Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) [OHCHR profile] is still recovering from the impact of the Bosnian War which was fought from 1992-1995. BiH is also still deciding how to treat war crimes prisoners. Earlier this month the BiH war crimes court [official website] acquitted [JURIST report] former Bosnian Serb prime minister Gojko Klickovic [case materials] of war crime charges. In March the BiH war crimes court convicted a former paramilitary unit commander [JURIST report] from Montenegro on multiple counts of murder, torture, rape and looting committed during the the civil war in the former Yugoslavia and sentenced him to 45 years of imprisonment. In January the BiH war crimes court sentenced a former Bosnian Serb police officer to 20 years in prison for his role in the Srebrenica massacre [HRW backgrounder; JURIST news archive].

LGBT and gender rights have been an issue in Puerto Rico in the past. In February Puerto Rico's Supreme Court upheld [JURIST report] a law banning same-sex couples from adopting children. In a 5-4 judgment, the court upheld the constitutionality of a law making it legally impossible for a person to adopt a child if the potential adopter is of the same sex as the child's legal parent. Other nations have recently sought to make strides towards equality. In July Chile enacted an anti-discrimination law [JURIST report] following the March 2012 beating death of a young gay man in a Santiago park. In June Ontario lawmakers on unanimously approved [JURIST report] an amendment to the province's Human Rights Code that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression.

South Asian caste systems remain controversial. Last year the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) [advocacy website] reported that North Korea's caste system leads to abuses [JURIST report] and human rights violations. In 2010 the Nepalese District Court in Baitadi issued two judgments [JURIST report] against caste-based discrimination in Nepal. In 2008 the Supreme Court of India [official website] upheld a government program [JURIST report] reserving seats at India's top state schools for members of lower castes.

Ciavarella's trial began [JURIST report] in early February 2011. In December 2012 a federal judge approved a settlement [JURIST report] of almost $18 million in a lawsuit brought by juveniles wrongfully incarcerated by the two judges. In July 2010 Judge Edwin Kosik accepted [JURIST report] a plea agreement from former judge Conahan for his involvement in the juvenile sentencing scandal. Conahan now faces a 20-year prison sentence, a fine of up to $250,000 and disbarment. Kosik had previously rejected [JURIST report] joint plea agreements from Conahan and Ciavarella, finding that plea bargaining to honest services fraud and tax evasion charges demonstrated that the men did not accept responsibility and that the disbarment and 87-month prison sentences were too lenient [JURIST op-ed]. In October 2009 the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overturned 6,500 juvenile-offender convictions issued by Ciavarella [JURIST report]. Conahan and Ciavarella were indicted in September 2009, following a withdrawal of the guilty pleas they entered [JURIST reports] in February 2009.

This is the latest in the controversy surrounding Kenyatta and Ruto's involvement in the human rights violations. Despite the allegations, both were able to win the recent election [JURIST report]. Earlier this month the Kenyan ambassador to the UN requested the ICC drop the charges [JURIST report] against Kenyatta and Ruto. Also this month the ICC continued to postpone [JURIST report] Ruto's trial. In April a judge overseeing Kenyatta's case withdrew [JURIST report] from the case, after the President's personal attorney requested that the charges be dropped.

Nokia has a long history [JURIST news archive] of holding other companies accountable in the courts. HTC finds itself across the aisle from Nokia with Apple, Rhythm in Motion (known for their Blackberry products), the German law firm IPCom GmbH & Co, amongst others. For example, In March 2011 Nokia announced that it had filed complaints against Apple [JURIST report] with the US International Trade Commission (ITC). That complaint alleged that Apple violated seven patents regarding various technological devices and their operating systems. Previous to that announcement, Nokia and Apple had both sued each other over more than 20 patents in more than four countries.

Thursday's en banc hearing is the most recent development in the challenge by the Green family in its fight against the PPACA. In February a group of nine senators and two representatives joined to file an amicus brief in support of Hobby Lobby and Mardel. Last December the US Supreme Court [official website] said it would not intervene [JURIST report] by issuing an injunction while an appeal was still pending with the Tenth Circuit, to which the Greens have responded that they will not comply [JURIST report] with the mandate even without a protective injunction. Justice Sonia Sotomayor ruled that the Oklahoma City family's religiously oriented business did not meet the requirements to allow an injunction against the PPACA's mandate. The opinion stated that the Hobby Lobby family did not meet the standard of showing that they have an "indisputably clear" legal right to an injunction while appeal is pending.

