Jonathan 'Jack' Idema , an American civilian convicted of illegal imprisonment and torture as a rogue vigilante in Afghanistan in 2004, filed a lawsuit against the Associated Press Thursday, alleging that AP defamed, libeled, and slandered him. He also alleged that AP distributed photographs and video provided by Idema or his lawyers without obtaining publishing [...]

A spokesman for the Iranian Judiciary said Wednesday that 20 sex offenders and violent criminals will be executed by hanging over the next few days. Among the condemned are at least 15 arrested in May during a crackdown on "public morals" . Some were arrested for homosexual conduct or alcohol consumption. Although judiciary spokesman Alireza [...]

The Iraqi government has shown sufficient progress in its efforts to develop a constitutional review process, but is not making satisfactory progress in passing laws on the distribution of oil revenues and de-Baathification reform, according to the Initial Benchmark Assessment Report sent to Congress Thursday by the White House. The report was issued pursuant to [...]

A Moscow court Thursday initiated preliminary hearings for exiled business tycoon Boris Berezovsky who is accused of embezzling millions from Russian national airline Aeroflot , granting Berezovsky's court-appointed lawyer a two-week postponement of further proceedings so that the defense can prepare for the case. Berezovsky, who has been residing in the UK since 2001 as [...]

US Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and a bipartisan group of cosponsors Wednesday proposed a new piece of anti-pollution legislation that is supported by some of the country's largest coal-burning companies and their labor unions. Informally called the Low Carbon Economy Act , the bill aims to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere [...]

EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Franco Frattini rejected targeted assassinations of terror suspects in an interview with the Financial Times Deutschland Thursday, adding that he is personally against all forms of the death penalty. Frattini, responding to controversial comments made by German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble during an interview published on Monday by [...]

Initial Benchmark Assessment Report, White House, July 12, 2007 . Read the full text of the report . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Ghazi al-Awadi, an Iraqi-born naturalized US citizen, pleaded guilty to spying for the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein Wednesday, admitting in Detroit federal court that he provided the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) with information about anti-Hussein organizations and individuals. Under the plea agreement, Al-Awadi, who is 78 years old and in poor health, will receive [...]

The Sudanese government defended its handling of military and police personnel allegedly involved in human rights abuses in Darfur before the UN Human Rights Committee Wednesday, denying allegations that the government was collaborating with armed militias that have committed some of the worst atrocities against civilians while insisting that the Sudanese judiciary is capable of [...]

Amnesty International Thursday condemned Israel and Hezbollah for failing to investigate alleged war crimes and humanitarian law violations during the summer 2006 Lebanon conflict , calling upon the United Nations to establish a "comprehensive, impartial, and independent inquiry" to investigate the alleged violations and setup provisions to compensate the victims. Amnesty criticized Hezbollah for indiscriminately [...]