US soldier seeks asylum in Canada after Iraq objections News
US soldier seeks asylum in Canada after Iraq objections

[JURIST] US Army Pvt. Brandon Hughey [advocacy website], who fled to Canada after refusing a deployment order to Iraq and deserting his unit at Fort Hood, formally asked the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board [official website] for asylum Thursday. Hughey has claimed that the war in Iraq is illegal and that he had a moral obligation to desert; he told the Board he would go to prison if forced to return to the US and that he refused "to kill people or lose my life under false pretenses." Jeremy Hinzman [advocacy website], a US reservist who served in Afghanistan and accused the US of war crimes in Iraq [JURIST report], also sought asylum in Canada [JURIST report], but his application was denied [JURIST report] by the Board in March after it ruled it was not convinced that Hinzman would face persecution or cruel and unusual punishment if returned to the United States. Seven other American military personnel have so far applied for Canadian refugee status. KWTX has local coverage.

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.