These arrests come on the heels of last month's retrial of KLA leaders [JURIST report], as well as a landmark agreement between Serbia and Kosovo [US State Department backgrounders] regarding membership in the EU [JURIST report]. Tensions have remained high between the two nations since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, partly due to Serbia's refusal to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation. Last year EU Kosovo officials arrested six Serbian officials [JURIST report] in Kosovo, alleging that they were "suspected of exerting undue pressure ... not to recognize Kosovo institutions." In 2010 Serbia's parliament passed a resolution [JURIST report] stating that it would never recognize Kosovo as an independent nation. This resolution was passed days after the International Court of Justice [official website] ruled that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate international law [JURIST report].

The DOJ alleged that Apple, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster [corporate websites] conspired to fix the prices of e-books in response to Amazon's discount pricing strategy. The DOJ brought the suit in April, and the court denied a motion to dismiss [JURIST reports] in May. Commentators had been very mixed in response to the proposed settlement agreement. Some commentators have suggested that the DOJ's lawsuit is merely "superficial" [JURIST op-ed] and that the effect of the agency agreements may actually have been a net-positive to consumers if Amazon was selling e-books at a loss in order to drive the sale of Kindles. Other commentators, however, state that commentators against the settlement agreement and the defendants' arguments are based on a premise that competition is wrong [JURIST op-ed].

These developments come as a direct result of an April 2012 Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) announcement that it would change the country's parliamentary election proceedings in an effort to eliminate future fraud. That announcement was the result of problems with the previous election. In August 2011 Karzai dissolved [JURIST report] the special elections court that he had created to investigate election fraud in parliamentary elections. The court was criticized as a vehicle for overturning the electoral gains made by many of Karzai's political opponents. In June 2011 the court had invalidated the election results [JURIST Report] of nearly 25 percent of the assembly seats. Karzai then ordered that the seating of parliament be delayed [JURIST report] by a month in order to further investigate the findings. Though Karzai conceded that the IEC retains ultimate authority on election results, the IEC stated that it would review the findings and documents of the court in the April 2012 announcement (above).

The Obama administration's counterterrorism projects have been highly criticized. Earlier this month Pakistan declared US drone strikes are illegal [JURIST report] and directed Pakistan's Foreign Ministry [official website] to introduce a resolution against such attacks in the UN. Last month JURIST Guest Columnist David Frakt of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law argued that the Obama administration should release those detainees [JURIST op-ed] held at Guantanamo Bay who have already been declared to not be a danger to the US. Also last month UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] called for US authorities to close down the Guantanamo prison camp [JURIST report], emphasizing the continued indefinite incarcerations of many detainees as a clear violation of international law. In March a federal appeals court judge in the US reversed [JURIST report] a ruling on CIA drone strikes and held that the CIA must respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) [text] claim filed by the American Civil Liberties Union [advocacy website] requesting records on the CIA's drone program.

The new policies have no legitimate purpose, but are pretextual, imposed in order to chill the right of access to counsel... The inescapable inference, however, is that the new policies have no legitimate purpose, but are pretextual, imposed in order to chill the right of access to counsel. Indeed, one guard has admitted that the purpose of the physical searches and the treatment inflicted upon detainees.

Earlier this month US President Barack Obama [official website] renewed his pledge [JURIST report] to make an effort to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. In April JURIST Guest Columnist David Frakt of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law argued that the Obama administration should release those detainees [JURIST op-ed] held at Guantanamo Bay who have already been declared to not be a danger to the US. Earlier last month UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] called for US authorities to close down the Guantanamo prison camp [JURIST report], emphasizing the continued indefinite incarcerations of many detainees as a clear violation of international law.

The most vulnerable are the 12 million stateless people in the world, equivalent in numbers to the world's great agglomerations such as London, Lagos or Rio. And around 80% of them are women. Without the protection of their 'sovereign' state these people are true global citizens. And their protection falls to all of us. They are the purest argument for the fulfilment of the duty to protect there is. For human rights protections must be applied to all humans, whether at home or not.

AI regularly reports on human rights violations around the world. In a recent comment, JURIST Guest Columnist Clare da Silva of AI argued [JURIST comment] that the new Arms Trade Treaty shows remarkable progress in the international regulation of arms transactions. In April AI criticized [JURIST report] Russia laws restricting free speech. Earlier last month AI reported [JURIST report] on Iraq executing 21 individuals convicted of terrorism. Also that month AI called upon [JURIST report] Ukraine to investigate police brutality and torture.

