Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf declared a moratorium on the death penalty Friday, which will remain in effect until he receives and reviews a report from the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Committee on Capital Punishment. The governor expressed concerns over serious flaws in the death penalty system in the state, which he said have made [...]
Amnesty International (AI) said Friday that use of the death penalty in Pakistan is undergoing a “disturbing and dangerous” escalation after the execution of two men convicted of non-terrorism offenses. Muhammad Riaz and Muhammad Fiaz were executed Friday for the murder of the son of the Supreme Court Bar Association’s President in 2004. When the [...]
The Mississippi House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday that would make details involving executions secret and allow lawsuits against anyone who divulges the secrets. Moreover, the names of the executioner and anyone “assisting in the execution in capacity” would be exempt from public disclosure. The release of names of the witnesses would be [...]
The Missouri House of Representatives on Thursday approved a right-to-work bill by a vote of 91-64. The bill will now be sent to the Missouri Senate , where it could face a filibuster. Even if the bill is approved by the Senate, Governor Jay Nixon is expected to veto it. The bill allows workers who [...]
Amnesty International (AI) released a statement on Friday urging the Mexican government to adhere to UN recommendations on how to investigate the disappearances of 22,600 of its citizens. Half of the counted disappearances occurred between 2012 and 2014, and include the disappearance of Ayotzinapa students , who were allegedly sent to their deaths by government [...]
The UK on Friday enacted anti-terror legislation to help combat terrorism by curbing the number of British citizens joining Islamic State (IS) and other militant groups in Iraq and Syria. The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act expands the current anti-terror law and includes provisions allowing the UK to stop a citizen’s re-entry into the country when [...]
US President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act in order to combat increasing suicide rates among American veterans suffering form post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The act was passed by a unanimous Congress and is intended to facilitate veterans’ access to mental health resources, as studies [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday urged Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly to reject a proposed amendment to the Military Court Act that would allow the government to detain civilians up to 84 days without charging them of a crime. The proposed amendment comes after last year’s military coup that gave military tribunals the right to [...]
Zambian High Court Judge Mwila Chitabo on Thursday ordered a stay of the arrest warrant against chief prosecutor Mutembo Nchito after a lower court issued the warrant on claims of corruption. The High Court judge held that the lower court had no authority to hear the case and released the prosecutor until the High Court [...]
The Senate Armed Services committee narrowly advanced a bill on Thursday that would prevent most detainee transfers out of Guantanamo until after President Barack Obama leaves office. The White House has vowed to veto the legislation. The bill, sponsored by Senator Kelly Ayotte and supported by Senators Graham, Burr and McCain, passed the committee 14-12. [...]
