Following up on a story reported earlier today in JURIST's Paper Chase, King Hamad of Bahrain commuted the year-long jail term of human rights activist Abdul Hadi al-Kharwaja shortly after his sentencing on Sunday. Although he did not pardon...

The defense team for more than 100 Mauritanian soldiers and civilians accused of a coup attempt said Sunday they will boycott a trial they view as unfair. The lawyers cite the appointment of 2 military officers as judges and...

Peru says it will ignore any ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights advocating the release of American Lori Berenson. Berenson has been jailed in Peru since her 1995 arrest and 2001 conviction for terrorist collaboration with Marxist...

A Bahraini court Sunday sentenced human rights activist Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja to one year in prison for inciting hatred against the government. Al-Khawaja, the vice president of the now banned Bahrain Center for Human Rights, had accused the government...

The Iraqi Electoral Commission announced Sunday that it has set January 30, 2005 as the date for national elections. Iraqis will vote for 275 members of a transitional parliament that will pick a new government and draft a permanent...

Following up on a story reported earlier this afternoon in JURIST's Paper Chase, an apparent bipartisan deal to pass intelligence reform legislation based on recommendations of the 9/11 Commission collapsed on the House floor at the last minute late...

Following a statement last week by Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahearn that same-sex couples deserved "better rights" (reported here in JURIST's Paper Chase), Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell said Saturday that Ireland should pursue civil partnerships for unwed couples,...

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga announced Saturday that the government would create a special security force to protect the nation's judges and judicial personnel and would reinstate capital punishment. The announcement came at the end of an emergency session...

Congressional lawmakers announced Saturday that House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on legislation that would overhaul the US intelligence structure pursuant to the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. The agreement is reported to create a new post that...

Spanish court officials said Saturday that 10 al-Qaida suspects who were previously free on bail have been jailed under a detention order from Judge Baltasar Garzon (BBC profile here) who indicted them in September 2003 for their connection to...