This analysis establishes that Google did, beyond reasonable doubt, have intent to systematically intercept and record the content of communications and thus places the company at risk of criminal prosecution in almost all the 30 jurisdictions in which the system was used. The independent audit of the Google system shows that the system used for the Wi-Fi collection intentionally separated out unencrypted content (payload data) of communications and systematically wrote this data to hard drives. This is equivalent to placing a hard tap and a digital recorder onto a phone wire without consent or authorisation.

Several investigations have recently been launched into Google's unencrypted data collections to determine whether the Internet giant's practices have violated privacy laws. Earlier this week, Australia commenced an investigation [JURIST report] into whether Google breached the nation's Telecommunications Interception Act [text], which prevents people from accessing electronic communications other than for authorized purposes. Canada launched an investigation [JURIST report] last week into Google's unsecured Wi-Fi data collection to determine whether Google has violated the country's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act [text, PDF], which applies to private organizations that collect, use, or disclose personal information in the course of commercial activities. Google is also facing an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission [official website] after an inquiry into Google's data-harvesting techniques was requested by advocacy group Consumer Watchdog [press release]. Belgium, the UK, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland have also asked Google to retain data collected in those respective nations.

In April, Chinese authorities arrested a prominent Tibetan writer [JURIST report] after he signed a letter critical of the Chinese government's relief efforts following a recent earthquake in the western Qinghai [Xinhua backgrounder] province. A Chinese court sentenced another earthquake activist [JURIST report], Huang Qi, to three years in prison in November on the charge of illegally holding state secrets. Huang was a critic of the Chinese government's handling of the 2008 disaster. After the quake, he posted articles online criticizing the government's response and talked to foreign media outlets about how some children's deaths were the result of poorly-built schools.

Rwandan police arrested Erlinder [JURIST report] last month on charges that he denied the 1994 Rwandan genocide [HRW backgrounder; JURIST news archive]. Erlinder was in Rwanda to prepare his defense of opposition presidential candidate Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza [campaign website], who was arrested in April [JURIST report] on similar charges. Erlinder pleaded not guilty [JURIST report], but was deemed a flight risk [AFP report] and denied bail, despite his claim that he needed to return to the US for medical treatment following what Rwandan officials say was a suicide attempt [JURIST report]. International groups including the National Lawyers Guild, the International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers [advocacy websites] have called for Erlinder's release [press release], saying that the charges against him are politically motivated [AP report].

[The Democratic proposals] represent a significant disconnect with the priorities of Americans. They could add significant - and perhaps debilitating - expense to our already fragile economy and they would be an invitation to special interest protectionism. It is also becoming more apparent that cap and trade schemes are not meeting their designed goals. ... By placing carbon reductions ahead of solving energy vulnerabilities, the cap and trade bills situate the energy debate on the most controversial and unsustainable political ground. Energy policy would benefit greatly from something close to a political consensus. The most contradictory outcome would be the imposition of an expensive cap and trade plan by a narrow political margin at a time when the added expense could intensify economic pressures in the United States, thus undercutting the appetite of Americans for any efforts toward carbon reductions.

Comprehensive climate legislation represents a major part of President Barack Obama's legislative agenda. In April, Graham withdrew support [JURIST report] for a comprehensive climate change bill [materials], delaying the unveiling of the legislation and casting its prospects for passage into doubt. The bill had been under negotiation between Graham and Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) [official websites] for six months. It was announced Monday that the Kerry-Lieberman bill would be introduced as an amendment [NYT report] to an energy bill [S 1462 materials] passed out of committee [KVTA report] with the support of Murkowski in June 2009. Graham, the only Republican Senator that has agreed to work with the Obama administration on the Kerry-Lieberman bill, decided to walk away from it due to reports that Democratic leadership planned to move forward with immigration reform [JURIST news archive] legislation first. Graham has also criticized the bill [The Hill report] on the grounds that it does not expand oil exploration and drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, something that Democratic lawmakers have declined to pursue in light of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill [BBC backgrounder]. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) [official website] stated his commitment to passage of both the climate bill and immigration reform legislation before the November midterm elections and the end of the current session of Congress. The US House of Representatives [official website] passed [JURIST report] its version of the climate bill [HR 2454 materials] in June on a narrow 219-212 vote. The bill calls for a reduction in greenhouse emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and by 80 percent by 2050 by establishing a cap-and-trade system. The bill establishes first-time limits on greenhouse gases that will become progressively stricter.

