From Reuters, Dec. 19:

The World Court in The Hague found on Monday that Uganda violated the sovereignty of the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and was responsible for human rights abuses there during a 1998-2003 war.

Eight men at the American detention camp in Guantánamo Bay have separately given their lawyers "consistent accounts" of being tortured at a secret prison in Afghanistan at various periods from 2002 to 2004, Human Rights Watch has announced. The men, five of whom were identified by name, told their lawyers that they had been arrested in various countries, mostly in Asia and the Middle East. Some said they were flown to Afghanistan and then driven just a few minutes from the landing strip to the prison, indicating they were near Kabul.

We recently noted how Ethiopia and Eritrea, as they mutually demonize each other, are both engaging in a crackdown on their own media. Now the Committee to Protect Journalists, in their year-end report on imprisoned journalists worldwide, finds the two Horn of Africa rivals to be the worst offendors after China and Cuba. Uzbekistan was in fifth place, while the nasty and ostracized dictatorship of Burma was tied for sixth with the Leader of the Free World—that's right, none other than the good ol' US of A.

From the New York Times, Dec. 12 (and apparently little-reported elsewhere):

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, Dec. 11 - In the remote hamlet of Tamga, residents frustrated by corruption and the sorry legacy of a chemical spill did something that would have been unthinkable in Kyrygzstan not long ago: they rose up.

From Reuters Dec. 9:

The founder of Argentina's leading human rights group was laid to rest yesterday, 28 years after she was abducted during the country's military dictatorship. Family and friends buried the ashes of Azucena Villaflor on a prominent Buenos Aires plaza that for many Argentines has come to symbolize the fight for justice by the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. The group of mothers, often seen wearing white handkerchiefs, have pressed for a full accounting of their sons and daughters, who went missing during Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship known as the ''Dirty War." ''Azucena rest in peace, this is your place," said Marta Vazquez, one of the mothers. Villaflor was kidnapped by state security agents in December 1977. Forensic experts identified her remains in July after they were unearthed in a cemetery on the outskirts of the Argentine capital.

From Al-Jazeera TV in Doha, Qatar, Dec. 9:

[...] Meanwhile, appeals were made to release the four [members of the] Christian Peacemakers Team [CPT] held hostage by the Jama'at Saraya Suyuf al-Haq [Brigades of the Swords of Right Group].

[Shaykh Abd-al-Salam al-Kubaysi from the Association of Muslim Scholars] I would say that the fate of those [hostages] identifies you [kidnappers] because they should be shown hospitality instead of being taken hostage. If you do not know these facts [about the hostages' mission], then you should listen.

[Correspondent] The statements of Al-Kubaysi coincided with the visit of the representative of Canada's Muslims Union, who called on the kidnappers to release the hostages in order to spend Christmas day with their families and to convey the facts about what is taking place in Iraq to the world. [End of recoding] [Video shows Iraqi preachers delivering sermons; US scorched truck; US helicopter; AMS official speaking]

A Dec. 6 commentary by Jalal Ghazi on Pacific News Service notes that last month's Jordan suicide attack killed a film director beloved throughout the Arab world—making Arab commentators more vocal and daring than ever in condemning terrorism.

From Amnesty International, Dec. 7:

Rendition and 'disappearances' in the 'war on terror'
800 secret CIA flights into and out of Europe

Amnesty International has revealed that six planes used by the CIA for renditions have made some 800 flights in or out of European airspace including 50 landings at Shannon airport in the Republic of Ireland.