Former Partner of Detained Billionaire Sues Evergrande Founder’s Son for Money Amidst Investigation

Beijing, China – A lawsuit has been filed by the former partner of a detained billionaire against Xu Jiayin, the chairman of embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande Group, seeking the repayment of a 200 million yuan ($31 million) loan. The lawsuit claims that Xu owes the money, which includes principal and interest, according to court filings. The case is pending a hearing. The legal action comes amidst ongoing investigations into Xu and his father’s finances, which could lead to the confiscation of their assets by mainland Chinese courts. This situation has prompted speculation that the … Read more

Russian Opposition Lawyer Briefly Detained in Moscow, Hindering Efforts to Release Alexei Navalny’s Body

MOSCOW (AP) — A lawyer assisting the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s mother in her efforts to secure his body from authorities was briefly detained on Tuesday, according to Russian news media. Vasily Dubkov, the lawyer, confirmed that he was released after the incident but did not provide details about the reason for his detention. Dubkov’s detention, however, was seen as an obstruction to his work as a lawyer. Dubkov’s assistance played a crucial role in helping Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila, in obtaining the release of her son’s body. Navalny died unexpectedly in an Arctic … Read more

Turkish Lawyer Detained After Criticizing Sharia Law on Social Media

Istanbul, Turkey – A Turkish lawyer has been detained by authorities for making derogatory comments about Sharia, the religious law associated with Islamic tradition, on a social media platform. According to the Cumhuriyet daily, an investigation was launched into the lawyer, Feyza Altun, after she used offensive language in response to a comment on one of her posts. Altun had shared a Persian poem on the platform, which prompted a user to make a comment linking her name to a “Sharia attack.” In response, Altun posted “F*** Sharia,” which quickly drew attention and criticism on … Read more

Detained and Released: Immigration Crimes Bear No Jail Time Under Emergency Laws

MELBOURNE, Australia – Two dozen individuals who were released from immigration detention have been charged with crimes, although none of them have been imprisoned under emergency laws. In December 2023, the government rushed through powers that allowed the responsible minister to apply for community safety or supervision orders. These orders granted the authorities the ability to lock up or closely monitor individuals who had been released from detention. However, as of January 31, no applications had been made to enforce these powers. The release of 149 people was triggered by a High Court ruling on … Read more