Anti-discrimination laws for transgender individuals are not widely accepted, but there has been an increasing awareness of the group's need for protection. In April, the US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) [official website] ruled [JURIST report] that Title VII [text] employment discrimination protections extend to transgender individuals. The ruling came after the Transgender Law Center (TLC) [advocacy website] filed a complaint on behalf of Mia Macy, a transgender woman who was denied a job as a ballistics technician at the Walnut Creek, California laboratory of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. In March, The US Supreme Court [official website] denied certiorari [JURIST report] in Fields v. Smith [opinion, PDF], allowing a lower court decision that transgender hormone therapy is a medically necessary procedure to stand. The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit [official website] found [JURIST report] the Inmate Sex-Change Prevention Act (Act 105), a 2005 Wisconsin law, was unconstitutional under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. On the other hand, in December of last year, the UK announced [JURIST report] the UK's first ever government action plan promoting transgender equality. It found that transgender-related hate crime between 2009 and 2010 rose by 14 percent but only two EU member states address the problem. Massachusetts passed [JURIST report] a bill in November that will protect transgender people in housing, credit and the workplace, as well as including them under hate crime protections.

Apple faced a similar lawsuit in South Korea last August. South Korean regulators fined Apple [JURIST report] USD $2,855 for collecting location information from its iPhone and iPad users. It marked the first time Apple was punished for collecting location information. In January, the South Korean authority found evidence [JURIST report] that Google illegally collected private data in the process of producing its popular Street View [website] mapping service.

The bipartisan legal advisory group in charge of defending DOMA filed its brief [JURIST report] last week, defending section 3 of the act. The Obama administration petitioned [JURIST report] the Ninth Circuit appeals court in March for an expedited en banc review of this case. In its request for review, the Obama administration raised the question of "whether classifications based on sexual orientation are subject to rational basis review or instead demand heightened scrutiny under well-established equal protection principles." The request for expedited review came after the US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that DOMA is unconstitutional. House Speaker John Boehner's (R-OH) DOMA defense group took over the defense.of DOMA in court after the DOJ announced in February that it would no longer defend the legislation [JURIST reports].

The blockade of Gaza, now entering its sixth year, has had a devastating impact on the lives and livelihoods of the 1.6 million Palestinians who reside there. More than 80 per cent of families are dependent on humanitarian aid, and Gaza remains subject to severe restrictions on imports, exports and the movement of people, by land, air and sea. This amounts to a collective punishment of all those living in Gaza and is a denial of basic human rights in contravention of international law.

Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip has been a subject of controversy. Human Rights Watch (HRW) in February urged Israel [JURIST report] to change its policies that forbid Palestinians from traveling through and living in Gaza and the West Bank. The report describes the policy that causes separation within Palestinian families since some are trapped inside Israel while their family members are forbidden from entering. Israel was also criticized by HRW for never disclosing its rationale for imposing the restrictions on travel and residency. In January, the Israeli Knesset passed a bill [JURIST report] that imposes harsher penalties on illegal migrants in Israel, as well as on Israelis who help illegal migrants. The bill amends the Prevention of Infiltration Law of 1954, broadening the law to include not only individuals suspected of terrorism, but all illegal migrants. Last October, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights for the West Bank and Gaza Strip Richard Falk called for better guidelines on the treatment of Palestinian youth [JURIST report] arrested by the Israeli military

In February UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile] extended [JURIST report] the mandate for the STL for the next three years. With this extension, Ban's spokesperson said that the UN continues to support Lebanon in pursuing justice from the attacks. Earlier that month the STL announced that it will try the four accused in absentia [JURIST report] without a set date for the trial. The STL has faced great difficulty [JURIST report] trying to arrest the members of Hezbollah in Lebanon where the Shiite militia Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is the country's most powerful political force. In October of last year, pre-trial Judge Daniel Fransen [official profile] asked [JURIST report] the STL to initiate proceedings in absentia against the accused after waiting 30 days since the public announcement of the indictment.

Egyptian lawmakers reached an agreement [JURIST report] on the composition of the constitutional council last week after a controversy over the political balance of members threatened to halt drafting of a new constitution. Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court in April effectively suspended [JURIST report] the work of the 100-member panel responsible for drafting the country's new constitution after ruling in favor of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the formation of the panel. The composition of the constitutional panel has been intensely debated, and the domination of the proceedings by Islamists [JURIST reports] has been extremely controversial. The debate surrounding the composition of constitutional panel follows an Egyptian court ruling in February that the elaborate voting system in the parliamentary elections was unconstitutional [JURIST report]. The make-up of the constitutional panel could determine whether there will be an expansion of rights in the country.