The difficulties facing Kenya are serious, but definitely not insurmountable, as the country enters this critical period encompassing the referendum on a new Constitution, widespread reforms, and the 2012 election. I urge everyone - politicians, religious figures, media, ethnic leaders as well as the general public - to think about what is best for Kenya, what gives Kenya the best chance to come out of this tense and difficult period of its history with its head held high. This is not a time for self-interest, for strategies that appeal to narrow constituencies, not a time to put personal ambition and finances before the good of the country. It is the moment to take the necessary steps to build solid legal foundations, reform malfunctioning institutions, and impose accountability.

The allegations of fraud [JURIST report] following the 2007 elections led to violence that caused the deaths of more than 1,000 people and displacement of 500,000 others, and remains a concern in the international community. The ICC initiated a formal investigation into the violence after Kenya failed to conduct [JURIST report] its own investigation. ICC prosecutors have named 20 senior political and business leaders [JURIST report] whom they say allegedly "bear the gravest responsibility" for the post-election violence. The ICC's decision to authorize the prosecutor's investigation means that Kenyan leaders may be called before the court

[R]esolution 1929...builds on previous sanctions by deciding that Iran shall not acquire an interest in any commercial activity in another State involving uranium mining, production or use of nuclear materials and technology. The Council also decided that all States shall prevent the supply, sale or transfer to Iran of battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles or missile systems. It also asks States to take all necessary measures to prevent the transfer to Iran of technology or technical assistance related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. In addition, the resolution contains provisions to help block Iran’s use of the international financial system, particularly its banks when they may be used to fund proliferation and nuclear activities.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] on Saturday strongly criticized new attempts to impose UN sanctions on his country's nuclear program. Ahmadinejad was in Uganda meeting with President Yoweri Museveni when he made the comments. The Iranian leader said that actions being taken by the US and its allies in the Security Council are illegal and that his country will not accept any pressure. He also said that any evidence submitted by the US and Britain for new UN sanctions amounted to "lies" similar to the claims made over nuclear weapons in Iraq which served as an impetus to the 2003 war. In December 2006, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions [JURIST report] on Iran for continuing to enrich uranium and broadened them [JURIST report] three months later. The UN had previously ordered Iran to stop expanding [JURIST report] its nuclear program by August 31, 2006. Iran has said it will completely withdraw [JURIST report] from the IAEA if its "nuclear rights" are taken away.

Kerviel was originally detained [JURIST report] in February 2008 as the investigation into the fraudulent trades was conducted. He was released in March 2008 [JURIST report] but instructed not not to leave the country or communicate with a number of former colleagues. Police also questioned a second trader in connection with the fraudulent trades, but the man has since been named an assisted witness [JURIST reports] in the case against Kerviel, a designation that allows him to testify in the presence of a lawyer.

The ... new institutions of the multinational state [created by the bill] should greatly exceed the monocultural structure inherited from the colonial past; and should, on the basis of individual and collective effort, in each organizational structure and in all organs and institutions of public power, manifest the ideals of freedom and independence and realize a state that is sovereign, democratic, intercultrual, decentralized and autonomous.

The legislation comes as part of a wider campaign by Bolivian President Evo Morales [official profile; BBC profile] to advance the interests of the majority indigenous community, which has been a theme of his presidency [JURIST report]. In March 2009, Morales began redistributing land to indigenous farmers under power given to him by the country's new constitution [text, in Spanish]. In a ceremony on part of the land seized by the government from large owners, Morales turned over about 94,000 acres to Guarani Indians. Bolivia's new constitution went into effect [JURIST report] in February 2009, after being approved [JURIST report] by national referendum the previous month with a 59 percent majority. It is intended to place more power in the hands of the country's indigenous. The constitution was described by Morales, himself a member of the indigenous majority, to be the start of the new Bolivia. The constitution is intended to remove traditional colonial elites from power and to challenge US influence. It also creates seats in Congress for minority indigenous groups. In October 2008, the congress ratified [JURIST report] the proposed reforms after Morales agreed not to run for re-election in 2014.

