Pinochet immunity lifted in corruption case News
Pinochet immunity lifted in corruption case

[JURIST] Chile's Santiago Court of Appeals voted 21-3 Friday to strip Augusto Pinochet [JURIST news archive; BBC profile] of political immunity in respect of a fraud charge against the 90-year-old former dictator, who was fingerprinted and photographed by Chilean police [JURIST report] on Wednesday in connection with a human rights proceeding for which his immunity had likewise been lifted. The fraud charge stems from an ongoing investigation into the embezzlement of millions of dollars of public funds during Pinochet’s rule from 1973-1990. In November, Pinochet was formally indicted for tax evasion [JURIST report] related to foreign bank accounts he held in at Riggs Bank in Washington, DC after a Chilean court lifted his immunity [JURIST report] in respect of that charge. EFE has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.