Pakistan has been called upon to improve its human rights standard and work to eliminate institutionalized discrimination and to prevent torture and corruption. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] urged [JURIST report] last week the country to keep working on improving the country's human rights standard. In May, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari [official website] signed [JURIST report] a bill authorizing the creation of an independent human rights commission in Pakistan. The bill was approved by the country's National Assembly [official website] on May 4. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had convicted [JURIST report] Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] of contempt of court for disobeying a court order to open corruption cases against President Zardari.

This attack, through its magnitude, constitutes a major challenge for the Ivorian people and the international community. The Ivorian people, despite the sense of insecurity created by this attack, should respond by renewing its commitment to national reconciliation, strengthening democratic pluralism, the impartiality of the justice system and the economic and social recovery of the country. The authorities across the border should work together to prevent cross-border raids and attacks on the population as well as to conduct investigations to identify, arrest and prosecute the alleged perpetrators of these acts. I call on the international community to speed up the adjustment of the arms embargo in order to enable the Ivorian Government to respond proportionately to threats to the security of the population and to ensure that its security forces remain committed to upholding human rights.

Last week Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] reported [JURIST report] that since July 2011 at least 40 people including women and children have been killed during cross-border attacks on Ivory Coast villages by armed militants in Liberia [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive]. The continuing prevalent violence in Ivory Coast has been subject to criticism by international human rights groups. In February HRW expressed concern [JURIST report] over the flawed investigation into the post-election violence and advocated six-month extension of the probe. Another concern was that all 17 members of the investigating commission were chosen by President Ouattara creating possibility of bias in the investigation. During the same month, International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile] was granted permission [JURIST report] to expand his investigation of war crimes in the Ivory Coast to incidents dating back to 2002.

Earlier this month, a pre-trial chamber of the ICC granted a request by the Libyan government to postpone an order to transfer [JURIST report] Saif al-Islam to ICC custody. The issue of which court is going to try Saif al-Islam has been in dispute since he was captured [JURIST report] by Libyan rebel forces in November. In April ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile] stated that the maximum penalty for Saif al-Islam in the ICC would be life in prison, but if convicted in a national court he could face the death penalty [JURIST report]. Earlier that month Ocampo asked the ICC to report Libya to the UN Security Council for failing to turn over Saif al-Islam. Libya expressly denied [JURIST report] the ICC's request for such action and stated that Saif al-Islam will face trial within the country. In February 2011, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to refer the matter in Libya to the ICC prosecutor [JURIST report]. The ICC claimed jurisdiction over Saif al-Islam despite its announcement in November that it may allow Libya to conduct the trial [JURIST report].

The debate surrounding the composition of constitutional panel follows an Egyptian court ruling in February that the elaborate voting system in the parliamentary elections was unconstitutional [JURIST report]. The make-up of the constitutional panel could determine whether there will be an expansion of rights in the country. In January, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] called on Egypt's newly elected parliament to pursue an agenda to reform nine areas of Egyptian law [JURIST report] that impede freedom and restrict rights. Some of the suggested reforms included ending the state of emergency, reforming police law and expanding freedom of expression, strengthening the criminal penalties for police abuse, amending Egypt's definition of torture to be in line with international standards and allowing independent NGOs to operate lawfully in the country.

The current policy is discriminatory and doesn't take into account what's best for a child. These parents want the same thing as any other parents: to be able to provide the best possible care and protection for their children. The law should not stand in the way of allowing loving couples to share responsibility for their families.

Child custody and support issues have been the subject of many state court decisions in recent years. Earlier this month the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] that the same-sex partner of a parent who has adopted a child has a right to seek custody of that child after the partnership has dissolved. In February the Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled that same-sex couples who marry and have a child through artificial insemination [JURIST report] are subject to the same child custody laws as heterosexual couples. In May 2009 a New York state appeals court ruled that child support claims cannot be brought against same-sex partners [JURIST report] who have no biological or legal ties to a child. In 2005, the California Supreme Court ruled that estranged same-sex couples who created a child using reproductive science were to be treated the same as heterosexual parents [JURIST report] under child custody and support laws.

