Human rights lie at the heart of the extraordinary developments which culminated in the departure of former President Ben Ali. We all hope this will be the beginning of a new Tunisia, where people are free to go about their lives without fear of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture or other forms of abuse.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon [official website] urged government leaders in Tunisia to initiate dialogue [JURIST report] between all sides in an attempt to restore rule of law. The Tunisia Constitutional Council officially announced [JURIST report] last week that President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali [official website] had permanently left the office of the president. The council, the country's highest legal authority on constitutional issues, declared that the leader of the lower house of parliament, Foued Mebezza, will assume power [AFP report] until elections are held in two months. The council made its ruling at the request of Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi [Reuters profile] and based its ruling on article 57 of the constitution, declaring a "definitive" vacation of the presidency. Before flying out of Tunis to seek refuge in Saudi Arabia, Ben Ali signed a decree granting interim presidential powers to Ghannouchi, attempting to leave open the possibility of returning to office. Mebezza took the oath of office [Al Jazeera report] on Saturday and according to the council he should organize new presidential elections within 60 days.

The US Department of Defense (DOD) [official website] in April released a manual [text, PDF; JURIST report] for military commission procedures under the Military Commissions Act of 2009 [text, PDF]. The manual established the rules of evidence and procedure for the commissions, allowing for the admission of certain hearsay evidence and defining "material support" for terrorism. The release came a month after Defense Secretary Robert Gates [official profile] appointed [JURIST report] retired Navy Vice Adm. Bruce MacDonald [official profile] as the convening authority for military commissions. The position oversees military commissions themselves as well as the Office of Military Commissions and, notably, has the power to review and approve charges against "belligerents" pursuant to the Military Commissions Act. UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism Martin Scheinin [official website] in March urged the administration to abandon military commissions, calling the system "fatally flawed" [JURIST report] and beyond hope of reform. Scheinin's comments followed shortly after reports emerged indicating that the administration was considering trying specific suspects in military courts [JURIST report] rather than through the civilian justice system. In May 2009, unidentified sources revealed that the administration would pursue a broad reinstitution of the commission system [JURIST report] due to concerns about the viability of trying terror suspects in federal courts and, in particular, of meeting federal evidentiary standards.

In December, Nokia filed 13 patent infringement complaints [JURIST report] against Apple [corporate website] in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. The complaints join 24 patent claims already filed by Nokia against Apple in US courts. In May, Nokia filed a complaint [JURIST report] in the US District Court in the Western District for Wisconsin [official website] alleging that Apple iPad and iPhone 3G products infringe on Nokia patents. Nokia also sued [JURIST report] Apple in October 2009 in the US District Court for the District of Delaware [official website] for allegedly violating 10 patents on wireless technology related to the iPhone.

Today, Danielle Chiesi admitted to exploiting her access to valuable, non-public information to reap $1.7 million in illegal gains. By sharing and conspiring to trade on inside information, Chiesi compromised the companies she sold out and distorted the market for their stocks. Today's plea should send yet another strong message that we have zero tolerance for privileged professionals who game the system and who think the rules apply only to everyone else.

Moffat was sentenced [JURIST report] in September 2010 and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine for his role in the scheme after he pleaded guilty [JURIST report] the previous March. Former Intel Capital [corporate website] executive Rajiv Goel pleaded guilty [JURIST report] to insider trading charges in connection with the Galleon probe earlier in February. Rajaratnam, Chiesi, Goel and Moffat were arrested in October and charged [complaint, PDF] along with two other individuals and two business entities with insider trading. The complaint alleged that the individuals provided Galleon Group and another hedge fund with material nonpublic information about several corporations upon which the funds traded, generating $25 million in illicit gain. Rajaratnam and Chiesi pleaded not guilty [JURIST report] in December after being indicted for insider trading.

The UN pledged support [JURIST report] for president-elect Alassane Ouattara [BBC profile] in January, committing UN peacekeeping forces to his aid. The UN also noted reports of mass graves [Newstime Africa report], and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] warned Gbagbo that he would be held accountable for continued post-election violence carried out in his name. Ouattara defeated Gbagbo in a runoff election in November, but Gbagbo has refused to concede defeat or leave office. During the ensuing violence, hundreds were arrested and dozens allegedly subjected to torture and ill-treatment. UN officials have pleaded [JURIST report] for all parties to the disputed presidential election to honor the country's commitment to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity under the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document [text, PDF]. The Economic Community of West African States [official website] has also urged [JURIST report] Gbagbo to step down, threatening the use of force if he attempted to maintain power. Gbagbo was elected to a five-year presidential term in 2000, but has managed to stay in office by delaying six successive elections.

