A French appeals court ruled Wednesday that former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega can be extradited to Panama. Noriega faces charges of human rights violations in Panama for crimes allegedly committed during his 1981-1989 rule. He was already convicted on three counts of human rights violations in absentia, and each count carries a 20-year prison sentence. [...]

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber on Tuesday issued a temporary reprieve for death row inmate Gary Haugen and called for an end to the state’s death penalty . The state has executed only two individuals in the last 49 years and each execution was with the prisoner’s consent. Kitzhaber said, “I do not believe that those [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Wednesday condemned the recent violent clashes between Egyptian security forces and protesters and called for an independent investigation into the situation. Pillay “urge the Egyptian authorities to end the clearly excessive use of force against protestors in Tahrir square and elsewhere in the country, including the [...]

International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Wednesday the ICC would allow Libya to conduct the trial of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi . Despite concern from human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch , about whether Saif al-Islam Gaddafi can receive a fair trial in Libya, Ocampo said [...]

The UN General Assembly’s Human Rights Committee on Tuesday approved a draft resolution condemning recent human rights violations in Syria . The non-binding resolution, drafted by the UK, France and Germany, passed by a vote of 122-13, with 41 abstentions. The resolution, “Strongly condemns the continued grave and systematic human rights violations by the Syrian [...]

Merck & Co reached a settlement agreement Tuesday with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) , agreeing to pay $950 million in criminal and civil penalties. The agreement includes $321 million in criminal fines and $628 million in civil fines as well as submitting a guilty plea to an information filed by the US Attorney’s [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday filed a challenge to Utah’s controversial immigration law . The measure was signed into law in March by Utah Governor Gary Herbert and requires police to check the immigration status of anyone arrested for an alleged felony or serious misdemeanor.The DOJ argues that the law is preempted [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday consolidated the ongoing Proposition 8 case with an appeal of a denied motion to vacate District Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling due to conflict of interest. Walker, who initially overturned Proposition 8 , is a gay man who has been in a committed same-sex relationship [...]

The Malaysian Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War (KLFCW) on Tuesday found former US president George W. Bush, former UK prime minister Tony Blair guilty of war crimes after a symbolic trial . The duo was found guilty on charges in connection to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq after a four-day hearing. The trials, [...]

Malaysia’s government on Tuesday introduced legislation that will enforce new restrictions on public demonstrations, including a ban on street protests and other rules that opposition leaders believe are too repressive. Proposed by the National Front , Malaysia’s ruling party, and supported by Prime Minister Najib Razak , the bill, known as the Peaceful Assembly Bill [...]