Egypt court acquits police officers of torturing and murdering prominent lawyer News
© WikiMedia (Frank Schulenburg)
Egypt court acquits police officers of torturing and murdering prominent lawyer

An Egyptian high court acquitted two police officers on Sunday who were accused of torturing and killing a prominent lawyer, Karim Hamdi, while he was in custody.

Hamdi was arrested [AP report] on suspicion of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group recognized as a terrorist organization in Egypt. In recent years, the Egyptian government has convicted and sentenced Muslim Brotherhood figures [JURIST report] in a crackdown of its members that once held political prominence in the country.

Egypt has also been criticized by human rights groups [JURIST report] for its treatment of prisoners in recent years pointing to possible political motivations for the imprisonment and subsequent abuse of convicted individuals.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Montgomery started racially-integrated bus service after boycott

On December 21, 1956, buses in Montgomery, Alabama, started racially integrated service following federal court rulings ending on-board segregation. Bus boycott leaders Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy were among the first riders under the new scheme. Learn about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Stalin born

On December 21, 1879, Joseph Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia. In 1922, he became leader of the USSR until his death in 1953. During his time as Soviet dictator, Stalin industrialized his country, which he then led to become one of the world's two superpowers after WWII. Through his infamous purges, show trials and nationwide famines, Stalin also became responsible for millions of deaths.