In October a Malaysian court awarded damages [JURIST report] to a group of five opposition politicians and activists who were unlawfully detained pursuant to the country's controversial Internal Security Act of 1960 (ISA) [text, PDF], which permits indefinite detention without trial for terror suspects, dissidents and political opponents. Three politicians and two activists were detained without trial for two years after being arrested in 2001 following anti-government protests. Last year the Malaysian Parliament [official website, in Malay] approved a law [JURIST report] aimed at replacing the ISA. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak [official profile] originally announced [JURIST report] that the government would repeal the ISA as well as the Banishment Act of 1959 [text] in September 2011 and initiated the repeal [JURIST report] a month later.

The imprisonment of members of Pussy Riot sparked an international outcry against the Russian political and judicial system. Last month a Russian court denied parole [JURIST report] for Tolokonnikova, who had requested it so that she could look after her young daughter. In February the band filed a complaint [JURIST report] in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] challenging their conviction. They contend that their conviction violates four articles of the European Convention on Human Rights [text, PDF]. In January a court denied [JURIST report] the band's appeal of an Internet ban on their videos. The court ruled that the band's videos questioning the role of religion in Russian government was "extremist" and President Vladimir Putin argued that the ban is protecting the beliefs of the Russian Orthodox population. In October Alekhina and Tolokonnikova were transferred to separate regional prisons [JURIST report] generally reserved for dangerous criminals to serve their two-year sentences. Earlier in October Samutsevich was freed on appeal [JURIST report] because she did not actually participate in the protest song, and she vowed to take the band's case to the ECHR on charges that the Russian government had illegally detained them and also violated the rock group's right to free speech.

Egypt has experienced continued unrest and instability since the 2011 revolution [JURIST backgrounder]. Last month a number of Egyptian opposition groups filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] demanding public debate of the country's budget. Earlier in April Egypt's upper house of parliament, the Shura Council, approved [JURIST report] new election procedures to elect the House of Representatives. The process has been delayed, however, by Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court referring [JURIST report] the newly passed law to the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) for review. The court's decision was said to be based on technical grounds, namely that the Shura Council failed to return the amended electoral to the SCC for final review before passing it [JURIST report]. The law was amended [JURIST report] in five key areas as demanded by the high court. in March, the SCC dismissed complaints [JURIST report] against the assembly responsible for drafting the country's new constitution.

Musharraf has had many legal troubles of late. In April the Peshawar High Court of Pakistan banned [JURIST report] him from running for public office for the rest of his life and extended his house arrest during the ongoing trial regarding the murder of Bhutto. Last week the Pakistani interim government declined [JURIST report] to try Musharraf for treason because they claimed such action would be outside the scope of their duties. In April a Pakistan court extended [JURIST report] Musharraf's bail on charges of illegally detaining judges. In March Human Rights Watch urged [JURIST report] Pakistan to hold Musharraf accountable for alleged human rights abuses upon his return to the country. Last year Pakistani authorities pledged to arrest [JURIST report] Musharraf for his alleged involvement in Bhutto's assassination. In August 2011 a court ordered seizure of his property [JURIST report] and froze his bank account after he failed to respond to multiple subpoenas regarding the assassination investigation.

The Obama administration has renewed its efforts to push for the reintroduction of media shield legislation after a recent scandal in which federal investigators secretly used a subpoena [AP report] this year to obtain phone records of AP journalists without advance notice. The records were believed to have been in connection with a foiled bombing plot involving the Yemen branch of al Qaeda in the spring of 2012. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that he recused himself [WP report] from investigations into the leak probe. AP called the search "massive and unprecedented" in a letter [text] to Holder. More than 50 news organizations joined in protest against the DOJ, issuing a second letter [text, PDF] to Holder the following day. The US Attorney's office in Washington responded to criticism [text, PDF], stating that investigators seek phone records from news outlets as a last resort after making "every reasonable effort to obtain information through alternative means." AP and other news organizations are demanding that the DOJ destroy the phone records.

