Authorities have been tracking down members and supporters of the al Qaeda and other terrorists groups. Earlier this month, French authorities announced [JURIST report] that they have arrested a suspected terrorist alleged to have ties to al-Qaeda. He has been charged with planning terrorist acts and financing a terrorist enterprise. In June a New York native and terrorism suspect pleaded guilty [JURIST report] to charges that he provided the al Qaeda with money and computer assistance. In February Egyptian authorities reportedly arrested [JURIST report] a former al Qaeda military commander at an airport in Cairo. Saif al-Adel [Telegraph profile] was detained upon his arrival after noticing that his name appeared on the passenger list on a flight from Pakistan. During the same month, a judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky [official website] allowed [JURIST report] certain secret evidence to be used against a suspect who was charged with attempting to provide material support to terrorists and terrorist organizations and conspiracy to transfer weapons to terrorist organizations, specifically al Qaeda.

pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act's amendments to the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) ... [i]n approving the Spill [Response] Plans, BSEE failed to meet its statutory obligations to ensure the Spill [Response] Plans are adequate to clean up a worst case oil spill in adverse weather conditions to the maximum extent practicable, and to evaluate the environmental effects of, and alternatives to, Shell's proposed oil spill response efforts prior to approval.

In March, 35 Nigerian villages brought a suit against Shell in a London court alleging the company's slow response in cleaning up two oil spills in a neighboring river ruined their livelihoods. The plaintiffs claimed Shell is responsible for unspecified damages suffered by the villages which rely on the river for drinking water and farming. A similar lawsuit over water contamination was filed in the US [JURIST report] in October. The US Supreme Court [official website] granted certiorari in two cases last October to determine whether political organizations and oil companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, are immune from US lawsuits [JURIST report] under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS). In February the Court heard arguments [JURIST report] in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. [SCOTUSblog backgrounder] about whether three oil companies are immune from US lawsuits under the Alien Tort Statute of 1789 (ATS) [text] for alleged torture and international law violations that took place overseas. The court is slated to hear rearguments next term in Kiobel to determine whether the ATS allows US courts to hear lawsuits for overseas violations of international law.

Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006 [JURIST report] and several of his associates have been sentenced to death. The Iraqi government carried out the execution [JURIST report] of Abid Hamid Mahmud, a former bodyguard and secretary of Saddam Hussein [JURIST news archive], last month. Mahmud was sentenced to death [JURIST report] by hanging in 2010 alongside former Iraqi foreign minister and deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] and one other official, after being convicted of genocide in connection with his service under Hussein. The three officials were members of Saddam's Baath Party [BBC backgrounder] and were convicted for their roles in the persecution of various Iraqi religious parties, including the Dawa Party [party website]. Aziz remains in prison [AFP report], and it is unclear if his execution will be carried out

Authorities around the world have been tracking down members and supporters of the al Qaeda and other terrorists groups. Earlier this month, French authorities announced [JURIST report] that they arrested a suspected terrorist who was born in Tunisia in 1977 and resided in the French city of Toulon and allegedly has ties to al Qaeda. In June a New York native and terrorism suspect pleaded guilty [JURIST report] to charges that he provided the al Qaeda with money and computer assistance. In February Egyptian authorities reportedly arrested [JURIST report] a former al Qaeda military commander at an airport in Cairo. Saif al-Adel [Telegraph profile] was detained upon his arrival after noticing that his name appeared on the passenger list on a flight from Pakistan. During the same month, a judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky [official website] allowed [JURIST report] certain secret evidence to be used against a suspect who was charged with attempting to provide material support to terrorists and terrorist organizations and conspiracy to transfer weapons to terrorist organizations, specifically al Qaeda.

The WTO is an organization which aims to promote the liberalization of international trade and about 95 percent of world trade takes place within the WTO framework. Last month Kambiz Behi of Mostafavi & Associates and Edsel Tupaz [corporate profile] of Tupaz & Associates argued that the admittance of the Russian Federation into the WTO will create stronger economic relations [JURIST comment] with the US, as Russian WTO membership would free the US Congress to continue pursuing efforts to promote human rights and the rule of law independent trade relations with Russia, which would be established under WTO regulations. Just last month, for example, Congress approved a bill to sanction Russian officials [JURIST report] who were linked to the death of a Russian lawyer. In April Anna Heatherington, an LLM candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, analyzed the barriers to Russia's WTO membership [JURIST comment], noting that within the Russian Federation opposition to WTO membership exists primarily in the non-energy sectors, and especially from the agricultural sector, which is largely unprepared to compete in a global market. An additional point of concern has been Russia's inability to fully protect intellectual property (IP) rights, as most IP legislation is relatively new and the Russian courts lack experience and competency in IP areas.

