Rights groups sue Rumsfeld over prisoner abuses News
Rights groups sue Rumsfeld over prisoner abuses

[JURIST] The American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First [advocacy websites] announced at a press conference Tuesday morning that they had filed a lawsuit in Illinois against US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld [official profile] and several other US military officials on behalf of eight former detainees [ACLU profiles] who claim they were tortured and abused by US personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. The suit asserts that Rumsfeld bears direct responsibility for abuses and that his actions violated the US Constitution, federal statutes and international law. A similar suit against Rumsfeld was brought in Germany, but a German prosecutor later dismissed the complaint [JURIST report]. Read the complaints against Rumsfeld [text, PDF], Col. Thomas Pappas [text, PDF], Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski [text, PDF] and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez [text, PDF]. Read the ACLU and HRF press release. More on the suit is available from the ACLU [lawsuit website] and HRF [lawsuit website]. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Hitler and Nazis attempt failed coup in Beer Hall Putsch

Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party attempted an ill-faited coup in Munich, Germany on November 8, 1923. Instead of seizing power, the conspirators suffered 15 casualties and their leaders were arrested, including Hitler. The future dictator would spend a year in prison as a result, where he would write his infamous Mein Kampf. Learn more about the Beer Hall Putsch.

Oregon legalized physician-assisted suicide

On November 8, 1994, Oregon passed the Death With Dignity Act by voter initiative, becoming the first US state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Read the Death With Dignity Act,

France government opens the Louvre as a public museum

On November 8, 1793, the revolutionary government in France opened the Louvre for the first time as a public museum. Learn more about the history of the Louvre.