| Posts |
|
Rights groups: Bangladesh must immediately end illegal detentions
Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement [AI press release; HRW press release] this weekend urging Bangladesh officials to immediately end the illegal detentions of two citizens. Ahmed Bin Quasem and Humman Qader (More) |
|
UN rights chief urges Maldives to retain death penalty moratorium
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Tuesday urged the Maldives to abide by a decades-old moratorium on the death penalty. The country has operated according to the de facto moratorium for decades, but last November brough (More) |
|
Turkish court issues arrest warrant for US-based Fetullah Gulen over coup
According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, an Istanbul court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for the Pennsylvania-based preacher Fetullah Gulen on charges of orchestrating the recent July 15 attempted coup, which left more than 270 dead. (More) |
|
Top European rights official urges Turkey to respect rule of law
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland arrived in Turkey Wednesday to meet with a variety of Turkish, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, urging respect for the rule of law. Following the fir (More) |
|
Delaware top court strikes down death penalty law as unconstitutional
The Delaware Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state's death penalty statute is unconstitutional. Citing a January US Supreme Court decision that found that Florida's death penalty scheme violated the Sixth Amendment , the Delaware court found (More) |
|
UN rights chief concerned over Iraq expediting death sentences
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Monday expressed concern over efforts by the Iraqi government to expedite implementation of the death penalty. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has created a committee to identify d (More) |
|
Indonesia executes four on drug convictions
Indonesia implemented a firing squad to execute four individuals convicted of drug charges Friday, despite international outcry for the nation to cease the use of the death penalty in drug crimes. The four individuals comprised two Nigerians, one Se (More) |
|
UN rights chief urges Indonesia to halt planned executions
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Wednesday urged Indonesia to halt the imminent executions of 14 individuals, convicted mainly for drug-related offenses. The executions are set to take place as early as Friday on Nusa K (More) |
|
China military court sentences former top general to life for taking bribes
A Chinese military court on Tuesday sentenced former top General Guo Boxiong to life in prison for taking bribes. While the amounts of the bribes have not been officially disclosed, as the trial was held behind closed doors, the South China Morning (More) |
|
Amnesty: Turkish government attacking press freedom in coup aftermath
Amnesty International (AI) on Monday condemned Turkey's decision to issue arrest warrants for 42 journalists following the recent coup attempt. AI's Deputy Director for Europe, Gauri van Gulik, claimed that "by rounding up journalists" the governmen (More) |
Senate approves purchase of Alaska
On April 9, 1867, the U.S. Senate voted to ratify the Treaty with Russia for the Purchase of Alaska and thereby approve the purchase of the territory from Russia for $7.2 million. Initially, the purchase was made to keep Alaska away from the British. It was politically unpopular with many Americans who denounced it is "Seward's Folly", after U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, who had lobbied for the purchase. Seward was later vindicated by the discovery of gold and oil in Alaska.
Learn more about the Alaska Purchase from the U.S. State Department.
