Torture, harassment and politically motivated prosecutions of human rights activists and perceived opponents have persisted since the government's formation a year ago.
Retired General Sarath Fonseka will reportedly
face a military Court Martial on charges that he revealed military
secrets and plotted the assassination of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Tan Zuoren was convicted for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party
and the government in his online articles and diaries about the handling of 1989's Tiananmen crackdown.
Controversial new legislation is believed to be an attempt to provide legal cover for ongoing impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations, including the Taleban.
The UN Secretary-General has "missed an opportunity" by failing to make
an assessment of the credibility of Israeli and Palestinian
investigations into violations during the Gaza conflict.
Ten years after the killing of scores of civilians in a suburb of the
Chechen capital Grozny, the relatives of those murdered are still
denied justice by the Russian authorities.
The country's revised penal code stipulates prison sentences for girls and women who seek an abortion
and for health professionals who provide health services associated
with abortion.
Those affected by the 2006 disaster in Côte d'Ivoire, have told of their anxious wait to see if they will get any of the $45 million compensation owed to them.
Amnesty International has reiterated its call for the Sudanese authorities to arrest Omar al Bashir, who is already charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes over his role in the Darfur conflict.
