Several pastors in Illinois sued the state Thursday claiming its ban on the practice of gay conversion therapy on minors violates free speech and religious rights. Illinois is one of five state in the nation to ban such practices, a legal implementation supported by President Barack Obama . The Illinois law, The Youth Mental Health [...]
In a statement released on Thursday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein expressed concern over Bulgaria’s criminalization of migrants leaving and entering the country. Zeid stated Bulgaria’s practice of arresting migrants for both entering and leaving Bulgaria irregularly “places many of them in an invidious Catch-22 situation” and calls into [...]
The National Assembly of Pakistan on Thursday approved the controversial Electronic Crimes Bill 2015 . The law has received negative attention in the past from human rights activists for the role it could play in hindering the free speech and privacy of Pakistani citizens. Particularly, activists warn about the broad and vague language contained in [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called upon Ethiopia Wednesday to allow international visitors into the region where 90 protesters were shot and killed by security forces this past weekend. Saying the excessive use of force in the Oromiya and Amhara regions needs to be investigated, the high commissioner expressed concern [...]
The Swiss Federal Tribunal on Thursday rejected an appeal by Israel, ordering Iran to be paid approximately USD $1.1 billion in a decades-old dispute over the Eliat-Ashkelon Pipeline. Switzerland’s highest court rejected Israel’s appeal for lack of due process, and also awarded close to USD $460,000 in court costs and lawyers fees. Despite the ruling, [...]
A US Senator on Wednesday released a Pentagon Report detailing the profiles of those currently detained in and recently released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) concluded that closing the facility would not be in the US’ best interests and would pose a safety risk. About the report, Ayotte said the [...]
Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom on Thursday signed into law a controversial bill criminalizing defamation with fines and jail terms despite widespread criticism. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression David Kaye issued a warning Wednesday condemning the bill approved by the Maldives parliament. Kaye cautioned that the “Protection of Reputation and Good Name [...]
The Belize Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a law banning sodomy, declaring it unconstitutional. Section 53 of the Belize Criminal Code banned “carnal intercourse against the order of nature.” The law was challenged in 2010 by Caleb Orozco, whose organization, UniBAM , reported the ruling on Twitter . Section 53 had been law in [...]
A Bangladesh court on Wednesday granted bail to former prime minister Khaleda Zia in 10 pending cases, allowing her to go free. Zia, the head of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) , is facing charges including arson for anti-government protests that turned violent. Zia also faces sedition charges for questioning the official death [...]
The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) has engaged in tactics that violate the First and Fourth Amendments and numerous anti-discrimination laws, according to a report released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday. The report is centered on the use of excessive force and illegal stops, seizures and searches, especially within the African-American community. [...]
