Egypt rights group calls for probe of election violence News
Egypt rights group calls for probe of election violence

[JURIST] The National Council for Human Rights, sponsored by the Egyptian government, on Thursday called for an investigation into the 11 deaths that occurred during the most recent round of parliamentary elections [JURIST news archive] that ended in December. The killings were the result of violence throughout several weeks of elections in Egypt [JURIST news archive]; the elections were marred by various allegations [JURIST report, BBC report], including security forces hindering voters and banning groups who contested the elections. Of particular concern is the ban [JURIST report] preventing the Muslim Brotherhood [Wikipedia backgrounder] from becoming a legal political party despite its win of 88 seats in the parliament, making it Egypt's strongest opposition group. The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) [party website], the party of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak [official profile, BBC profile], secured three-quarters of the seats in the 454-member parliament. The government is under no obligation to implement the council's recommendations. Reuters has more.

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase…

THIS DAY @ LAW

Dreyfus convicted of treason

On December 22, 1894, Jewish French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial trial that prompted worldwide allegations of anti-Semitism. Dreyfus was later cleared. Learn more about the case of Alfred Dreyfus and read an English translation of the famous public letter J'Accuse...! by novelist and Dreyfus partisan Emile Zola.

US passed Embargo Act, banning foreign trade

On December 22, 1807, the Embargo Act was passed at the urging of US President Thomas Jefferson. The act barred trade with any foreign nations in an effort to avoid American entry into the Napoleonic Wars of Europe. However, the act proved unenforceable and was replaced with the Non-Intercourse Act, which barred trade with France and Great Britain. Learn more about the Embargo Act of 1807 from Monticello.org