This case involves...death-penalty charges, and Department [of Justice] rules require us to pursue a deliberate and thorough process. Today's charges are just the beginning of our legal action. We are working diligently to ensure that our investigation is thorough and that justice is done for the victims in their families.

Last week, a California federal judge was appointed [JURIST news report] to try the case after all federal judges in Arizona recused themselves due to objectivity concerns arising from the death John Roll [WSJ profile], Chief Judge of the US District Court for the District of Arizona [official website]. The previous day, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed [press release, PDF; JURIST report] emergency legislation [SB1101 materials; text] making it a crime to picket or protest a funeral after Reverend Fred Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church [official website; WARNING: readers may find material on this website offensive] announced plans to picket the funeral of Christina Green, a 9-year-old girl killed in the shooting. The church later backed off its plans [Arizona Republic report] and did not hold a protest. Prosecutors charged Loughner [criminal complaint, PDF; JURIST report] with murder and attempted murder last week. President Barack Obama has directed that the investigation into the shooting be conducted [press releases] by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) [official website] under the coordination of Director Robert Mueller [official profile]. Officials arrested Loughner on January 8 and continue to search for a possible accomplice [press release]. Due to the polarized political climate, many suspect that the attack was politically motivated [ABC report]. Giffords has received harsh criticism in Arizona for her vote for the health care reform law [HR 3590; JURIST news archive] and was among those members of Congress who reported threats or vandalism in 2010. Giffords also was an outspoken critic of Arizona's controversial immigration law [SB 1070 text; JURIST news archive]. This accusation, however, has been heavily criticized by both parties and a clear motive for the shootings has yet to be identified.

Last February, the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland [official website, in French] announced that $4.6 million seized from Duvalier's Swiss bank account must be returned to his family [JURIST report]. The decision came after the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland [official website, in French] rejected the family's claim to Duvalier's money, which was hidden in Swiss banks during his tenure as president. In 2007, Haitian president Rene Preval [BBC profile] vowed to continue legal proceedings [JURIST report] against Duvalier despite the latter's plea for forgiveness in a recorded message broadcast around the country. Duvalier, also known as "Baby Doc," is the son of former Haitian leader Francois Duvalier, or "Papa Doc," whom he succeeded as "president for life." In response to accusations of human rights violations, Duvalier fled Haiti in 1986, and has since resided in France.

In August, the California Senate voted 22-12 [roll call vote] in favor of a joint resolution [AJR 19 text] to urge the federal government to repeal DOMA [JURIST report]. In July, DOMA was struck down [JURIST report] by a Massachusetts federal judge in two separate cases. In one case, Judge Joseph Tauro held that the DOMA violated the principles of equal protection embodied in the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause as a matter of law. In the other case, Tauro found [opinion, PDF] that the DOMA violates states' Tenth Amendment right to define marriage. In August 2009, a judge for the US District Court for the Central District Court of California [official website] dismissed [opinion, PDF] a lawsuit challenging DOMA on jurisdictional grounds [JURIST report].

In August, Spanish officials announced in a separate case that Spain had launched an investigation [JURIST report] into whether Google violated privacy laws while collecting information over Wi-Fi networks for its Street View maps. Madrid judge Raquel Fernandino issued a subpoena for an appearance by a Google representative over a lawsuit filed by Apedanica, a Spanish association of Internet users. Apedanica claims that Google's actions violate Spain's criminal code, which prevents people from accessing certain electronic communications other than for authorized purposes. Multiple investigations are also pending around the world in connection with accusations that Google has unlawfully collected private data.

In 2009, the Lithuanian Parliament National Security Committee reported that the CIA had established secret prisons for al Qaeda suspects in the Baltic country. Lawmakers demanded the investigation [JURIST report] after ABC News reported that former CIA officials said that Lithuania provided the CIA with facilities for a secret prison for high-value al Qaeda suspects in order to improve relations with the US. The parliamentary committee concluded that the Lithuanian State Security Department provided the CIA with two secret facilities, but it is unclear whether either facility was used to interrogate detainees. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas [official profile] resigned [JURIST report] last January in the midst of a dispute with President Dalia Grybauskaite [official profile] over whether the prisons were in the country. Grybauskaite has publicly said that she believes there were prisoners held in Lithuania, but Usackas has denied this.