Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] released a report [text, PDF] calling for the prosecution of individuals responsible for war crimes the day before Mercep's arrest. In November 2010, a Croatian court sentenced [JURIST report] six men to 15 to 40 years in prison for their roles in the 2008 killing of a Croatian journalist. In 2008, AI called on the EU to use Croatia's status as a candidate country to ensure that the Croatian government actively investigates and prosecutes [JURIST report] suspected war criminals. AI criticized the slow pace of war crimes investigations, and noted that Croatian courts have mostly focused on crimes allegedly committed by ethnic Serbs even though Croats have also been accused of ethnic-based war crimes.

The UN has been closely monitoring the situation and providing humanitarian relief [UN News Centre report] to victims of the attacks but has called on the South Sudan government to take control of the situation. The Lou Nuers and Murles have been at odds for hundreds of years [VOA report], attacking each others' villages to steal cattle. It is only recently that these raids have become as organized and deadly as the December Lou Nuer attack. Acquisition of deadly weapons, partially due to creation of militias during the country's recent civil war, which resulted in the secession of South Sudan [JURIST report], has taken the violence to a new level, causing heightened concern from the UN and human rights groups.

The OHCHR has consistently called for an end to the violence in Syria and ICC prosecution of Syrian officials. Pillay has addressed the UN Security Council twice to urge ICC prosecutions [JURIST reports]. Human rights groups have also sharply criticized the Syrian government for using violence against its own people. Earlier this week the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) [official website] claimed that 11 months of violence in Syria has led to the deaths of hundreds of children [JURIST report]. Earlier this month Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] accused the Syrian army of torturing children [JURIST report]. In January, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon [official profile] demanded [JURIST report] that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad [BBC backgrounder] end violence against Syrian civilians. In November, HRW declared that Syrian forces were committing crimes against humanity [JURIST report], including torture and unlawful killings of anti-government protesters. JURIST contributing editor Chibli Mallat argues that a UN Security Council resolution would not have affected meaningful change [JURIST op-ed].

No private child-placing agency shall be required to consider or consent to any placement of a child for foster care or adoption when the proposed placement would conflict with the religious tenets of any sponsor of the agency or other organization or institution with which the child-placing agency is affiliated or associated. ... Refusal of a private child-placing agency to consider or consent to any placement of a child pursuant to this section shall not form the basis of any claim for damages.

Last month an Iowa court ruled [JURIST report] that both same-sex parents' names must be recorded on birth certificates. In October the US Supreme Court [official website] denied certiorari [JURIST report] in Adar v. Smith [backgrounder], in which a same-sex couple asked Louisiana to include both of their names on the birth certificate of their adopted child. In April the Arkansas Supreme Court struck down [JURIST report] a state ban on adoptions by same-sex couples. The Supreme Court of Mexico in August 2010 upheld a Mexico City law [JURIST report] allowing adoptions by same-sex couples. Two years before that, a Florida court ruled that a state statute [JURIST report] preventing same-sex couples from adopting children was unconstitutional.

Uganda faces an ongoing struggle with anti-gay sentiment in the country. In November the Ugandan High Court [official website] sentenced a man to 30 years in prison [JURIST report] for beating to death prominent gay rights activist David Kato. In January 2011 the Ugandan High Court issued a permanent injunction [JURIST report] and awarded damages to three plaintiffs who were among 100 people alleged to be homosexuals by the Ugandan tabloid newspaper, The Rolling Stone. In January 2010 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] criticized the original anti-gay legislation [JURIST report], saying that it could harm Uganda's reputation internationally. In February 2010, US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [official website] publicly denounced the proposed legislation [JURIST report]. Uganda currently criminalizes homosexual behavior [BBC report] with up to 14 years in prison.

These events reflect an alarming pattern of prison violence in the region, which is a direct consequence of—or is aggravated by—among others, poor conditions of detention, including chronic prison overcrowding, the lack of access to basic services such as adequate floor space, potable water, food, health care, and lack of basic sanitary and hygienic standards.

The violence has been linked to overcrowding and poor hygienic conditions [LAT report] in many South American prisons. A report [text, PDF] written by he Washington Office on Latin America and the Transnational Institute [official website] two years ago credits the overcrowding to stricter drug laws throughout South America.

On Saturday Pentagon officials denied a request for an extension [JURIST report] of the filing deadline for pre-trial motions for the alleged 9/11 conspirators. The prisoners' lawyers stated that they needed the extension because of delays in getting security clearance and new restrictions on legal mail between the attorneys and their clients. Lawyers for Guantanamo [JURIST backgrounder] detainees complained [JURIST report] to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs in November that the Joint Task Force Guantanamo [official website] was making it impossible to do their jobs and was violating attorney-client privilege by seizing, opening, interpreting, reading and reviewing attorney-client privileged communications. Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and four other suspects were charged [JURIST report] in May with conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking aircraft, and terrorism for their alleged roles in connection with the 9/11 attacks.

This bill, when first proposed, faced numerous criticism as well as support and initiated a longstanding debate [JURIST report; hearing materials] among judiciary and congressional officials. Supporters argued that the bill would create a more transparent government and secure citizens' right to access governmental materials. On the other spectrum, there was concern that parts of the proceedings could be taken out of context and be abused creating misrepresentations of the court.

The first free election for over four decades will provide an opportunity for Libyans to exercise their democratic rights to participate in a process which will shape the future of their country. UNSMIL remains committed, as mandated by the UN Security Council, to assist and support Libyan national efforts to undertake political dialogue, promote national reconciliation and embark upon the electoral process.

This finalization and adoption of the new electoral law is a significant step for Libya in establishing a democratic system after the end of the Muammar Gaddafi [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive] regime and the Libyan conflict [JURIST backgrounder]. Last week, the trial against Gaddafi allies was postponed [JURIST report]. The defense's pleading stated that the trial must be transferred to the civil court because the military court lacked the authority to rule on the issue. The trial will resume on February 15. Last month, Libya was criticized for the allegations of torture and human rights violations [JURIST report]. Although the NTC expressed its commitment to human rights and legal reformation, UN Security Council [official website] was still concerned due to the lack of NTC's control over the revolutionary brigades.