Military trials begin for US soldiers accused of abusing Afghan detainees News
Military trials begin for US soldiers accused of abusing Afghan detainees

[JURIST] The in Afghanistan [JURIST news archive] began court-martial proceedings [press release] Friday for a US soldier accused of abusing detainees [JURIST report] last year in the southern Uruzgan province. Army Spc. James Hayes is accused of punching in the chest, shoulders, and stomach during the incident, and faces charges of conspiracy to maltreat, dereliction of duty, maltreatment of detainees, and assault consummated by battery. Fellow soldier, Army Sgt. Kevin Myricks will face similar charges on Monday, and another soldier has already been punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice [text] for not reporting the incident at the time it took place. AFP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

US House voted to impeach President Clinton

On December 19, 1998, a divided US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Bill Clinton on charges of lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice in the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Read the Articles of Impeachment.

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On December 19, 1984, the United Kingdom and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which ceded control of Hong Kong to the government of mainland China in 1997. The treaty also ensured that Hong Kong would retain its capitalist and democratic systems for at least 50 years after the transfer of power.