Under Japanese family law, only one parent is granted custody [Japan Times report], and foreign parents are usually excluded from custody privileges. According to human rights groups, nearly 160,000 divorced or separated foreign and Japanese parents in Japan are not allowed to see their children [Japan Times report] under the current child custody laws. In 2011 Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano [official website, in Japanese] announced [JURIST report] that Japan would be signing the convention for the welfare of children. Japan was urged to sign the treaty [JURIST report] by 10 other nations in early 2010. Japan had resisted signing the treaty, citing opposition from women who had fled abusive husbands. The US House of Representatives increased pressure on Japan to sign the convention by passing the International Child Abduction Prevention Act of 2009 [text] in 2010, which created nonbinding sanctions against any country refusing to cooperate in cases of international child abductions. Russia remains the only G8 nation to not sign the treaty.

This is the latest development in the controversial topic of gun control [JURIST news archive] in the US. Earlier this week, a group of Colorado County Sheriffs challenged [JURIST report] similar regulations. The Colorado laws were passed [JURIST report] in March in response to the Connecticut shooting. Last month Maryland [JURIST report] also approved new gun control laws. In March President Barack Obama urged [JURIST report] Congress to pass three bills which would require background checks for all private gun sales, renew a grant to improve schools security programs and make the act of buying a weapon for someone barred from owning one a federal crime.

This is the latest in the controversy surrounding Kenyatta and Ruto's involvement in the human rights violations. Despite the allegations, both were able to win the recent election [JURIST report]. Earlier this month the Kenyan ambassador to the UN requested the ICC drop the charges [JURIST report] against Kenyatta and Ruto. Also this month the ICC continued to postpone [JURIST report] Ruto's trial. In April a judge overseeing Kenyatta's case withdrew [JURIST report] from the case. In March Kenyatta's lawyer asked the ICC to drop the charges [JURIST report] against him for lack of evidence, but the prosecution refused.

Immigration [JURIST backgrounder] has become a hot button issue in the US. Tuesday's bill is the result of a bipartisan group of eight senators, including Senators Chuck Schumer, John McCain, Dick Durbin, Robert Menendez and Marco Rubio [official websites], who in January released [JURIST report] a framework [text, PDF] of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The individual senators involved in building the framework released several statements on what they hoped the legislation will achieve. McCain focused on border security [press release], stating that "greater focus needs to be paid to drug traffickers and criminals that cross the border." He also compared the framework to failed legislation [FAQ text] that was put forward in 2007, and issued more details about the plan, including that funding for some aspects of the program will come from "fees collected from immigrant workers—both new guest workers and the previously undocumented." These funds, said McCain, were intended to be used for "registering the undocumented, processing visas and other applications, enhancing enforcement and providing English and civics education to immigrants."

In March in a nationwide referendum [JURIST report], nearly 95 percent of voters supported the passage of the draft constitution, which then passed completely unopposed through both houses of Parliament. In February three UN independent human rights experts urged [JURIST report] the government of Zimbabwe to respect international human rights in anticipation of the referendum and potential changes to the system of government. The UN's emphasis on the protection of individuals' right to privacy and freedom of association accompanied Human Rights Watch's [advocacy website] call for "credible, free and fair elections," a proposition that the advocacy group claims Zimbabwe failed to ensure [JURIST report] in previous elections. Experts point to incidents such as the March 17 arrest [Bloomberg report] of four Tsvangirai aides, working for the prime minister's political party the Movement for Democratic Change [official website]. Held on charges of breaching state secrecy law, the arrests follow a string of allegations against political associates, including human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who is being charged with obstructing or defeating the course of justice [JURIST report].

This ruling comes on the heels of several developments in controversial state abortion statutes. Last Friday a judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas [official website] temporarily blocked enforcement of a law banning abortions 12 weeks into a pregnancy [JURIST report]. In December a state judge in Georgia enjoined a law [JURIST report] banning doctors from providing abortions for women more than 20 weeks into gestation. Montana voters in November passed a referendum [JURIST report] requiring notice to parents of minors before a planned abortion procedure. Planned Parenthood [advocacy website] also sued Texas [JURIST report] in October claiming that its law preventing state funding from going to any clinics affiliated with providing abortions violates another state law.

Same-sex marriage [JURIST backgrounder] continues to be a controversial issue internationally. France legalized [JURIST report] same-sex marriage last week. Earlier this month Brazil effectively legalized [JURIST report] same-sex marriage in a court ruling that prevented notaries from denying to perform ceremonies for same-sex couples. Also this month same-sex marriage legislation was approved in the US states of Minnesota, Delaware and Rhode Island [JURIST reports]. Last month Ireland announced it would hold a referendum [JURIST report] on same-sex marriage. In March, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two same-sex marriage cases regarding the Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 [JURIST reports], with decisions expected next month.