Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav on Sunday appeared before the Supreme Court of Israel to begin the appeal of his conviction and seven-year sentence for rape and sexual assault . The proceedings, which are being held in open court, are expected to conclude following two weeks of arguments . Katsav’s sentence was postponed in May, [...]

Saudi Arabian officials on Saturday proposed amendments to the draft anti-terrorism law that received much criticism from human rights groups. A spokesperson for the Shura Council confirmed that the draft of the Penal Law for Terrorism Crimes and Financing of Terrorism was discussed during a session of the council in which changes to make the [...]

The convicted ringleader of abuses committed at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad was released Saturday after serving more than six-and-a-half years of his 10-year sentence. Army Spc. Charles Graner , who was being held at the US Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, was released early as a result of earning days off for good behavior. [...]

A group of UN human rights experts on Friday condemn the Syrian government and called for a cessation of the continued use of lethal violence to suppress peaceful protests. A UN expert stated, “e continue to receive reports on systematic use of excessive force resulting in killings and injuries; allegations of torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary [...]

California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office released a status report on Friday concluding that California is unlikely to meet the Supreme Court’s two-year deadline to reduce the state’s prison population by 34,000 inmates. California’s prisoner realignment plan, which entails shifting thousands of low-level offenders to county jails , could reduce the prison population by 32,000 inmates—still a [...]

The Supreme Court of Israel on Tuesday issued for the first time an order for the Israeli government to dismantle an illegal outpost in the West Bank. The order calls for Migron, the largest outpost in the West Bank, to be razed by the end of March 2012 . The action came as the result [...]

The Guardian released a top secret document Thursday revealing details about the interrogation policies of UK intelligence officials. The document indicates that officers from the UK security and secret intelligence agencies, MI5 and MI6 , respectively, were instructed to weigh the severity of the mistreatment of a detainee with the benefits of possibly obtaining information [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) appealed a case over same-sex domestic partnerships Thursday to the the Montana Supreme Court , arguing that denying partnership rights to same-sex couples violates the state constitution . The ACLU filed a notice of appeal in Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana with the court on behalf of [...]

The Supreme Court of Cuba on Friday upheld a 15-year sentence for Alan Gross, a US citizen accused of “acts against the independence or integrity of the state.” Gross was arrested in 2009 and has served 20 months of his sentence for his work as a Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) consultant, a business that contracts [...]

Ukrainian Judge Rodion Kireyev on Friday ordered the arrest of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko , also imposing a travel ban. Reversing a decision he made last week , Kireyev arrested Tymoshenko on contempt charges. A blockade of supporters started a brawl outside the courtroom attempting to force officers to release Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko’s former defense [...]