Boko Haram, which means "Western education is a sin," has been fighting to overthrow the Nigerian government and create an Islamic state and has warned Christians in the mostly Muslim northern regions to leave the area. The group has publicly claimed responsibility for several attacks, including church bombings [AFP report] on December 25 that killed approximately 40 people last year. In January UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] urged Nigerian leaders from all sectors of society to make a concerted effort to stop the sectarian violence [JURIST report]. The Christmas day bombings were internationally condemned, including being labeled as "senseless violence" by the White House and acts of "blind hatred" by the Vatican [AFP reports]. Additionally, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] has previously expressed concern [JURIST report] over acts of ethnic violence by Boko Haram. Specifically, the Office described the group's bombing of a UN building in Nigeria [VOA report] in August 2011 as "cowardly." At least 18 people were killed in the attack.

These statements are part of a global call for the elimination of discrimination in educational settings. In September the UN urged Bosnia and Herzgovina [JURIST report] to do more to promote the education of minorities within the country. Also in September the Human Rights Watch commented on the lack of academic freedom [JURIST report] for many students, particularly women, in Iraq. In April Amnesty International challenged European governments to do more to address discrimination [JURIST report] against Muslims in educational settings. Last December the UN also spoke against discrimination of LGBT individuals [JURIST report] in educational settings.

Zimbabwean authorities have continued to resort to pieces of legislation to selectively and systematically restrict the space for the enjoyment of freedoms of expression, association and assembly of human rights defenders, and to encourage and condone serious violations of their rights, including arbitrary arrests and detentions or acts of torture.

Zimbabwe has encountered similar human rights issues in the past. In March various human rights groups urged South African courts to prosecute Zimbabwe for violations including torture and forced labor [JURIST reports] of civilian workers in illegal mining camps. In June 2009 Amnesty International [advocacy website] released a report [press release] stating that Zimbabwe was still experiencing serious human rights violations, [JURIST report], such as the arrest and detention of human rights activists, and needed to confront issues that led to such problems.

The two generals, Ante Gotovina [BBC backgrounder] and Mladen Markac [Trial Watch backgrounder], were initially found guilty [JURIST report] of crimes against humanity and war crimes for involvement in Operation Storm [BBC backgrounder] during the Croatian war for independence. However, the five-judge appeals chamber ordered the immediate release [ICTY press release] of the two generals after finding that the trial judge committed numerous errors and that the prosecutors failed to prove the existence of a criminal conspiracy. Croatia has welcomed the decision as validation of their claim that they were the victims in the Balkan wars and Gotovina and Markac are considered heroes in Croatia. However, the decision has jeopardized the dialogue between Croatian President Ivo Josipovic and Serbian nationalist President Tomislav Nikolic [official websites] as the two sides seek to reconcile.

Germany has recently reopened investigations [JURIST report] and begun prosecuting Nazis for war crimes. In March John Demjanjuk, a former guard at a Nazi death camp who had been convicted in Germany of helping to murder thousands during the Holocaust, died while awaiting his appeal [JURIST reports]. In January German prosecutors filed a motion [JURIST report] to jail Klaas Faber, a Dutch native who fled to Germany after being convicted in the Netherlands in 1947 of Nazi war crimes. In September 2011 alleged Nazi Sandor Kepiro died while he awaited an appeal [JURIST report] on his acquittal on war crimes charges. The Dortmund state prosecutor also brought murder charges [JURIST report] against another former Waffen SS soldier, Heinrich Boere, for killing three Dutch resistance fighters in July 2009. The following year Boere was sentenced [JURIST report] to life in prison.

Apple's motion is the most recent event in a protracted patent litigation battle [JURIST op-ed] with Samsung that spans over four continents. Last month a judge for the US International Trade Commission [official website] issued a preliminary ruling [JURIST report] that Samsung infringed four of Apple's patents relating to smartphone design and touchscreen technology. In October the Dutch Rechtbank's-Gravenhage [official website, in Dutch] court ruled that Samsung did not infringe [JURIST report] on an Apple software patent. In the same month a UK court also ruled that Samsung did not infringe [JURIST report] on an Apple design patent. Also in October, Apple defeated [JURIST report] patent infringement claims made by Samsung in Japan, overcoming Samsung's attempt to enjoin iPhone sales in the country. At the beginning of October, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed an injunction [JURIST report] against Samsung that prevented it from selling its Galaxy Nexus product. Earlier in August, Apple won a $1.05 billion judgment [JURIST report] in the Northern District of California against Samsung involving other patent infringements.