US releases second group of 500 Iraqi detainees from Abu Ghraib News
US releases second group of 500 Iraqi detainees from Abu Ghraib

[JURIST] The US military Saturday released a second group of 500 Iraqi detainees from Abu Ghraib prison [JURIST news archive] following an earlier release of more than 500 detainees Monday [JURIST archive], and a release of another 1.000 [JURIST report] at the end of August. The military has not said whether the releases are directly connected with the pending October 15 national referendum on the draft Iraqi constitution [JURIST news archive]. The latest two rounds of releases fulfill a plan to free more than 1,000 detainees [US Central Command press release] before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan [Wikipedia backgrounder]. Those chosen for release had admitted to their crimes, and had not engaged in serious, violent activity. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Georgia became first US state to ban lynching

On December 20, 1893, Georgia became the first state in the Union to pass a law against lynching, making the act punishable by four years in prison. The statute was not particularly effective—read the text of the 1899 pamphlet Lynch Law in Georgia by anti-lynching activist Ida Wells-Barnett.