Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Turkey of abusing anti-terror laws after an Istanbul court ordered the pre-trial detention of nine human rights lawyers.

The lawyers were among 12 arrested last week during early morning raids.

HRW claims that Turkey's 'overbroad' anti-terrorism laws have been used more widely to charge for non-violent political activities and legitimate exercise of rights, with charges often accompanied by prlonged pretrial detention.

Former Liberian president Charles Taylor has appealed last year’s verdict at The Hague, which saw him sentenced to 50 years in prison for aiding and abetting rebels in Sierra Leone during the country’s brutal civil war.

His legal representatives appealed on more than 40 grounds, saying that the verdict was based on "uncorroborated hearsay evidence".

Rwandan Prosecutor-General Martin Ngoga has slammed France, criticising the country for not doing enough to bring genocide suspects in its territory to justice and stated that Rwanda is willing to consider legal action against France.

In an interview earlier this week, Ngoga stated,

The US criticised the prolonged delay in oil exportation by South Sudan and Sudan on Tuesday, arguing that it undermines the peace process. Oil export has been delayed since the two states were unable to come to an agreement on how to withdraw their armies from the disputed border territories.

In a statement the spokesperson for the US State Department Victoria Nuland said:

The former head of the United Nations 2003 mission in Sudan has stated that aerial and ground attacks by Sudan's government forces in a border conflict with rebels may amount to war crimes.

A court in Johannesburg has convicted Nigerian militant Henry Okah of 13 terrorism counts, over a car bombing in Abuja in 2010.

Okah pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied being the leader of the militant group Mend, which claimed responsibility at the time.

Johannesburg High Court Judge Neels Claassen said "I have come to the conclusion that the state proved beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused,"

A Bangladeshi court sentenced a Muslim cleric, Abul Kalam Azad, to death for crimes against humanity, committed during the war of independence in 1971.

The cleric, believed to be in Pakistan, was found guilty in absentia. The prosecution asserted he had shot dead six Hindus and raped Hindu women during the war.

The trial has drawn criticism however, with some saying the court is not endorsed by the UN and the charges brought against the cleric are politically motivated.

Former dictator of Chad, Hissene Habre is to face a trial for crimes against humanity in Senegal next month, announced Senegal's justice minister.

Justice Minister Aminata Toure made the announcement this week after Senegal’s parliament voted to host the special tribunal, authorised by the African Union. The initiative has been hailed as a step forward in African countries taking the lead in prosecuting war criminals from the continent, with Belgium offering to help finance the cost of this trial.

A ceasefire between Kachin rebels and the Burmese government has been broken after Burma's army launched attacks on Kachin positions near Laiza, the capital of the Kachin state, controlles by the rebels.

The Kachin Independence Army claimed that the the ceasefire announced by the government on Friday was never adhered to and that the Burmese Army continued with attacks.

The rebel group has been fighting for more autonomy from the central government for ethnic Kachins.