Rumsfeld defends prohibiting UN interviews with Guantanamo detainees News
Rumsfeld defends prohibiting UN interviews with Guantanamo detainees

[JURIST] US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld [official profile] on Tuesday defended the US government's decision to prohibit UN human rights observers from interviewing detainees [JURIST report] on any visit to the prison facilities at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive]. The UN observers said Monday they would not accept the invitation [JURIST report] unless they could interview the detainees. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture [official website] Manfred Nowak explained in a New York press conference [JURIST video] that interviews with detainees are necessary for an effective fact-finding mission. The US government's limited invitation to UN human rights observers came after nearly three years of UN requests to see the facility. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.