A judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday overturned the contempt conviction of a Marine general. Judge Royce Lamberth overturned the contempt conviction of Marine Brigadier General John Baker, chief defense counsel at the Guantánamo Bay military tribunals. Baker was convicted in November by Air Force Col. Vance Spath [...]
The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that the news service had uncovered regular instances of rape and other forms of sexual violence against Yemeni detainees by prison officials in secret prisons controlled by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The abuse has been reported in at least five prisons. The UAE has arrested “hundreds” of Yemeni [...]
To commemorate World Refugee Day on Wednesday the charity Plan International released a 44-page report detailing the adversity and hardship that adolescent Rohingya girls experience in refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. While the majority of adolescent girls report feeling safer in the refugee camps than in Myanmar, there remains a substantial fear of [...]
Canada’s Senate approved a bill on Tuesday legalizing recreational marijuana. The vote was 52 in favor of the bill, with 29 senators against and two abstaining. Under the act, the federal and provincial governments will regulate cannabis, with the federal government licensing dealers. It will still be illegal for anyone under the age of 18 [...]
The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the removal of its chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno after her May 30 motion for reconsideration. In an 8-6 vote the 15-member high court confirmed their May 11 ruling that ousted Sereno for failing to submit her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) as a law [...]
US Permanent Representative to the UN Nikki Halley announced on Tuesday that the US will be withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council . Haley accused the Human Rights Council of protecting human rights abusers and being a “cesspool of political bias,” a “hypocritical and self-serving organization that makes a mockery of human rights,” and [...]
The EU’s General Court on Tuesday confirmed the European Parliament’s decision to recover nearly €300,000 (USD $347,550) in misused funds from former French presidential candidate and far-right politician Marine Le Pen . Le Pen was a member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2017. In 2016 the European Parliament investigated Le Pen, deciding that [...]
In the days leading up to its July 29 election, experts at the UN Human Rights Council expressed concerns Friday over unclear media rules, calling on Cambodian authorities to ensure journalists’ freedom of opinion and expression. The National Election Committee of Cambodia issued a code of conduct that may be construed to have banned journalists [...]
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Thursday affirmed a decision to freeze assets of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s cousin, Rami Makhlouf. The ECJ referred to Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1836 of 12 October 2015 that amended Decision 2013/255/CFSP discussing restrictive measures against Syria. Relying heavily on Article 27 and 28, a travel ban and asset [...]
Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies approved a bill on Thursday to decriminalize abortion for the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. As of right now, abortion is only decriminalized in Argentina in cases of rape or risk to the health of the mother. The deputies proposed the decriminalization bill in March. The debate lasted for over 23 [...]
