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[23 July 2012] Pakistan Supreme Court takes up petitions against contempt law - English The Supreme Court has finally taken up 26 constitutional petitions seeking to strike down new contempt law which gives discriminatory immunity to Prime Minister, the President and other key public office holders from prosecution on contempt of court charges. The petitioners pleaded before the Supreme Court that new law is designed to curtail the power of court to punish Prime Minister and other public office holder who are refusing to reopen money laundering cases of millions of dollars against President Asif Ali Zardari.

The Israeli high court has held its first session to determine the fate of two Palestinian villages which Israeli wants to divide and annex behind a controversial wall. The proposed wall which has already sparked an international outcry will cut directly through the villages of Battir and Cremisan, isolating villagers from their rich agricultural lands. One of the villages to be most adversely affected is Battir, where the wall will cut through and destroy ancient Roman terraces, a castle, and a Roman irrigation system which the villagers still use to irrigate their crops. Christians from the village of Cremisan have been demonstrating on a weekly basis in the \'Tent of Nations\' which has attracted international support. Villagers here claim that the Israeli is trying to grab the lands that belong to 58 families. The Bethlehem municipality filed the petition in the high court. Israeli claims the separation wall will be built for the so-called security reasons. However, the Palestinians call is yet another excuse to seize their lands. Following years of petitioning to keep their land and agricultural resources intact, residents of Battir and Cremisan say they would wait for the court\'s decision. However, they pledge to keep fighting for their rights and say that even IF the ruling is not in their favor they will continue to pressurize Israel through international petitions.