Thailand’s Central Criminal Court of Corruption and Misconduct acquitted four forestry officials who were charged with the murder of Indigenous rights activist Pholachi Rakchongcharoen on Thursday, as reported by the JURIST News. The four officials, including former chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park, Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn, were indicted with murder in August 2022 over suspicions that…
A man was shot at a protest in Espanola, New Mexico. The demonstration was held over the reinstallation of a statue of the conquistador Juan de Onate, who committed a massacre and enslaved the Acoma Indigenous people in 1599. Oñate was later accused of applying “excessive force” against the Acoma. The details surrounding the altercation…
Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbekistan’s former president, Islam Karimov, has been indicted on multiple corruption charges by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Switzerland. She now faces charges of money laundering, bribery, and active involvement in a criminal network. Karimova’s suspected illicit activities were initially reported in 2012, which led to a…
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled on Thursday upholding the bans on gender-affirming care for minors in Tennessee and Kentucky. The court’s decision, resulting from a 2-1 vote, dismissed a challenge by families of transgender minors, stating that the bans did not constitute discrimination on the grounds of sex. The bans,…
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe recently affirmed his determination to bypass a court ruling through the utilization of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms‘ notwithstanding clause. The court injunction in question had temporarily suspended the province’s policy regarding the usage of preferred names and pronouns for students. The Parental Inclusion and Consent policy was introduced…
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has denied the motion filed by former US President Donald Trump for her recusal from his pending criminal case on allegations of bias. Mr. Trump, who had requested the judge’s removal earlier this month, based his claim on comments she had made during the sentencing of two rioters from the…
Israel’s Supreme Court recently held a hearing to discuss arguments on an “incapacitation” amendment, which limits the government’s ability to state that the prime minister is incapable of delivering his responsibilities. This amendment was passed by the government back in March, prior to the corruption trials of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Find an overview of…
A Montana judge has temporarily blocked the state’s Senate Bill 99, known as the “Youth Health Protection Act”, which bars certain gender-affirming medical treatments for minors. District Court Judge Jason Marks found that Senate Bill 99 (SB 99) would likely have an adverse impact rather than protecting minors and considered the stated purpose to be…
In a nearly five-hour-long hearing on Wednesday, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) heard a case put forth by six youth plaintiffs against 33 European governments to push for stronger climate change mitigations measures. The case, Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Others, saw six plaintiffs from Portugal including Catarina, 23, Cláudia,…
U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, recently announced the implementation of stringent visa restrictions against individuals who are “undermining democracy” in Liberia as the country prepares for the presidential elections in October. In his official statement, Secretary Blinken outlined the United States’ position on the impending Liberian election, specifically stating the use of visa restrictions…
Pakistani authorities resumed issuing identity cards labeled as ‘X’ for transgender individuals this Monday, following a four-month pause instigated by a controversial ruling from the Pakistani Federal Shariat Court. The card issuance was reinstated upon instruction received by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). According to Rida Qazi, Public Engagement Director at NADRA, the…
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has held Turkey accountable for violations of fair trial rights. The judgment, released on Tuesday, pertains to criminal convictions based on the use of the encrypted messaging application ByLock. ByLock drew the attention of Turkish authorities following the failed coup attempt in 2016coup attempt. The government alleged that…
Following a months-long blockade that escalated into violent attacks by Azerbaijani forces, the government of the predominantly ethnically Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh announced it would disband, effective immediately. “The Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ceases to exist,” stated the separatist republic, which is referred to as Artsakh in Armenian, via its official information channel on Telegram. The…
Recent reports from Tehran reveal that the Iranian Parliament has passed a resolution that challenges the independence of the prominent Iranian Bar Association. If ratified by the Guardian Council of the Constitution, the decree will see a striking shift in administration; the Ministry of Economy and Finance will henceforth oversee lawyer’s associations, controlling everything from…
A dramatic incident, which spurred political tensions between North Korea and the United States, has finally come to a resolution after suffering an unknowable outcome for an extended period. US soldier Travis King was released by North Korea on Wednesday, two months subsequent to his unauthorized crossing into its territory from South Korea. This news…
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 17 states filed a lawsuit against Amazon last Tuesday, citing anticompetitive conduct that they allege has allowed Amazon to maintain its “monopoly power” within the online superstore and marketplace service sectors. The lawsuit requests that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington restrain Amazon from…
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to intervene in the escalating women’s rights crisis in Afghanistan. In a compelling speech to the council, Bahous highlighted the severe deterioration of women’s rights in the country under Taliban rule. Bahous proposed three recommendations for the UNSC consideration: organizing a meeting devoted…
New York has taken a significant step towards protecting student privacy by banning the use of facial recognition technology in schools, according to the state’s Commissioner of Education, Betty Rosa, who issued the order this past Wednesday. A detailed account of the prohibition is available via the official New York State Education Department website. The…
A federal judge in Texas ruled on Tuesday that the state’s ban on drag performances was unconstitutional, blocking it from going into effect. District Judge David Hittner determined in his preliminary injunction against the ban that it infringes on the First Amendment and chills free speech. This decision follows a temporary restraining order on August…
California Governor Gavin Newsom made a considerable move pertaining to gun control on Tuesday when he signed more than 20 bills into law related to firearms. The laws encompass a multitude of areas including an increase in taxes, requirements for gun dealers, waiting periods, criminal penalties, and a prohibition on certain individuals from owning firearms….
Over the weekend, the capital of one of Africa’s most stable democracies echoed with the chants of citizens rallying against a government they accused of corruption and gross mismanagement. In Accra, Ghana’s nerve center, hundreds of people heeded the call of the Democracy Hub, a non-partisan, non-aligned civic organization, embarking on a three-day protest against…
On September 21, India officially labeled Canada as an international haven for terrorism, accusing it of being a “sanctuary harbouring terrorists, extremists, and organized criminal elements,” as stated by the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Further underscoring the severity of the matter, the MEA released an advisory on September 20, directed at…
A New York judge, Arthur Engoron, recently ruled that former President Donald Trump and his business associates committed fraud, dating as far back as 2011, by misrepresenting the financial valuation of their business assets. The judge’s verdict was in favor of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ motion for partial summary judgment. The ruling further…
On Monday, the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court sentenced Ronson Chan, the head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, to five days in jail. Chan was found guilty of obstructing a police officer. Reports from the Hong Kong Free Press reveal Chan refused to present his identity card to a plainclothes officer while reporting in Mong…
The Constitutional Court of South Korea has overturned the North Korea Leaflet Ban Act, a law prohibiting the distribution of leaflets in North Korea. The court’s decision was released via a press statement, bringing to culmination the efforts of South Korean organizations and North Korean defectors who filed a constitutional petition in December 2020 claiming…