The Syrian government is collectively punishing the residents of Daraa because some demonstrators from the town dared protest against it. It would appear that the government has a lot to hide, because it's refusing to let Daraa residents out or independent observers in. ... Even if the Syrian army is truly 'hunting terrorists,' that is no reason to prevent the town's residents from leaving and to deny old women their medication. Syria has protested repeatedly about Israel's closure of Gaza, but it's doing the same to Daraa's residents.

Syria has struggled violently to end anti-government protests which began earlier this year. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) [official website], in an emergency special session, publicly condemned the violence used by Syrian authorities [JURIST report] against peaceful protesters. Last month, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] called for Syria to immediately halt the killings [JURIST report] and violence against civilian protesters in response to the fatal shootings of peaceful anti-government protesters. Also last month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad [Al Jazeera profile] ended the country's 48-year-old state of emergency [JURIST report], but protests have continued.

The scale of the relentless attacks that we have seen by al-Gaddafi forces to intimidate the residents of Misratah for more than two months is truly horrifying. It shows a total disregard for the lives of ordinary people and is in clear breach of international humanitarian law. ... Scores of residents not involved in armed confrontations have been killed and hundreds injured, many by indiscriminate 122mm Grad rockets fired from up to tens of kilometres away, and by mortars and 155mm artillery shells. Rockets, mortars and artillery shells are designed for use against massed infantry or armour. Under international humanitarian law, none of these weapons should ever be used in populated residential areas.

Earlier this week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced [JURIST report] that an investigation has uncovered enough evidence to allow him to pursue warrants for forces loyal to Gaddafi for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Moreno-Ocampo said he has found evidence that Libya began hiring mercenaries as early as January in anticipation of protests after unrest began in the Middle East [JURIST news archive]. Regarding war crimes, the chief prosecutor claims to have uncovered evidence of the use of "cluster munitions, multiple rocket launchers and mortars, and other forms of heavy weaponry, in crowded urban areas, in particular Misratah." Moreno-Ocampo will present his evidence to the Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC [official website] and request warrants be issued for three individuals.

Under the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, private-sector employees have two ways to choose a union: They may vote in a secret-ballot election conducted by the NLRB, or they may persuade an employer to voluntarily recognize a union after showing majority support by signed authorization cards or other means. The state amendments prohibit the second method and therefore interfere with the exercise of a well-established federally-protected right. As the complaint submitted to the Court today explains, "The NLRA permits but does not require secret ballot elections for the designation, selection, or authorization of a collective bargaining representative where, for example, employees successfully petition their employer to voluntarily recognize their designated representative on the basis of reliable evidence of majority support."

The constitutional amendment, passed by state voters in the November 2010 elections, is one of many new state laws that will impact labor unions. In April, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen filed a Petition for Supervisory Writ directly to the state Supreme Court after a trial judge temporary blocked [JURIST reports] a controversial bill that limits the rights of public employee unions. The suit claimed that the judge did not have the constitutional authority to block the publication of the Budget Repair Bill [Senate Bill 11, PDF]. It also asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court [official website] to immediately take jurisdiction of the case and dismiss it. In March, The Ohio Senate [official website] passed Senate Bill 5 [JURIST report], which altered Ohio labor law and restricts the collective bargaining abilities of unions for public sector workers. Under the legislation, unions can only collectively bargain for wages and equipment for personal safety and that public employees cannot strike.