Despite the success of a peaceful presidential election, Egypt has faced continued political turmoil since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak last year. Last week, Morsi issued a decree appointing a fact-finding committee to investigate the deaths of protesters [JURIST report] in last year's demonstrations. A court in June struck down [JURIST report] a government decree that restored broad arrest powers to Egyptian military officials. Last week, a former candidate in Egypt's presidential election and several non-government organizations filed a lawsuit challenging Egypt's interim constitution [JURIST report], alleging it gives the Egyptian military unlimited power. Days before it's dissolution, the Egyptian parliament elected a new constitutional council after lawmakers finally reached an agreement [JURIST reports] on the political composition of the council. Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court in April effectively suspended [JURIST report] the work of the 100-member council responsible for drafting the country's new constitution after ruling in favor of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the formation of the panel.

In 2010 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) [official website] confirmed the existence of a secret US detention facility at Bagram, after nine Afghan witnesses claimed that they were at Bagram. The witnesses say that they were allegedly captured by American forces and taken to a secret US prison at Bagram where they were held, interrogated and tortured [JURIST report], then later transported to the official detention facility in Parwan. A month earlier the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] filed habeas corpus petitions [JURIST report] on behalf of four detainees held at Bagram, claiming that none of the men had engaged in hostile behavior directed at the US, nor were they members of groups that purport to do so. In January of that year the US Department of Defense released a list of names of 645 prisoners detained at Bagram in response to a Freedom Of Information Act lawsuit [JURIST reports] filed by the ACLU in September 2009. Prisoners at Bagram have launched previous habeas corpus challenges [JURIST report] in US courts but have been less successful than those held at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST backgrounder].

If the Government can demonstrate its commitment to implement a comprehensive plan of action on human rights and the rule of law—an action plan that has a real impact on the day-to-day work of key professions such as the police and the judiciary—I believe this would have great support from the whole UN system, as well as from the donor community. The goodwill of some Government authorities and the determination of civil society organizations, including the Ombudsman's office, to bring about positive change make me hopeful that - despite all the daunting challenges—together we can map out a path that will make a real difference to the people of Kyrgyzstan, and act as a positive example to other countries in the region and beyond.

Kyrgyzstan has been criticized in the past for its failure to protect its citizens' human rights, especially the nation's judicial system. In December of last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] criticized [JURIST report] the Kyrgyz Supreme Court for upholding a verdict against eight ethnic Uzbeks who were found guilty of killing a policeman and injuring several other officers during mass disturbances in the city of Bazar-Kurgan in June 2010 [Guardian backgrounder] that resulted in more than 300 deaths and an additional 2,000 injuries. The rights group stated that the entire legal proceeding was marked with numerous flaws. The eight Uzbek nationals were convicted [JURIST report] in September 2010 on charges of murder, fomenting ethnic hatred, instigating violence and organizing public unrest. In June 2011 Amnesty International [advocacy website] joined in criticizing the nation's judicial system for its lack of judicial progress. It was reported that most of legitimate evidence related to the June 2010 ethnic violence were ignored by the court while evidence obtained through torture are acknowledged. In May 2011 the Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commission that was established [JURIST report] by Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva [BBC backgrounder] discovered [JURIST report] that Kyrgyz security forces participated in the violence that killed hundreds of Uzbeks.

Cigarette regulations and warning labels are controversial in the US even at the federal level. In March the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that graphic cigarette label warnings [JURIST news archive] are constitutional. The court decided unanimously that the portions of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA) [HR 1256 text] designed to limit the tobacco industry's ability to advertise to children, including a ban on distributing clothing and goods with logos or brand names, as well as sponsorship of cultural, athletic and social events requiring cigarette packaging and advertisements, is a valid restriction of commercial speech. Earlier that month, a judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the FDA regulation recommending warning labels is unconstitutional [JURIST report], issuing a permanent injunction. US President Barack Obama signed [JURIST report] the FSPTCA into law in 2009, granting the FDA certain authority to regulate manufactured tobacco products. The legislation heightens warning-label requirements, prohibits marketing "light cigarettes" as a healthier alternative and allows for the regulation of cigarette ingredients. The proposed implementation of new tobacco warning labels has also drawn criticism abroad. In Australia, Philip Morris has filed a complaint [JURIST report] to block new graphic warning label requirements [AUS Health Dept. backgrounder] recently enacted in that country.

