Trial begins for US man accused of transporting prisoners to Nazi death camps News
Trial begins for US man accused of transporting prisoners to Nazi death camps

[JURIST] The trial of Chicago resident Osyp Firishchak, 86, was set to begin Monday on charges that he was part of a Ukrainian police unit that worked for the Nazis by transporting thousands of Jews to concentration camps. The government is also looking to strip him of US citizenship [US DOJ press release] and eventually have him deported. The Office of Special Investigations [official website], the US government agency in charge of investigating former Nazi war criminals, has seen a surge of prosecutions in recent years, largely because of new access to records from Eastern European countries. Neighbors of Firishchak have complained that the effort is a waste of time and resources, and some attorneys have criticized the law that allows for deportation even without proof that a war crime was committed. AP 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.