Bahrain sentences human rights activist News
Bahrain sentences human rights activist

[JURIST] A Bahraini court Sunday sentenced human rights activist Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja to one year in prison for inciting hatred against the government. Al-Khawaja, the vice president of the now banned Bahrain Center for Human Rights, had accused the government of financial mismanagement and called for the resignation of the Prime Minister Sheik Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Amnesty International has expressed concerns regarding the government's actions against the group and is calling for al-Khawaja's release. 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.