Iranian Supreme Court upholds "eye-for-eye" sentence News
Iranian Supreme Court upholds "eye-for-eye" sentence

[JURIST] Iranian daily newspaper Etemaad is reporting that the Iranian Supreme Court [official website] has rejected the appeal of a man, known only as Vahid, sentenced to have his eyes surgically gouged out for throwing battery acid in the face of another man during a fight 12 years ago. The court judged the crime on "Qesas" [Islamic law backgrounder], a Koranic term for strictly defined penalties where the judge has no discretion. Originally, the sentence called for acid to be sprayed into Vahid's eyes, but his lawyers argued the rest of his face could be damaged. Vahid could escape punishment by paying $330,000 in blood money, which he does not have. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have denounced the sentence [press release] as "judicial torture," but say that these punishments are rarely carried out and are used as leverage in collecting financial compensation for the victim. IRIN has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.