A similar tension between presidential candidates occurred in 2006 when the incumbent Mexican president Vicente Fox [Britannica profile] was blocked [JURIST report] from delivering the traditional state of the nation address before the country's Congress [official website, in Spanish] by protesting leftist lawmakers supporting presidential candidate Obrador. In August the country's Federal Electoral Tribunal (FET) [official website, in Spanish] rejected most challenges dismissing fraud allegations brought by Obrador who filed over 200 separate complaints challenging the preliminary vote count [JURIST reports]. During the same month supporters of Obrador had gathered outside of the FET to protest the court's decision not to hold a full recount [JURIST reports] of July's election.

Last month the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] ended an investigation [JURIST report] into the health care conditions of Tymoshenko, finding that the Ukrainian government provided her with adequate care. She previously alleged that prison guards were beating her [press release, in Ukrainian], and refused to be treated [JURIST report] by prison doctors for back problems, believing they were under the direction of political rival President Viktor Yanukovych. Tymoshenko has already been sentenced to seven years [JURIST report] in prison on corruption charges. Last month a Ukrainian appeals court delayed the appeal hearing for that conviction and sentence, delaying Tymoshenko's ultimate appeal to the ECHR. Ukrainian prosecutors have also indicated that she will face charges [JURIST report] in a 1996 contract killing.

Internet freedom remains a controversial issue around the world. The UN Human Rights Council last week passed its first-ever resolution to protect the free speech [JURIST report] of individuals online. The resolution was approved by all 47 members of the council, including China and Cuba, which have been criticized for limiting Internet freedom. Last month the Chinese Ministry of Information and Technology revealed its proposed changes to Chinese Internet law [JURIST report] that seek to limit the ability of users to post anonymous comments on micro-blogs and forums. A Bangkok criminal court in May sentenced [JURIST report] Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of independent Internet news site Prachatai, to an eight-month suspended sentence for failing to delete defamatory comments against Thailand's royal family. Earlier that month, a Dutch court ordered [JURIST report] Internet service providers in the Netherlands to block the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay or else pay a fine of USD $12,750 per day.

Olmert has maintained his innocence through a series of scandals and allegations. He pleaded not guilty to the three corruption charges in December 2009, including the Talansky scandal and the Rishon Tours affair [JURIST reports], despite having resigned due to the charges in September 2008. Before he resigned the Israeli police raided Olmert's offices as part of the corruption investigation [JURIST reports] launched by the Israeli Ministry of Justice. Despite his acquittals Olmert is still standing trial for bribery charges [JURIST report] relating to the construction of a luxury apartment complex during Olmert's ten-year tenure as mayor of Jerusalem. The specific allegations are that the project's developers, who also have been charged in the case, received zoning and tax breaks in return for the bribes to Olmert and other city officials. Olmert was indicted on the bribery charges in the case in January of this year after having been officially named as a suspect [JURIST report] in the investigation in April 2010.

In February, the country's Foreign Ministry [official website] had announced [USA Today report] that it will ask the government to suspend adoptions of Russian children by US citizens following discoveries that at least 17 children have died due to violence by their American families. It stated that the ban should be only lifted if an effective reporting mechanism is in place. In 2011, a couple in Pennsylvania were sentenced [NYT report] to four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter after the jury acquitted the murder charges against them but held them negligent and responsible for the death of their adopted seven-year-old Russian son. The Russian government heavily criticized the sentence for being too lenient and unjust. In August 2011, an Alaskan woman was convicted [Huffington Post report] of child abuse for pouring hot sauce into the mouth of her adopted Russian son.

In June, the same court ruled [JURIST report] that the Bundestag has the right to be heard on the European financial crisis. In the case initiated by the Green party, the court held that Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to notify the parliament early enough about plans for the ESM from its sister party in Austria. Although that decision did not have any effect on the 500 billion euro ESM, it increased the parliament's rights by requiring the chancellor's government to provide notice to the parliament as early as possible in the future. A previous ruling that gave the parliament similar rights over matter concerning the EU was issued in February. The country's constitutional court held [JURIST report] that the use of a parliamentary subcommittee to fast-track decisions related to eurozone bailouts is unconstitutional. Rather, it required the entire Bundestag to overview such decisions. In September, the same court ruled [JURIST report] that the parliament did not unconstitutionally impair its own ability to adopt and control the nation's budget, nor did it infringe on the budget autonomy of future parliaments.