I have no doubt that the people of the Falklands wish for the Islands to remain a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. We certainly have no desire to be ruled by the Government in Buenos Aires, a fact that is immediately obvious to anyone who has visited the Islands and heard our views. But we are aware that not everyone is able to come to these beautiful Islands and to see this reality for themselves. And the Argentine Government deploys misleading rhetoric that wrongly implies that we have no strong views or even that we are being held hostage by the UK military. This is simply absurd.

Falkland Island has been under British rule since 1833 except the 1982 occupation by Argentina. Argentina and the UK have been in dispute about the rule over the archipelago. The UK has accused Argentina of imposing economic blockade on the islands by turning away [Guardian report] cruise ships carrying the British flag and taking legal action [Daily Mail report] against five British companies exploring the coast of the island for oil. The British and Falkland Islands governments announced [JURIST report] in November 2008 that they agreed on a new constitution for the Falkland Islands. The new constitution would give the local government primary governing power while leaving British governor to the territory the power to veto the islands' actions "in the interests of good governance," as well as authority over certain sectors including defense, security, and the judiciary.

Ben Ali has also been sentenced to five years for torturing military officers over an alleged coup plot,15 years [JURIST reports] on drug and gun charges and another 35 years [Reuters report] on theft and unlawful possession of jewelry charges. Ben Ali fled Tunisia to Saudi Arabia in January 2011 during protests against his 23-year autocratic rule in which his family amassed substantial wealth [Reuters report] that many Tunisians say was at their expense. Ben Ali has indicated that he was "duped" into leaving [AFP report] the capital Tunis, according to a statement released through his lawyer. He said that he was trying to get his family out of the country after assassination threats and that the plane left him in Saudi Arabia despite orders to wait for him. Justice Minister Lazhar Karoui Chebbi announced in April 2011 that Ben Ali had been charged with 18 offenses [JURIST report].

Soltani has faced previous charges brought by the Iranian government. In 2007, an Iranian appeals court acquitted [JURIST report] Soltani of charges related to espionage after it determined that there was insufficient evidence of illegal activity. The Iranian appeals court decision overturned the lower court's finding of guilt and prior sentence of five years imprisonment. During this prior trial, Soltani served a total of seven months in prison. Soltani was arrested in 2005 while he was representing the family of Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi [CBC backgrounder], who died in Iranian custody [JURIST report] in July 2003 amidst allegations of torture and abuse.

By closing its border when violence in Arakan State is out of control, Bangladesh is putting lives at grave risk. Bangladesh has an obligation under international law to keep its border open to people fleeing threats to their lives and provide them protection...Bangladesh can help itself by allowing immediate and full access to humanitarian agencies so they can provide life-saving assistance to desperate refugees.

Earlier this week, HRW urged Myanmar to ensure the safety of communities [JURIST report] in the Arakan State. President Thein Sein [official website, in Burmese] issued a state of emergency in the area on Sunday, turning over police power to the Burmese Army, but HRW warned that without international overview, such intervention could make matters worse. Despite calls and demands by international communities to end the violence in Myanmar, the government has thus far failed to control the violence and protect civilians. In March, HRW reported that violence and rights abuses continue [JURIST report] in Myanmar's northern state of Kachin due to the conflict between Myanmar's armed forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). During the same month, Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar urged the country to ensure the protection of human rights [JURIST report]. In November, Human rights group Partners Relief and Development issued a report which alleged that the army may be committing war crimes [JURIST report] including torture and forced labor against ethnic communities in Kachin state.

The trial date was set [JURIST report] to March 2013 on Monday. A specific date for the trial is not set yet but is planned to be concrete before mid-July. In May, the appeals chamber of the ICC rejected [JURIST report] the jurisdiction challenges in the two cases presented by the defense clearing the way for trial. The defense lawyers had argued that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the cases. The appeal stemmed from the pre-trial chamber's decision of confirming the charges [JURIST report] against the four men in January. The ICC claimed jursidction over the case despite Kenya's calls for dismissal [JURIST report]. The Kenyan government argued that they were capable of prosecuting the accused men domestically.

