Mexico is not the only country that has failed to protect women's rights. Women Under Siege [advocacy website] on Wednesday reported [JURIST report] finding 81 instances of sexual assault and rape by military forces in Syria since anti-government demonstrations began in March 2011. In June Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] reported [JURIST report] that Syrian forces are sexually abusing men, women and children who have been detained during the ongoing conflict. In January, a UN expert on violence against women urged [JURIST report] Italy to stop the violence against women. The US has also been criticized [JURIST report] for its continued prevalence of violence and discriminatory treatment of women by UN Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo [official profile, DOC]. In March 2011 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] called [JURIST report] Tunisia and Egypt to ensure the protection of women's rights guaranteed by their constitutions.

International concern over Internet freedom has risen recently as people increasingly rely on technology for communication. The UN Human Rights Council last week passed its first-ever resolution to protect the free speech [JURIST report] of individuals online. The resolution was approved by all 47 members of the council, including China and Cuba, which have been criticized for limiting Internet freedom. Last month the Chinese Ministry of Information and Technology revealed its proposed changes to Chinese Internet law [JURIST report] that seek to limit the ability of users to post anonymous comments on micro-blogs and forums. A Bangkok criminal court in May sentenced [JURIST report] Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of independent Internet news site Prachatai, to an eight-month suspended sentence for failing to delete defamatory comments against Thailand's royal family. Earlier that month, a Dutch court ordered [JURIST report] Internet service providers in the Netherlands to block the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay or else pay a fine of USD $12,750 per day.

An ongoing source of international concern, blasphemy laws [JURIST news archive] are currently in effect in several countries around the world. In March 2011 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] expressed her opposition to Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws [JURIST report], urging their repeal after the assassination of Pakistani Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, a member of Pakistan's Christian minority and outspoken critic of Pakistan's blasphemy laws. In November 2010 Saroop Ijaz, an advocate before the Lahore High Court in Pakistan, wrote that Pakistan's blasphemy laws should be repealed [JURIST op-ed] if the country is to function as a democracy and address the threat of extremism both at home and abroad. He claims that Pakistan's blasphemy laws violate rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by Pakistan in 2010, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), to which Pakistan is a signatory. That same month HRW called for the repeal of Pakistan's blasphemy laws [JURIST report] after a Christian woman was sentenced to death by hanging for insulting the Prophet Muhammad [JURIST news archive] during an argument in her village.

The Convention was initially agreed upon [JURIST report] by nations in May 2008 following 10 days of negotiations at the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions [official website] while the US, Russia and China each declined to sign it. In November 2010, the former UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro [UN profile] had urged more states to join the CCM at the First Meeting of States Parties [official website]. The CCM officially went into effect in August, six month after UN's announcement [JURIST reports], as binding international law with 107 countries having signed the treaty and 37 countries having ratified it. The CCM was opened for signature in December 2008 at a conference in Oslo, Norway.

Recent violence in Mali has raised international concern. In May Amnesty International released a report saying that Mali is facing its worst human rights crisis [JURIST report] since it gained independence in 1960. Human Rights Watch released a similar report in April claiming that all sides to the conflict are committing war crimes [JURIST report]. Earlier in April the ICC said they would monitor the situation [JURIST report] in Mali for potential crimes under the ICC's jurisdiction. The turmoil began when Taureg rebels attacked Malian soldiers [Al Jazeera report]. Many in the international community have expressed concern over the situation, including the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) [JURIST reports]. All of this has come after Malian soldiers took control of the government [JURIST report] and suspended the constitution in March.

Fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly lie at the heart of the Zhanaozen events, and I have heard much concern expressed that the space for public criticism—such an essential part of the democratic process—is now shrinking rather than expanding. Media are only partially reporting difficult stories such as Zhanaozen, which suggests a stifling form of self-censorship brought on by legislation and practices such as the current draconian libel law. I believe a new or amended media law that decriminalizes libel is needed. Freedom of assembly is far too restricted in Kazakhstan, with the organizers held responsible—with heavy penalties—for security which they are powerless to provide, and which should be the responsibility of the police. Such a provision is wide open to abuse, since it gives protestors' opponents an incentive to deliberately create disruptions in order to put them out of action. Groups wishing to make public protests are also subjected to a range of excessively complex or easily abused bureaucratic requirements and restrictions that severely undermine this important fundamental human right. I believe the 1995 law on freedom of assembly should be replaced by a new law that is in accordance with international standards.

In June Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] demanded [JURIST report] that the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan [official website] publicly disclose the reason for bringing new charges against a group of labor activists and an oil worker who participated in the December unrest. The committee charged them with "calling for the forcible overthrow of the constitutional order." Earlier that month a court in the country sentenced [JURIST report] 13 out of 37 defendants to between three and seven years of imprisonment for their participation in the December unrest. Sixteen of the remaining defendants faced conditional sentences [BBC report] while five defendants were given amnesty and three were acquitted. During the trial, relatives of defendants threw bottles at the judge, claiming that the defendants were subject to torture during the investigation. Five police officers were sentenced for abuse of power for using excessive force and violence against defendants. Officials, however, claim that they acted out of self-defense. Kazakhstan has been criticized for its failure to comply with international human rights standards. In April, 47 individuals were sentenced [JURIST report] to 15 years imprisonment for their involvement in terrorist attacks and financing extremist activities. However, the trial and information pertaining to it were not entirely accessible to the public, and the lack of transparency has raised concerns of possible human rights violations. In October, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev [official website, in Kazakh; BBC profile] signed [JURIST report] into law a bill dissolving religious organizations and requiring re-registration. This new bill and its endorsement by the president drew a number of criticisms that the law unnecessarily limits the freedom of religion. The president's signing came after the country's parliament approved [JURIST report] the bill few weeks earlier. In April of last year, the president also fired [JURIST report] six supreme court justices for corruption.

The investor plaintiffs in the case maintain that BOA is liable to investors for billions of dollars in repurchase claims as a result of the alleged breaches, and that the BOA misled investors about the magnitude of repurchase claims BOA faced, and so the shareholders claim they were misled into purchasing BOA stock in 2009 and 2010. In 2009 the US Treasury Department [official website] issued a series of rules to restrict executive compensation [JURIST report] for firms that had accepted special assistance from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) [text]. As such, BOA executives had a strong motivation to repay the $45 billion in federal bailout funds the bank had borrowed, but they could not raise capital through issuance of BOA stock because BOA had already issued all the shares of common stock authorized under its certificate of incorporation. Instead BOA offered Common Equivalent Securities, which would convert into BOA common stock upon shareholder approval of an amendment to BOA's certificate of incorporation. While the amendment was approved and the securities converted to BOA stock, the plaintiffs claim executives concealed BOA's reliance on MERS and its exposure to billions of dollars in repurchase claims to ensure the offering's success, enabling repayment of the TARP funds and freeing the company from the federally imposed executive pay restrictions. In December BOA reached a $315 million settlement of claims brought by investors alleging they were misled with respect to mortgage-backed investments, and a $335 million settlement [JURIST reports] with the Department of Justice, relating to discriminatory lending practices. In June 2011 BOA announced an $8.5 billion settlement [JURIST report] agreement arising from claims that it had sold bad securities that contributed to the housing market collapse.

Russia has been criticized recently for controversial legislation. The Duma on Wednesday approved [JURIST report] the third reading of a controversial Internet regulation bill. The online encyclopedia Wikipedia had shut down its site [JURIST report] on Tuesday in a one-day protest of the legislation, which it said in an article "may become the basis for real censorship on the internet." In June Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law [JURIST report] a controversial bill which greatly increases penalties for protesters who violate demonstration regulations. In May prominent Russian gay rights activist Nikolai Alekeyev became the first to be convicted [JURIST report] under a St. Petersburg city ordinance that prohibits the spreading "homosexual propaganda" to minors. People who oppose the new law, which was introduced in November and signed into law [JURIST reports] in April, claim it will prevent gay rights groups from being able to assemble in public.