Bashir has continuously eluded an arrest warrant issued by the ICC last year. In March, the president of the ICC said that Bashirwill eventually face justice [JURIST report] in The Hague and compared the Bashir warrant with the successful surrender of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic [BBC obituary; JURIST news archive] and former Liberian president Charles Taylor [case materials; JURIST news archive] to the international criminal tribunals. In February, the ICC Appeals Chamber ordered [JURIST report] the Trial Chamber to reconsider adding an additional charge of genocide to the Bashir warrant. ICC prosecutors appealed the decision [JURIST report] not to charge Bashir with genocide in July. The warrant, which charges Bashir with seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, has been a source of tension, with Egypt, Sudan, the AU [JURIST reports], and others calling for the proceedings against Bashir to be delayed, and AU leaders agreeing [JURIST report] not to cooperate with the ruling. Bashir is accused of systematically targeting and purging the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa, three Arabic-speaking ethnic groups, under the pretext of counterinsurgency since 2003.

On Monday, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] urged European leaders to stop the upcoming deportation of asylum seekers to Iraq [press release; JURIST report] because their human rights may be violated in unsafe regions of the country. Authorities in the UK, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands are taking part in a joint effort to return the refugees to Iraq after the asylum petitions of many of the refugees were denied. Last month, an Iraqi refugee won a suit [BBC report] against the UK Home Office [official website] in which he claimed that he was threatened illegally with deportation to Iraq after being accused of committing terrorist activities. The UK High Court found that the man's arrest and detention were illegal. The UK government also announced last month that it will review [JURIST report] the country's Human Rights Act [BBC backgrounder] after two Pakistani terror suspects successfully avoided deportation due to concerns for their safety. Certain regions in Iraq remain dangerous [JURIST comment], with violence often targeted against civilians and minorities [JURIST report].

Israeli officials have insisted that Israel has the ability and the right to resolve matters through an internal investigation, and does not require international oversight. Earlier this week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) [official website] launched an internal investigation [JURIST report] into the flotilla attack. The investigatory unit will study the outcomes of the incident, "establish lessons," and present its findings by July 4. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [official website] and the nation's seven senior ministers also decided last week to establish a panel of jurists [Haaretz report] to investigate the attack. The panel's inquiry will be independent from the IDF investigation. To restore normal diplomatic ties with Israel, the Turkish government has requested the establishment of an international inquiry, a public apology, and an end to the Gaza blockade. The Turkish flotilla on which the violence occurred was one of six organized by the Free Gaza Movement [advocacy website] to carry protesters and humanitarian supplies to the isolated Palestinian enclave. The Gaza naval blockade began in 2007 after Hamas [CFR backgrounder] forcibly expelled their chief rival, Fatah [CFR backgrounder] from Gaza.

The GPI has been published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) [advocacy website] since 2007. The GPI is based on information compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit [official website], and compares the relative peacefulness of 149 countries. The IEP claims that the GPI is currently the only attempt to quantify the world's peacefulness in statistical and monetary terms. The GPI has faced criticism [Economist report] for using military expenditures as a factor, which gives countries that benefit from the US security umbrella an advantage. It has also been criticized for not including factors [report] such as violence specific to women and children, including female genital mutilation [WHO backgrounder] and female infanticide [WCAC backgrounder].

In April, the Bosnia and Herzegovina war crimes court [official website] convicted two Serbs [JURIST report] for their roles in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre [JURIST news archive] and sentenced them to 31 years in prison. The US government extradited accused Bosnian war criminal Marko Boskic [JURIST report] to Bosnia and Herzegovina in April where he will stand trial in Sarajevo for his part in the Srebrenica massacre. Cases involving the massacre are also being heard at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website], where the war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic [JURIST news archive], resumed in April [JURIST report]. Karadzic is representing himself and defending against 11 charges, including genocide and murder.

The protests came to end [JURIST report] last month when red shirt leaders surrendered to police, which led to rioting, arson, and the imposition of a curfew to protect citizens of Bangkok and its surrounding areas. The red shirts are supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], who was removed from power in 2006 [JURIST report]. The group was demanding that Abhisit dissolve parliament and call new elections. Last month, 27 red shirt protesters were sentenced to six months in prison [JURIST report] for violating the emergency decree prohibiting political gatherings of more than five people. Under the strict security law [JURIST report] adopted in March in anticipation of the protests, the detained red shirts faced a sentence of up to a year in prison, but their sentences were reduced because they confessed to the charges. Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] has expressed concern about the treatment of anti-government protesters [JURIST report] detained as a result of the protests, criticizing the broad powers given to Thai security forces under the emergency decree. Abhisit has vowed to conduct an independent investigation [JURIST report] of the clashes between security forces and red shirt protesters, which resulted in more than 80 deaths.