Italian judge drops some tax fraud charges against Berlusconi News
Italian judge drops some tax fraud charges against Berlusconi

[JURIST] An Italian judge has thrown out some tax fraud and false accounting charges against former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] because the statute of limitations has expired. Berlusconi and co-defendant David Mills [Guardian profile] will no longer have to face tax fraud and accounting charges related to events before the end of 1998 and fraud charges prior to July 1999. The charges stemmed from allegations [JURIST report] that, in deals struck between 1994 to 1999, Berlusconi's media empire Mediaset [corporate website] falsely reported broadcast royalties paid for US films, thus avoiding taxes totaling 125 billion old lire.

Charges against Berlusconi from 1999 still stand and prosecutors only have until November 2007 to complete the current trial against the former prime minister. Berlusconi has faced numerous criminal trials, but has never been found guilty. In September 2005 he was cleared of false accounting charges and in June 2005 he was acquitted on bribery charges [JURIST reports]. AFP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Six Days' War

On November 22, 1967, the UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six Days' War, and for respect of the right of all States in the area to "live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries." Read Resolution 242, which remains a cornerstone of efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

President Kennedy assassinated, VP Lyndon Johnson sworn inin

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Later that day, Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was later tasked with leading a commission to investigate the assassination. President Johnson received the final report of the Warren Commission on September 24, 1964. Read the Warren Commission Report.