Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika Monday criticized a recent Swiss high court decision to block the release of financial information linked to Russian oil giant Yukos and the Swiss court's concurrent decision to lift a freeze on Yukos funds as politically motivated. In a news conference, Chaika criticized the decision as disrespectful toward his country [...]

The Bangladesh Supreme Court Monday sentenced UN Special Rapporteur Sigma Huda to a three-year jail term for her involvement in a corruption scheme headed by her husband, former Bangladeshi Communications Minister Nazmul Huda. Prosecutors alleged that Sigma aided Nazmul in extorting almost $300,000 USD from a construction company while he was in office. While UN [...]

Russian law enforcement officials have arrested 10 people in last October's killing of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya , Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika announced Monday. Chaika also indicated that the death was spearheaded by someone outside of Russia. Russian news agencies reported that the arrests include a Chechen crime boss and Russian police and security officers, [...]

Alberto R. Gonzales to President George W. Bush, August 26, 2007 . Read the full text of the letter . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

The New York Times is reporting that US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned from his post after months of controversy over the Justice Department's handling of the firings of eight US Attorneys and subsequent allegations that he may have perjured himself in testimony before Congress. According to the Times, Gonzales submitted his resignation Friday [...]

JURIST Contributing Editor Peter Shane of Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University, says that the resignation of Alberto Gonzales as US Attorney General creates welcome potential for a new direction at a Justice Department politicized and tainted by his fervent embrace of executive power… One can only hope that today's resignation of Attorney General [...]

The New York-based Sikh Coalition Saturday expressed concern at a new US Transportation and Security Administration policy that subjects Sikhs to heightened screening procedures at US airports, including mandatory turban pat downs. On Friday TSA officials told the Coalition that in a Guidance memo issued to 43,000 TSA screeners nationwide that it had specifically included [...]

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has dismissed Law and Justice Minister Wasi Zafar and moved him to another cabinet portfolio in the wake of the reinstatement of suspended Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry . State television announced the move Saturday. Chaudhry's July reinstatement by order of the Supreme Court was a major embarrassment [...]

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said in a radio address Saturday that he expected lawmakers in the country's congress to reject a request from Ecuador's Supreme Court to lift his immunity so that a defamation case against him could proceed. Correa said "I have faith that the lawmakers will act in accordance with the law, with [...]

A Chinese draft law on criminal suspects' rights to meet with defense lawyers after questioning has been broadened to include cases involving state secrets, according to Chinese state media. A set of reforms to China's Law on Lawyers was initially presented to Chinese legislators in June, but at that time it included a provision that [...]