British police confirmed Saturday that they had arrested four men in London under new British anti-terrorism legislation. The police used authority from section 41 of the Terrorism Act, which allows a constable to make an arrest without a warrant in certain instances of suspected terrorism.
The men were arrested under suspicion of attempting to purchase "red mercury", a radioactive material developed by Russian scientists during the Cold War. The police made the arrest after a tip from a British tabloid. Read Sunday's News of the World story on the arrests here. Reuters has more.
A court-martial Saturday in Tikrit sentenced US Army Specialist Federico Merida to 25 years in prison for murdering a member of the Iraqi National Guard in May, 2004. Merida had pleaded guilty to the killing.
In addition to the 25 year sentence, Merida will be dishonorably discharged and will receive a reduction in rank. AP has more.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law Friday that will require the state Department of Justice to post information on convicted sex offenders - in the public domain since the state passed "Megan's Law" in 1996 - online on the internet. Currently the information is available by travelling to participating police stations.
The bill, AB 488 by Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford (Kings County), will allow for the name, age, race, photograph, and a convicted offenses list to be posted online. The bill limits information on the offender's current address based on the nature and number of sexual offenses the individual was convicted of. The California Attorney General has background information and a notice to sex offenders concerning the pending Internet postings here. The San Francisco Chronicle has more. Read the official press release from the California Office of the Governor here. Previously on JURIST's Paper Chase:
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has charged the Sudanese government with downplaying the severity of the sexual abuse being endured by women in the Darfur region. Sudan has admitted to the presence of rape, but denies that there is any systematic plan or program of rape, instead charging women with exaggerating their stories.
Arbour says the government is disconnected from the reality that exists on the ground in Darfur. The Darfur region of the Sudan has been subject to violent rebel disturbances for the past 19 months. The US government has called the situation "genocide," a classification that the UN has resisted so far. JURIST's Paper Chase has background on Darfur here. The Sudan Tribune has more.
Former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet was questioned today by Judge Juan Guzman concerning knowledge he may have had about the kidnapping and torture of 19 Chileans during the 1970s and 80s. Pinochet was held unfit for trial in the United Kingdom in 2001 and returned to Chile.
Last month the Supreme Court of Chile stripped Pinochet of his self-granted legal immunity, opening for the first time the possibility of trying Pinochet there. From Santiago, El Mercurio provides the latest local coverage in Spanish. BBC has more, plus a timeline of the Pinochet case.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer critized Italy Saturday for being opposed to Germany's admission to the UN Security Council without at least putting itself forward to ensure greater European representation.
Germany is one of the so-called 'G-4' nations - also including India, Brazil, and Japan - pushing for permanent membership, but Italy has opposed any new permanent members on the Council, suggesting that such a step would only increase the likelihood of institutional indecision. BBC has more.
Army reservist Pfc. Lynndie England will face a court-martial, a military judge decided on Saturday. England, 21, is one of seven US soldiers facing charges of abuse against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
England and the other soldiers were implicated by a series of photographs depicting cruel and dehumanizing acts against the prisoners. It is not yet known what charges England will face. Her court-martial is likely to take place in January. AP has more.
The leaders of India and Pakistan met in New York Friday in hopes of finding a peaceful resolution to curtail intermittent fighting between the two nations. The countries have had a tumultuous relationship for over 50 years, and have continually fought for ownership over the mountainous region of Kashmir, which became part of India in 1947 when both countries gained independence from Britain.
Both India and Pakistan are said to possess nuclear weapons, making the rivalry over Kashmir one of the most dangerous conflicts in the world. In Friday’s meeting, the two leaders agreed to continue negotiations for peace in Kashmir, and to lessen restrictions on travel between countries. Watch a video of the statement here. BBC News has more information, as well as historical information on the Kashmir dispute.
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Paper Chase is JURIST's real-time legal news service, powered by a team of 30 law student reporters and editors led by law professor Bernard Hibbitts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. As an educational service, Paper Chase is dedicated to presenting important legal news and materials rapidly, objectively and intelligibly in an accessible, ad-free format.
PAPER CHASE ARCHIVE
Legal news from Saturday, September 25, 2004
