UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism Martin Scheinin called on the US in a report released Monday to quickly prosecute or release terror suspects detained at Guantanamo Bay so that the US can close the detention center. Scheinin paid an official visit to the United States in May after receiving permission from US [...]

A judge in Chad has approved kidnapping charges against six French nationals after French charity Zoe's Arc tried to fly 103 children believed to be orphans from the embattled Darfur region of Sudan to France, Chadean officials said Tuesday. If found guilty the six accused could face up to 20 years in prison. Three French [...]

Farzana Hassan : "The Muslim Canadian Congress (MCC) has welcomed the Conservative Government's decision to introduce Bill C-6 to ban veiled voting. The organization considers this an essential and appropriate move to protect the integrity of Canada 's electoral process. All voters, including veiled Muslim women will now be required to identify themselves visually. The [...]

The Canadian government Monday rejected fresh allegations that members of the Taliban captured by Canadian troops in Afghanistan were tortured by Afghan investigators after being transferred from Canadian custody. According to Montreal's La Presse, three prisoners said they were tortured by Afghan authorities after receiving assurances from Canadian officials them that Afghanistan no longer tortured [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on torture Manfred Nowak said Monday that torture was widespread and routine throughout Sri Lanka. Nowak visited Sri Lanka in early October and reported to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly that torture has become pervasive in the country's counter-terrorism procedures. While Sri Lanka had attempted to reduce torture with [...]

The US Department of State has sheltered bodyguards working for private security firm Blackwater USA from prosecution related to a September shooting incident in Baghdad, according to AP on Monday. The guards, who allegedly fired on civilians, killing 17 and prompting the Iraqi government to withdraw Blackwater's operating license , have received so-called "Garrity protections" [...]

Former Milberg Weiss partner William Lerach pleaded guilty to conspiracy Monday for his part in the firm's illegal kickback scheme. Lerach reached an agreement with prosecutors last month to plead guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice and will forfeit $7.75 million to the government, pay a $250,000 fine, and serve one to two years in [...]

An Italian appeals court on Monday affirmed the conviction of Egyptian Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed for belonging to an international terrorist network, but reduced his sentence from ten years to eight. Ahmed was convicted on charges separate from those brought against him for his role in the 2004 Madrid train bombings . Prosecutors had alleged [...]

The government of Peru plans to file a complaint against Chile with the International Court of Justice seeking resolution of the countries' maritime boundary dispute in November or December, el Comercio reported Monday. While Peruvian Minister of External Relations Jose Antonia Garcia Belaunde informed his Chilean counterpart of the government's decision during the recent session [...]

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in Ali v. Federal Bureau of Prison , 06-9130, to determine whether a Federal Tort Claims Act exception barring claims for detained property against "law enforcement officers" includes federal prison officials who seized a Muslim prisoner's Korans and prayer rug, or whether it only applies to officials [...]