Saudi Arabian prisoners complain of abuse News
Saudi Arabian prisoners complain of abuse

[JURIST] The Executive Director of Saudi Arabia's recently-formed [press release] National Human Rights Association (NHRA) said Thursday that the commission has received over 2000 valid complaints, roughly a third of which concerned prison abuse in the country. Dr. Lubna al-Ansari said most "have been processed and resolved, either through letters to officials or some sort of action." An Amnesty International report released last month said torture and brutality are common in Saudi prisons. Also last month, three Westerners said that they had confessed to planning a stream of bomb attacks only because of the severe torture they received [JURIST report] while being held for two years in a Saudi prison. Since 9/11, US authorities are said to have flown some 100 terror suspects to facilities in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries whose prison practices are problematic; human rights groups have condemned such "renditions" for exposing prisoners to torture and abuse abroad. Aljazeera has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.