Tymoshenko is currently facing additional charges of tax evasion. On Tuesday, a Ukrainian court ruled that the tax evasion trial would be delayed [JURIST report] until July 23 due to Tymoshenko's inability to attend for health reasons. The court had previously postponed a hearing [JURIST report] in that trial and ordered Tymoshenko to be seen by a court-appointed doctor in June after she again failed to appear in court due to health concerns. Tymoshenko is reportedly suffering from a spinal condition which causes her debilitating pain. Earlier that month, the ECHR ended an investigation [JURIST report] into the health care conditions of Tymoshenko, finding that the Ukrainian government provided her with adequate care. She previously alleged that prison guards were beating her [press release, in Ukrainian], and refused to be treated [JURIST report] by prison doctors for back problems, believing they were under the direction of political rival President Viktor Yanukovych. Tymoshenko has already been sentenced to seven years in prison on corruption charges. Ukrainian prosecutors have also indicated that she will face charges [JURIST report] in a 1996 contract killing.

Torture and ill-treatment of individuals remain problems throughout the international community. It has been an area that various international organizations and groups have addressed. In June, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile] urged [JURIST report] the international community to take measures to stop torture [official statement] by numerous states against their own citizens. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] echoed [press release] the call by stating that torture is illegal in any circumstance and urging states to live up to their promise to prevent and stop inhumane treatment of individuals. During the same month the new Senegalese government was urged to adopt fresh measures [JURIST report] to protect and promote human rights by addressing the impunity that undermines the judicial system and rule of law in the country. AI found that the government was using torture and other similar methods to stop protesters and civilians as well as journalists and political opponents. Syria has also been subject to criticism by the UN experts [JURIST report] and human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] for its use of torture against civilians. It was reported [JURIST report] that Syria was even sexually abusing detainees regardless of gender and age. Two years ago, Pillay pledged justice for torture victims [JURIST report], noted that democracies with a rule of law in place still maintain amnesties that prevent torturers from being brought to justice and promised that the international criminal tribunals and the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] will continue to prosecute those responsible for torture.

Europe's permanent bailout fund will succeed the temporary European Financial Stability Facility [Bloomberg report], which was used to provide emergency loans to Ireland and Portugal and a second bailout to Greece. This week German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble [official profile, in German] defended the €500 billion (US $632 billion) ESM [materials, PDF] before the country's Federal Constitutional Court [official website, in German], warning [JURIST report] that a court decision postponing signing the pact could lead to significant loss of confidence in the euro area and larger financial instability beyond German markets. The court announced last week that it would hear the challenge to the ESM [JURIST report], at the same time advising German President Joachim Gauck [BBC profile] to refrain from signing the legislation until the challenge to the ESM is reviewed and decided.

Iraq's human rights record has continued to face criticism, even after the dictatorship that marked persistent violence in Iraq ended. In May the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) [official website] reported [JURIST report; text, PDF] that Iraq's human rights situation remains fragile. One of the areas that has been identified is the weakness in rule of law and in administration of due process and fair trials. UNAMI discovered that most of the detainees who were accused of being members of the Ba'ath Party [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive] and being involved in terrorist activities are without legal representation. Moreover, it was reported that most of them were subject to threats, abuse and mistreatment. Earlier in May HRW reported that mass arrests and incommunicado detentions [JURIST report] continue in Baghdad's prison that was planned to be closed. In 2011, UNAMI and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] reported that human rights violations continue [JURIST report] in several regions of Iraq. Law enforcement and the judiciary system has remained weak while torture and abuse of detainees persisted within prison walls. Similar findings were made several months earlier by Amnesty International [advocacy website] in its report [text, PDF] revealing that governmental authorities shot and killed protesters [JURIST report] while detaining and torturing political activists. In 2010, it also reported [JURIST report] on the government's unlawful arrests and tortures against thousands of detainees.

