Police in France arrest and investigate seven terrorist suspects News
Police in France arrest and investigate seven terrorist suspects

[JURIST] French police on Tuesday arrested in Strasbourg [Le Monde report] seven men who were suspected of fighting alongside rebels within Syria. The arrest was conducted by French Police special unit Recherche Assistance Intervention Dissuasion (RAID) [official website], and no weapons nor explosive devices were found in possession of the suspects. Upon their arrest a formal investigation into the suspected terrorists began due to suspicions of criminal conspiracy related to terrorism. The seven men are believed to have participated last year in the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad [official website]. France has estimated [Thomas Reuters report] that 285 of their citizens are currently fighting alongside rebels within Syria. Under new French policies any citizen who returns from fighting in Syria faces charges of being a part of a terrorist organization and subject to arrest.

The Syrian Civil War [JURIST backgrounder] has persisted for over three years. The conflict has been highlighted by countless human rights violations including the use of chemical weaponry, which has created mounting pressure among the international community to find an end to the conflict. After initially failing to meet its deadline, Syria released a 100-day plan [JURIST report] in February to dispose of their chemical weapons. The plan was made pursuant to an agreement between the Syrian Foreign Ministry, the UN and the OPCW to dispose of chemical weapons [JURIST report] within the country, made earlier that month. In December, the UN team investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria reported that it found credible evidence [JURIST report] that chemical weapons were used on numerous occasions throughout the civil war. The investigation was undertaken in response to allegations of large-scale sarin gas attacks [JURIST report on civilian-controlled areas. Some have argued that the gravity of the war crimes committed in Syria is sufficient to justify referral [JURIST op-ed] to the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website].

THIS DAY @ LAW

38 Santee Sioux hanged by US for rebellion

On December 26, 1862, 38 Santee Sioux men were hanged in a mass execution for their roles in a rebellion against US authorities in Minnesota which left hundreds dead and made refugees of some 40,000 white settlers. Government annuities promised under a treaty with the Sioux had failed to arrive on schedule and credit for purchases was not advanced in the meantime, threatening the tribe with starvation. The Santee Sioux Tribe's members were deported first to South Dakota and ultimately to Nebraska, where they remain today. Learn more about the 1862 Minnesota Sioux Rebellion.

Louis XVI put on trial during French Revolution

On December 26, 1792, Romain de Sèze, a defense attorney for deposed King Louis XVI, presented a defense of his client. The former King was on trial before a French Revolutionary court on thirty-three charges, including treason and other crimes against the state. He was convicted on January 15, 1793 executed by guillotine on the following January 21.