Libya court postpones ruling on medics accused of infecting children with HIV News
Libya court postpones ruling on medics accused of infecting children with HIV

[JURIST] The Libyan Supreme Court has postponed until November 15 a ruling on the death sentences of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor [backgrounder] who were convicted in May 2004 of purposely infecting 400 children with the virus that causes AIDS during an experiment to find a cure for the disease. The medical workers say they were tortured into confessing; they and supporting human rights groups argue that they were used as scapegoats by Libya to conceal unhygenic conditions in its hospitals. The postponement has been praised by EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner [press statement], Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy and other groups [statement by Physicians for Human Rights] who had expressed concern about the outcome of the trial. Wikipedia has a timeline of the trial and charges. South Africa's Mail & Guardian 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.