Netherlands fears killing over proposed burka ban News
Netherlands fears killing over proposed burka ban

[JURIST] Fears have arisen in The Netherlands over the safety of Dutch Integration Minister Rita Verdonk [official profile] after police Friday arrested seven people suspected of planning to assassinate two other Dutch politicians named on a Islamist "hit list" pinned to the body of assassinated Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh [BBC report] last November. Last week Verdonk triggered outrage in the almost 1 million-strong Dutch Muslim community [Wikipedia backgrounder] by suggesting the government might take the unprecedented step of banning the burka [JURIST report], the Muslim covering for women that leaves open only a small region about the eyes. There are concerns she too might be targeted on or near the anniversary of Van Gogh's murder. The Times of London has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Alberto Fujimori born

On July 28, 1938, Alberto Fujimori was born in Lima, Peru. Fujimori became President of Peru exactly 62 years later on July 28, 1990 and served until November 22, 2000, when he fled to Japan under a cloud of allegations involving corruption and human-rights violations. Fujimori was widely credited with restoring Peru's economy and national security during his time in office but was convicted in 2007 of ordering an illegal search and seizure and sentenced to 6 years in prison. In 2009, he was also convicted in a separate trial of human rights violations stemming from his war against domestic terrorists during his time in office. Learn more about Alberto Fujimori and his trial from the archives of the New York Times.

Fourteenth Amendment ratified

On July 28, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, granting citizenship to former slaves and protecting due process of law and equal protection of laws in the States, was ratified. Learn more about the history of the Fourteenth Amendment.