Uzbek government denies using torture to extract confessions News
Uzbek government denies using torture to extract confessions

[JURIST] The Uzbekistan interior ministry on Thursday denied allegations that they used illegal torture methods to extract confessions from the 15 men on trial for the political uprising in Andijan [HRW backgrounder], which led to government troops killing 500 [JURIST report]. The 15 men currently on trial [JURIST report] for attempting to build an Islamic state have all given long, detailed testimonies, implicating themselves and many others. A former interior ministry employee told the BBC that it was not uncommon for the government to beat, threaten, and use psychotropic drugs to extract confessions from people accused of political and religious crimes. The Uzbek interior ministry said in a statement that the men were treated according to law from the moment of their arrest. Human rights groups have made similar accusations about forced confessions in the past. BBC News 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.