Topic: Human Rights First

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Supreme Court puts limits on reach of human rights law

The decision undercuts what had been a growing area of international human rights litigation in US courts. The federal statute allows foreign residents to file civil lawsuits in US courts for violations of international law.
UN approves Arms Trade Treaty. Will US Senate ratify it?

The Arms Trade Treaty, the first international regulations of the multibillion-dollar trade, passed by a 154-to-3 vote. Some members of Congress have opposed it.
Bin Laden son-in-law's trial in New York reignites Guantánamo debate

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden, is charged with conspiring to kill US nationals and will be tried in a civilian court in New York. Some say he should be sent to Gitmo.
Attorney General Holder promises more openness about drone attacks (+video)

The White House is under pressure about targeting terrorists with drones, including a filibuster by Sen. Rand Paul. Attorney General Eric Holder told a Senate committee, 'I heard you and the president heard you.'
Appeals court throws out bin Laden driver Hamdan conviction

In a 3-0 ruling, the appeals court said that material support for terrorism was not an international-law war crime at the time Hamdan engaged in the activity for which he was convicted.
US calls for broader international sanctions on Syria

Stepped up diplomatic activity may further antagonize Russia and China, who issued a statement on Wednesday opposing any outside efforts to promote regime change in Syria.
Opinion: Bahrain doctor: If US loses the faith of people like me, it loses the Mideast

Washington’s tepid response to Bahrain's crackdown on nonviolent protesters has forced me to question what America really stands for. Obama must tell the ruling family to stop attacking protesters and to drop sham charges against medics like me and hundreds of others.
Guantánamo trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is on again

Military prosecutors, who were given the cases against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others, have a month to arraign the 9/11 defendants, all of whom potentially face a death sentence.
With guilty plea, underwear bomber cuts short intriguing terror trial

The trial of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called underwear bomber, could have shed light on Anwar al-Awlaki and several potentially significant pretrial rulings. But he pleaded guilty.
Bin Laden sons wonder why their father didn't get a trial

Omar bin Laden issued a statement Tuesday on behalf of the bin Laden family questioning why his father didn't receive a court trial like Saddam Hussein or Slobodan Milošević.
Military interrogators: Waterboarding didn't yield tips that led to bin Laden

Several former military interrogators refute assertions that waterboarding and other 'enhanced' methods provided intelligence that led the US to bin Laden. Some lament lost opportunity to grill Al Qaeda's leader.
Obama cools to US military intervention in Libya

President Obama signals that, for now, he is wary of committing US military forces to help the Libyan opposition oust Muammar Qaddafi.
Russia rights groups get help from unlikely champion: Microsoft

Microsoft yesterday announced it will provide free software and legal assistance to struggling groups in Russia and 11 other countries.
Guatemala becomes a model for crime investigation

A United Nations-backed crime investigation team, the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, roots out corrupt police and politicians in what could be a model for the region.
US congressional hearing highlights Colombia rights abuses

United Nations Special Rapporteur Margaret Sekaggya told a congressional panel Tuesday of her continued concern over what she has called a ‘pattern of harassment and persecution against human rights defenders.’
Will the US adjust life at Guantánamo for detainees?

More access by Red Cross workers is likely, but legal analysts are split on whether the prison camp will be less punitive after an Obama-ordered review.
Egyptian activist takes fight for freedom online

Nora Younis has risen to fame in Egypt by pressing for change on her political blog.
Arms race, uneasy peace in Sudan

In the south, the parliament voted to double its budget to cover military spending, and the north spent 20 percent of its budget on the military.
Denied US asylum, an Eritrean prison guard appeals to high court

He says he was forced to stand guard as others were tortured and killed.
Investigation: In Afghanistan, routine abuse of terror detainees

An eight-month review by McClatchy newspapers says the US wrongfully imprisoned many suspected Al Qaeda terrorists.
U.S. courts best venue to try terror cases, study says

The analysis of 107 cases after 9/11 adds fuel to the debate over whether military tribunals are needed.