A “war court judge” allowed a First Amendment attorney to represent a “consortium” of media organizations and argue against closing a hearing expected to feature testimony from an accused USS Cole bomber on how he was treated during CIA interrogations. The judge, Army Col. James Pohl, let attorney David Schulz make his argument and then indicated a solution to the issue had been agreed upon in a private conference between the government and prosecution.

The Guardian highlights the rendition and torture of a Libyan militant, who led the fight against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and his pregnant wife. Part 1 highlighted details surrounding the rendition of Abdel Hakim Belhaj and his pregnant wife, Fatima Bouchar. Now, Part 2 focuses on how the US could potentially interfere with their attempt to bring British intelligence agents to justice and expose the CIA’s role.

A new report published by the United Kingdom-based news organization The Guardian highlights the rendition and torture of a Libyan militant, who led the fight against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and his pregnant wife. This is part I, covering the couple’s capture, mistreatment and rendition by US and UK personnel.

Last summer, the King of Bahrain funded the “independent” Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry to review human rights issues in the country. The report was praised by the King’s American friends – and presented as justification for continued American support of the monarchy.

A group of news organizations that include the New York Times, the Washington Post and the McClatchy Co. has filed an objection to the Pentagon’s plan to close an upcoming hearing in the case of Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, who is alleged to have been involved in masterminding an attack on the USS Cole in 2000 which killed seventeen US sailors.

As McClatchy reports, “Al-Nashiri is expected to testify” at an upcoming hearing on April 11 because his attorneys are going to argue before a military commission at Guantanamo that their client should not be “shackled to the floor” when he testifies because that is likely to remind him of “trauma that he suffered in CIA custody.” The testimony is to be given “behind closed doors” to protect “sensitive information” from being revealed.

A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicted former CIA agent John Kiriakou for releasing classified information to journalists that included the identities of a “covert CIA officer” and information on the role of “another CIA employee in classified activities.” The Justice Department charged him with one count of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and three counts of violating the Espionage Act, along with a count for “allegedly lying to the Publications Review Board of the CIA” so he could include classified information in his book.

A State Department internal memo opposing the Justice Department’s arguments for CIA “enhanced interrogation techniques”—torture—has been released. The memo from February 2006 was written by Philip Zelikow, then counselor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It was believed that all copies of the memo had been destroyed, but on April 3, the National Security Archive, obtained a copy through a FOIA request and posted it online.

The Obama Administration recently announced that it would begin an “interagency process” to implement commitments made on human rights before the UN Human Rights Council just over a year ago. Coinciding with the announcement, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) put out a report on how the administration has done so far.

The report highlighted key areas of criminal justice, national security and immigration where the US must make improvements. It put forward “concrete ways that the Obama administration” could “make tangible progress in protecting and promoting human rights.” It also suggested how the administration could address “very serious violations” of human rights.”

There are reports that Saudi Arabia has sent military equipment to aid the rebels in the Free Syrian Army, according to an anonymous diplomat for the Arab nation. But who the “good guys” in this fight, considering the push by neoconservatives to arm these same Syrian rebels, or intervene militarily on their behalf. It turns out that human rights groups are now accusing the Syrian opposition of a litany of abuses.

Three Afghanis and three Iraqis allegedly tortured by the US military at detention centers in Iraq and Afghanistan are proceeding with their case despite having the their case dismissed and upheld by an appeals court in November of last year. The ACLU is petitioning an international court set up by the Organization of American States to pursue their claims.