The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Jan. 29 that while the treatment of Canadian Guantánamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr violated his rights, the government does not have to press for his return to Canada. In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that the interrogation of Khadr by Canadian officials while in detention violated section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

President Barack Obama on Jan. 29 ordered the federal government to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 28% by 2020. The reduction is pursuant to Executive Order 13514, signed by Obama in October. The order provides that "Federal agencies shall increase energy efficiency; measure, report, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect activities; conserve and protect water resources through efficiency, reuse, and stormwater management; eliminate waste, recycle, and prevent pollution." The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) will be responsible for implementing the initiatives outlined in the order at the agency and departmental levels.

Tanks rolled and fighter jets roared over India's main ceremonial avenue in an annual Republic Day military parade Jan. 26—hours after Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy fire in disputed Kashmir. A spokesman for the Indian border force said Pakistani troops fired to provide cover to militants trying to infiltrate into Indian-controlled Kashmir. But a Pakistani official said Indian forces used automatic weapons and mortar rounds in "unprovoked firing" that hit Bijhwat village near the Pakistani city of Sialkot. No casualties were reported. (Reuters, Jan. 26)

Two Iranians were executed Jan. 28 and nine others have been sentenced to death for their roles in last summer's post-election protests, according to the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). The two executed men, identified as Momammed Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour, were convicted on charges of mohareb, or enmity against God, and had earlier been appeared in televised show trials. Amnesty International condemned the executions, saying, "[t]hese shocking executions show that the Iranian authorities will stop at nothing to stamp out the peaceful protests that persist since the election." (Jurist, Jan. 28)

US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp said Jan. 28 that no US president is likely to present the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the US Senate for ratification in the "foreseeable future." Speaking at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Rapp said that while the US has an important role in international criminal justice, it is unlikely to join the ICC anytime soon. Rapp cited fears that US officials would be unfairly prosecuted and the United States' strong national court system as reasons it would be difficult to overcome opposition to ratification. Rapp also said that the US has a role to play in a three-part system for ending international impunity. The US must work to strengthen national court systems, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the US must work with countries that exercise universal jurisdiction when there is some relation between the country and the crime, and the US should continue to support the work of international criminal tribunals.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Jan. 27 cited costs and potential disruptions to the lives of New Yorkers in urging the federal government not to try accused 9-11 conspirator Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other high-profile terror suspects in New York City. Bloomberg suggested a military base may be a more appropriate venue for the trial. Earlier this month Bloomberg claimed that providing security for the trial in New York would cost the city more than $216 million in the first year and $206 million in any additional years. Bloomberg originally backed the idea of trying some of the terror suspects currently held at Guantánamo Bay in Manhattan due to its proximity to Ground Zero and the symbolic significance of convicting the suspects there. (Jurist, Jan. 28)

A Sana'a government official said Jan. 27 that Yemen will build a rehabilitation center for transfered Guantánamo Bay detainees. According to the anonymous official, Yemen will begin building once it receives funding for the $11 million project promised by the US. The project will presumably be discussed this week at a London meeting intended to garner international support for counter-terrorist efforts in Yemen. (Jurist, Jan. 27)

The US Department of Justice announced Jan. 26 that an Uzbek Guantánamo Bay detainee has been transferred to Switzerland. The detainee's identity will not be disclosed in order to facilitate his transition into life in Switzerland. The Swiss government agreed to accept the detainee for resettlement "on humanitarian grounds" after reassurances from the US that the man was not convicted of any crime and will not be a threat to public safety. The detainee was originally cleared for release in 2005, but could not return to Uzbekistan for fear of persecution.