Turkey EU bid threatened by abuse allegations News
Turkey EU bid threatened by abuse allegations

[JURIST] Advocacy group Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) [advocacy website], Wednesday released a report of human rights abuses [PDF text; PDF press release; video press release] revealing a high prevalence of torture and starvation in Turkey's psychiatric institutions. The results of MDRI's two-year investigation could further hinder Turkey's attempts to join the European Union [official website]. The report shows findings of routine abuse of electroconvulsive therapy said to breach European regulations and urges the EU to investigate further. The report surfaced prior to the planned formal EU accession process scheduled to begin Monday. Austria, France and Cyprus have expressed reservations about Turkey joining the EU while the UK is a strong supporter of Turkey's entry. Earlier this year, Turkey vowed to make progress on human rights reforms [JURIST report] in pursuit of EU membership. The EU has background on the enlargement process. The Guardian has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN General Assembly approves Palestine partition plan

The UN General Assembly approved UN Resolution Resolution 181 (II) on November 29, 1947, recommending that the British Mandate for Palestine be split into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an international zone for Jerusalem. The vote in the assembly was 33 for to 13 against, with 10 abstentions. The resolution sparked a war between Palestinian Arabs and Jews in 1947 and a wider war after Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon invaded the new State of Israel in 1948. Read Resolution 181 (II).

UN divided Palestine between Arabs and Jews

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab territories, leading to the establishment of a Jewish state the following year. Read UN General Assembly Resolution 181.

Defense Secretary Robert McNamara resigns during Vietnam Conflict

On November 29, 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced that he was resigning from his office to accept an appointment as head of the World Bank. The announcement came as the Vietnam Conflict was becoming increasingly unpopular in the United States and abroad.