UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression Frank La Rue on Tuesday condemned an Italian bill that would restrict the use of wiretaps and criminalize the reporting of wiretap transcripts by the news media. La Rue urged the Italian government to either abolish or substantially revise the bill, warning that if it is adopted in [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday overturned a decision that granted the habeas corpus petition of Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohammed al-Adahi. In reversing the decision, the appellate court held that the district court erred in examining the evidence against al-Adahi individually, considering and rejecting each piece of evidence [...]

The US Department of Defense (DOD) announced Tuesday that Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohammed Odaini was transferred to his homeland of Yemen after a federal court ordered his release . In his ruling ordering Odaini’s release, Judge Henry Kennedy Jr. of the US District Court for the District of Columbia , ruled that the US government [...]

The US District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday began the trial in a case challenging the constitutionality of the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy . Judge Virginia Phillips, trying the case without a jury, heard opening statements in the case, Log Cabin Republicans v. United States , in which the [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Tuesday that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) indecency policy is unconstitutional. The court held that the FCC’s policy is a violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech because it is unconstitutionally vague and could have a “chilling effect” on speech. The case [...]

A federal judge on Tuesday refused to dismiss charges against former Guantanamo Bay detainee Ahmed Ghailani , ruling that his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial was not violated. Ghailani’s lawyers had sought a dismissal of charges, arguing that he was denied the right to a speedy trial while being detained for nearly five [...]

UK Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday announced the coalition government’s plans to reform the criminal justice system to include lesser prison sentences and more community punishment options. The Ministry of Justice on Tuesday published its Structural Reform Plan, which outlines reform goals for the next two years, including changing criminal sentencing and penalties to [...]

The French National Assembly on Tuesday voted 336-1 to approve a bill that would make it illegal to wear the Islamic burqa or other full face veils in public. Under the legislation, women who wear the veil can be required by police to show their face, and, if they refuse, they can be forced to [...]

Chinese Internet regulators have plans to drastically reduce internet anonymity by requiring users to use their real names when posting on certain Chinese websites, according to documents released Tuesday by New York-based human rights group Human Rights in China (HRIC) . The documents contain various versions of an April 29 speech to the Standing Committee [...]

US lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the role that oil company British Petroleum (BP) may have played in obtaining an early release for convicted Pan Am Flight 103 bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi . The lawmakers are asking that the Senate Judiciary Committee investigate whether BP played a role in lobbying for [...]