Simone Gbagbo, formerly the Ivory Coast first lady will be tried for crimes against humanity on April 25, her lawyer said Friday. Gbagbo was already sentenced to 20 years in jail for attacking state authority, which occurred following the country’s debated 2010 elections. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has accused Gbagbo of [...]
North Korea defied the new UN and US sanctions by firing a medium-range ballistic missile into the sea on Friday. This development comes within days of the weapons tests ordered by Kim Jong-un which has been linked to the country’s pursuit of a long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the US mainland. According to the [...]
Top UN officials urged the international community on Thursday to develop human-rights-based responses for combating violent extremism as opposed to using a “security only” approach to dealing with the scourge. In a video message to the Human Rights Council Panel discussion in Geneva, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed that “human rights and the rule [...]
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday urged the South Sudan government to protect its civilians from the deteriorating conditions within the country. Although there has been a ceasefire, the country is experiencing ongoing violence. Last month, armed men wearing uniforms of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army entered the UN Mission site housing civilians, where [...]
JURIST Guest Columnists David Frakt discusses President Obama’s recent Supreme Court nomination… Yesterday, President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to serve on the US Supreme Court. Within minutes, the Republicans in the Senate confirmed, as they had previously made clear, that they will refuse to even meet with Judge Garland, much less allow a confirmation [...]
A Brazilian judge issued an injunction on Thursday to block the appointment of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as chief of staff to his successor and current president, Dilma Rousseff, shortly after he was sworn in to the position. Lula was charged earlier this month in connection with money laundering and misrepresentation of assets [...]
US Secretary of State John Kerry in a speech at the State Department on Thursday declared that the Islamic State (IS) “is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims.” Detailing the steps that the US has taken to halt the spread of the terrorist organization, Kerry [...]
The Botswana Court of Appeal on Wednesday ruled that the Home Affairs ministry’s refusal to register a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights group was unconstitutional as it violated the right to freedom of association. The Botswana High Court had previously ruled in 2014 that the Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) could [...]
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill to legalize the use and distribution of medical marijuana. The bill, passed by a vote of 149-43, authorizes the use of medical marijuana for patients suffering from serious medical conditions and establishes guidelines and duties for the facilitation of the program. It is expected that [...]
The Supreme Court of Ohio on Wednesday ruled that the state can execute a man whose execution was halted in 2009 after a failed attempt to administer lethal injection drugs. Romell Broom was to be put to death by lethal injection, but the execution was called off after two hours when officials could not insert [...]
