Former Gitmo prisoners arrested in Russia, rights group says News
Former Gitmo prisoners arrested in Russia, rights group says

[JURIST] Human rights group Amnesty International [advocacy website] reported Tuesday that two men who were formerly held at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp [JURIST news archive] have been detained in Russia [Amnesty International press release] by men claiming to be security force officials. Airat Vakhitov and Rustam Akhmyarov were released from Guantanamo Bay last year with five other Russian men and returned to their home country. Moscow police and prosecutors in Tartarstan, Russia said they have not received information on the reason for the men's detention, while Geidar Dzhemal, head of Russia's Islamic Committee, said that prosecutors have reportedly confirmed that the men are being held for their suspected involvement in several terrorist attacks. Amnesty International spokesperson Victoria Webb said that the group was "extremely concerned" about the men's whereabouts, and urged Russian authorities to conduct a full investigation. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.