the Chinese government to silence government critics, in violation of stated corporate policies, [...]
Nicolo Pollari, chief of the Italian Intelligence and Security Services , told a closed door meeting of the Italian Senate defense committee that Italian intelligence was not involved in the alleged CIA extraordinary rendition of Egyptian cleric Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr , also known as Abu Omar. Italian police arrested two intelligence officials with the [...]
Prosecutors in East Timor questioned former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri Thursday about allegations that he illegally distributed weapons to local militias and ordered them to kill political opponents. An investigation began after Vincent "Railos" da Concecao, claiming he was the leader of the alleged hit squad, told reporters that Alkatiri and former Interior Minister Rogerio [...]
During an uncommon open session of the US House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, several legal heavyweights debated whether the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) should be revamped to meet the challenges presented by terrorism. Under the current procedure authorized by FISA, the US Justice Department (DOJ) must seek a warrant from the court established by [...]
Relatives of four Iraqi citizens who were allegedly murdered by US soldiers in the town of Mahmudiya (also "Mahmoudiya") are refusing US requests to exhume the bodies, complicating the US case against the six soldiers. No rape test was performed on the body of a 14-year-old girl who US officials believe was raped, forcing the [...]
A federal grand jury in Atlanta has indicted two US citizens charged with participating in paramilitary training in Georgia in anticipation of terrorist acts. The suspects, Syed Haris Ahmed and Ebsanul Islam Sadequeee, allegedly developed contacts with jihad supporters and have been connected with at least three of the 17 men arrested on terrorism charges [...]
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a measure to seize land on Mount Soledad in San Diego to resolve a dispute over whether a 29-foot cross honoring Korean War veterans on the property is a government endorsement of religion. The House agreed to transfer the land to the Defense Department before an expected [...]
Pledge Protection Act of 2005 , passed by the US House of Representatives July 19, 2006 . Read the full text of the bill . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.
Retail Industry Leaders v. Fielding et al., United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Judge Frederick Motz, July 19, 2006 . Read the full text of the opinion . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.