Florida has faced numerous challenges to its election laws and policies. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLU-FL) has also filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] seeking to end Florida's purging program. The ACLU-FL contends that Florida's policy of purging voter rolls violates federal law, discriminates against racial minorities, and that in practice, citizens are frequently forced to re-verify their citizenship or lose their right to vote. Earlier this month, judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida blocked [JURIST report] part of a new Florida election law that required any group that conducts a voter registration drive to turn in registration forms within 48 hours of collecting them or else face a $1,000 per day fine. Florida took also initiatives against the federal government interfering with state's enactment of voting laws. Last October, the state submitted a request [JURIST report] to a federal court challenging the VRA.

The Chief Prosecutor had already announced that he would seek the maximum sentence for the Congolese military leader in March, a day after he was found guilty [JURIST reports] of the war crimes of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15 and using them to participate actively in hostilities. Ocampo mentioned also that the sentence would be well beyond 30 years if the prosecution would seek one year of imprisonment per child recruited. The Prosecutor v. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo [ICC information sheet] is a landmark case for the ICC because it led to the first verdict issued by the ICC and Lubanga was the first suspect to be taken into custody [JURIST report]. Lubanga was taken into ICC custody [JURIST report] in March 2006, becoming the first DRC war crimes defendant to appear before the ICC.

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed the controversial legislation in February after she announced her plans [JURIST reports] to permit same-sex marriage earlier this year. Gregoire has been a consistent advocate for gay rights during her tenure as governor. In April 2011 she signed a bill [JURIST report] that recognized as legal same-sex marriage licenses from other states. In March 2007 Gregoire signed legislation [JURIST report] that recognized domestic partnership status for same-sex couples. Same-sex marriage remains a contentious issue even after the passage of similar laws in other states. Seven other jurisdictions, including Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia [JURIST reports], allow same-sex marriage.

Other countries have attempted to enact laws that would restrict protesters from exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] ruled on Tuesday [JURIST report] that Moldova violated the rights to peaceful assembly and to be free from discrimination by banning gay groups from protesting in front of the country's parliament. Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website, in Russian] last week signed [JURIST report] a controversial law that would increase the penalties imposed on protesters who violate demonstration regulations. The law had been approved [JURIST report] by both houses of the Russian parliament two days earlier. In March, Swiss voters passed a law [JURIST report] similar to Quebec's proposed one. The law imposes heavy fines amounting to 100,000 Swiss Francs (USD $110,000) for people who protest without prior governmental authorization.

The Russian parliament in March introduced a similar bill [JURIST report] that would create a nationwide ban on the spread of "homosexual propaganda" to minors. It would impose a fine of 500,000 rubles ($16,500 USD) on anyone who promotes the homosexual lifestyle, including media outlets that lawmakers have accused of making homosexual lifestyles "normal behavior." In 2008, Moscow police arrested several gay activists [JURIST report] who were celebrating the anniversary of passage of a 1993 law that ended prosecution for homosexuality in the country. They were arrested pursuant to a local ban on gay pride parades, which had been upheld by a Russian court [JURIST reports] the previous year.

ENDA is federal legislation geared towards banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It has been introduced in nearly every session of Congress since 1994, but has yet to pass. A version was introduced [JURIST report] in the US Senate [official website] in August 2009 by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) [official website]. If passed, the bill would protect employees from discriminatory hiring and firing practices, and from segregation or classification on the basis of sexual preference or gender identity. The bill would be the first aimed at ensuring workplace equality for individuals who identify as LGBT.

Until human rights safeguards are in place, states should end those transfers of military equipment to countries, like the DRC, where there is a substantial risk such supplies will be used to commit or to facilitate serious human rights violations and attacks against civilians. ... With final negotiations for the Arms Trade Treaty less than three weeks away, governments have a historic opportunity to ensure this happens.

DRC has been constantly criticized and urged by various parties to stop the human rights violations against civilians. In May, the UN's Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic [official profile] addressed [JURIST report] the recent increase in violence in the eastern DRC and the resulting human rights violations. In March, the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) [official websites] released jointly as the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) a report alleging that military forces in DRC committed human rights violations [JURIST report] during the presidential elections last year. During the same month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] announced that it will seek the maximum sentence for a DRC militia leader after he was found guilty [JURIST reports] of war crimes of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15. Especially in 2011 various entities including the Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] and the MONUSCO urged DRC government to end post-election violence and all parties involved in the violence to remain calm [JURIST reports] and address any grievances through peaceful means.