We are gratified by the federal government's decision and thrilled that PPIN continues to be able to provide preventive health care to our patients. Through its appeal, the State was continuing its attack on women's rights and attempting to restrict access to basic, lifesaving services such as Pap tests, breast exams, STD testing and treatment, and birth control.

Last June a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction [JURIST report] halting enforcement of the controversial law after PPIN filed suit. Indiana has argued that the issue should be settled through the agency rather than in federal court. In May 2011 a federal judge refused to block the law [JURIST report] upon its passage. The court's ruling in June of last year, however, was in line with a US Department of Justice (DOJ) brief that urged the court to grant an injunction [brief, PDF] to stop the enforcement of the law [JURIST report], which took effect in May. The brief echoed arguments made earlier that year by the Obama administration, which argued against the law [JURIST report] in a letter to the state.

The lawsuit against the South Carolina immigration law was put on hold [JURIST report] in January pending the outcome of Arizona v. United States. South Carolina is one of five states, including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Utah [JURIST reports] that modeled their recent immigration laws after Arizona's controversial SB 1070. Last week Georgia argued to the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit [official website] that its immigration law is constitutional under the Arizona ruling, stating that the provision of its law being challenged is most comparable to the provision of the Arizona law that was upheld by the Supreme Court. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signed a revised immigration bill in May following his pledge to refine the immigration law after it was blocked last year [JURIST reports] by the Eleventh Circuit. Last May the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) [advocacy websites] filed a class action lawsuit challenging Utah's immigration law, the same month that the ACLU filed a class action [JURIST reports] in the US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana [official website] challenging that state's immigration law.

Even after a successful peaceful presidential election, the country is still facing continued political turmoil since the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak [Al Jazeera profile; JURIST news archive]. A week after Morsi was sworn in [JURIST report] as the new elected president, he issued a decree appointing a fact-finding committee to investigate the deaths of nearly 1,000 protesters in last year's demonstrations [JURIST news archive]. Last month, Amnesty International [advocacy website] urged Morsi to end the pattern of human rights abuses [JURIST report] committed by Mubarak and the SCAF. A week earlier Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] expressed concern [JURIST report] about the SCAF's moves to expand its power, stating that the military's expansive power without oversight puts citizens at risk. Also in June, the SCAF stated [JURIST report] that the new president will have the power to appoint and dismiss the government. With the announcement, SCAF also issued an interim constitution [Egypt State Information Service report, in Arabic] that retains most of its power. However, the plan was criticized by observers who claim it gives far more power to the council than expected while the president is given only little authority over the state's affairs.

The Prosecutor v. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo [ICC information sheet] is a landmark case for the ICC because Lubanga was the first prisoner taken into custody [JURIST report] and delivered to the international criminal tribunal in The Hague. The prosecution concluded its case [JURIST report] in July 2009 after presenting 22 weeks of testimony. Lubanga's trial began in January 2009 after being delayed for evidentiary reasons and was then halted soon afterward when one of the child witnesses recanted his testimony [JURIST reports] that Lubanga had recruited him for the militia. He was charged with recruiting child soldiers [JURIST report] in 2006. In March 2006, he was taken into ICC custody [JURIST report], becoming the first DRC war crimes defendant to appear before the ICC.

Last week, the Constitutional Court also accused Ponta of overstepping his authority [JURIST report] by attempting to seize control over the judiciary system. The court announced that it has alerted the European authorities [Reuters report] of the situation. Also last week Ponta ignored a decision by the court finding Basescu should be the representative of the country at the European Council [official website] meeting in Brussels. In 2009 the Constitutional Court declared incumbent president Basescu winner of the country's disputed presidential election [JURIST report]. Basescu, who has been president of Romania since 2004, has survived impeachment once before. In 2007 Basescu was reinstated after the high court certified the results of a referendum in which 74 percent of voters rejected Basescu's impeachment [JURIST report].

Last month the ICC expressed its desire to start the two Kenyan trials simultaneously [JURIST report] to avoid any appearance of bias in the March 2013 presidential election. Ruto is considered a leading candidate in the election which will take place March 4, 2013. The four men have been accused and charged with involvement in the 2007 Kenyan post-election violence [JURIST news archive]. Ruto and Sang are facing three counts of murder, forcible transfer and persecution while Kenyatta and Muthaura are facing five counts of orchestrating murder, rape, forcible transfer and persecution in the polls' aftermath. 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 to confirm the charges [JURIST report] against the four men in January. The ICC claimed jurisdiction over the case despite Kenya's calls for dismissal [JURIST report]. The Kenyan government argued that it was capable of prosecuting the accused men domestically.