Mladic's trial has been making slow progress after being postponed numerous times. On Monday the ICTY resumed [JURIST report] the trial with the testimony of witness Elvedin Pasic, who was a juvenile at the time of the Bosnian civil war [JURIST news archive] in the 1990s. Last month the ICTY postponed the trial after suspending proceedings [JURIST reports] due to an error in disclosing documents to the defense lawyers. The trial had been already postponed indefinitely [JURIST report] in May due to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct related to evidence disclosure. Judge Alphons Orie adjourned the trial to allow the defense lawyers more time to consider the evidence the prosecution will present. Earlier that month, chief prosecutor of the ICTY had told reporters that he believes Mladic is mentally and physically fit to stand trial [JURIST report]. The ICTY had ordered [JURIST report] a medical examination for Mladic after he missed a hearing before the court a week earlier. His first appearance [JURIST report] before the ICTY was in June of last year when he contested charges against him while simultaneously asking for more time to review them. A day after, during his second appearance [JURIST report], Mladic refused to enter a plea without lawyers of his choice representing him and he was removed from the court for disrupting the proceedings.

Despite the success of a peaceful presidential election, Egypt has faced continued political turmoil since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak last year. Last week, Morsi issued a decree appointing a fact-finding committee to investigate the deaths of protesters [JURIST report] in last year's demonstrations. A court in June struck down [JURIST report] a government decree that restored broad arrest powers to Egyptian military officials. Last week, a former candidate in Egypt's presidential election and several non-government organizations filed a lawsuit challenging Egypt's interim constitution [JURIST report], alleging it gives the Egyptian military unlimited power. Days before it's dissolution, the Egyptian parliament elected a new constitutional council after lawmakers finally reached an agreement [JURIST reports] on the political composition of the council. Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court in April effectively suspended [JURIST report] the work of the 100-member council responsible for drafting the country's new constitution after ruling in favor of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the formation of the panel.

The country's judiciary has been in conflict with the executive branch since political leaders have rejected the court's order to investigate into the president's alleged corruption practices. The court had ordered [JURIST report] the new prime minister in late June to investigate the corruption allegations against the president. Ashraf, however, has argued that president is immune from prosecution under the country's constitution. The court in response claimed that no one is above the law and thus, the investigation against the president should proceed. During the same month, a Pakistani court ordered [JURIST report] the arrest of Makhdoom Shahabuddin [BBC profile], a former health minister from Punjab Province and the nominee for the country's then-vacant prime minister position for allegations that he was involved in irregularities in the amount of the controlled drug Ephedrine circulating within the country during his tenure as health minister. The arrest order was issued the same day the president nominated Shahabuddin to fill the position of former prime minister Gilani who was disqualified two days earlier from being a member of Parliament since his April contempt conviction [JURIST reports]. He was convicted of contempt because he refused to open an investigation against the president.

This is the latest development in the ongoing reproductive rights controversy [JURIST backgrounder]. Last week, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt appealed a ruling [JURIST report] by a district court judge that held that an abortion ultrasound bill is unconstitutional. Earlier last month, Louisiana Governor Bob Jindal signed a bill increasing abortion restrictions in the state [JURIST report]. In May, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed a bill allowing pharmacists to refuse to dispense drugs [JURIST report] that they "reasonably believe" might result in the termination of a pregnancy. Earlier that month, a judge for the District Court of Oklahoma County ruled [JURIST report] that a law restricting how doctors may use abortion-inducing drugs to treat patients was a violation of the Oklahoma Constitution. In April, the Arizona House of Representatives approved a bill that bans abortions after 20 weeks [JURIST report] into a pregnancy, with an exception carved out only for medical emergencies. In March, Utah passed a law requiring a woman seeking an abortion to wait 72 hours [JURIST report] prior to obtaining the procedure.