UK, Jordan reach agreement on extradition oversight News
UK, Jordan reach agreement on extradition oversight

[JURIST] Jordan and Britain announced Monday that the two countries have agreed to allow Adalah ("justice" in Arabic) [advocacy website], an independent human rights organization, to monitor the treatment of suspects detained pursuant to a recent UK/Jordan extradition agreement [JURIST report]. The decision comes after increased criticism following allegations that deportees could be tortured [HRW report]. The deal is likely to be used to extradite radical London-based Muslim cleric Abu Qatada as part of a crackdown on Islamists in the wake of the London bombings [JURIST news archive] this summer. Aljazeera has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Dreyfus convicted of treason

On December 22, 1894, Jewish French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial trial that prompted worldwide allegations of anti-Semitism. Dreyfus was later cleared. Learn more about the case of Alfred Dreyfus and read an English translation of the famous public letter J'Accuse...! by novelist and Dreyfus partisan Emile Zola.

US passed Embargo Act, banning foreign trade

On December 22, 1807, the Embargo Act was passed at the urging of US President Thomas Jefferson. The act barred trade with any foreign nations in an effort to avoid American entry into the Napoleonic Wars of Europe. However, the act proved unenforceable and was replaced with the Non-Intercourse Act, which barred trade with France and Great Britain. Learn more about the Embargo Act of 1807 from Monticello.org