UK lawyers call for release of Yukos counsel News
UK lawyers call for release of Yukos counsel

[JURIST] Britain's Law Society [profession website] has written a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling for an independent probe into the treatment of Svetlana Bakhmina, deputy general counsel of Russian oil company Yukos [corporate website; JURIST Hot Topic news archive]. Bakhmina was arrested in December and was allegedly subjected to harsh interrogation in breach of international law. Bakhmina, who remains in custody, has been accused of embezzlement [Kommersant report]. In a statement released at the time of Bakhmina's arrest, Yukos said that she was the third Yukos lawyer who had been questioned as part of the government's attempt to prevent the company to defend itself against having its assets seized. Yukos also said: "Our company has all grounds to announce that the activities of the Prosecutor General's Office are undisguised terror which can be compared to Stalin's terror of 1937 in its forms and methods." MosNews 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.