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The family of Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter who has been detained in Iran for more than half a year, issued a statement Sunday that was sharply critical of the Iranian government, after what they called the very disturbing development that Rezaian and his wife will be tried by a judge known for imposing harsh sentences.

Rezaians brother, Ali, and their mother, Mary Rezaian, questioned the rationale for assigning the case to Judge Abolghassem Salavati, the head of a Revolutionary Court branch where sensitive cases are tried. Salavati has imposed long prison sentences, lashings and in some cases death for defendants in a number of high-profile cases involving national security and political offenses. He has been sanctioned by the European Union since 2011.

We find it very disturbing that the judiciary would select a judge to oversee the case who has been sanctioned by (and barred from entering) the European Union due to what it calls gross human rights violations, the family said.

The 38-year-old reporter was arrested July22 along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who also is a reporter. Salehi was released on bail, but Rezaian has been detained ever since and has been unable to see a lawyer. The exact nature of the charges against him has never been made clear, other than a statement saying he was accused of activities beyond the scope of journalism.

His family denied the accusations and pointedly contrasted his actions with those of the Iranian government.

Jason has dedicated the past decade of his life to informing the world of the true nature of Iran, the Iranian people, and their culture, the statement said. In stark contrast, the Iranian government has spent the past six months displaying to the world a disregard for its own laws and the international human rights agreements that it has pledged to follow.

What Iran expects to gain from the prolonged and unjust detention of Jason is unclear to us. What is evident to us, though, is that this trial has nothing to do with Jason or Yeganehs actual actions, and may simply be a pretense to distract the world from some other motive the government may have.

News that their case had been assigned to Salavati, which was first reported by the New York Times, appears to reflect an ongoing power struggle between moderates surrounding President Hassan Rouhani and hard-liners allied with Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Posts executive editor, Martin Baron, called for Rezaians release in a statement Sunday.

There has been no justice in the case of our colleague Jason Rezaian since the beginning, Baron said. He was held for months without knowing the accusations against him. Now that the case is proceeding to trial, the charges still have not been specified. He still hasnt been allowed to see a lawyer. This case has unfolded, and continues to unfold, without a hint of fairness and justice. Jason should be released immediately. What has happened to him is an abomination and deserves the worlds condemnation.

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Hard-line judge in Iran is assigned case of jailed Post reporter Jason Rezaian

A Washington Post reporter detained in Iran for more than six months will be tried sometime soon before a judge known for imposing harsh sentences, according to an international human rights group.

Jason Rezaian, The Posts Tehran bureau chief, will go on trial before Revolutionary Court Judge Abolghassem Salavati, said the New York-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. In a report posted on its Web site, the advocacy group said the head of the judiciary in Tehran, Gholamhossein Esmaeeli, told reporters on Wednesday that the 38-year-old Post correspondent would be put on trial soon, though he provided no further information on the precise nature of the charges he faces.

Hadi Ghaemi, the group's executive director, said Sunday that a prominent defense lawyer, Mohammed Saleh Nikbakht, and other people in Iran had spoken by phone with researchers with the campaign and told them that the case had been assigned to Salavati, The Iranian government has not confirmed the venue.

Ghaemi said Nikbakht has been seeking to represent Rezaian but that he is not permitted to represent the journalist. Rezaian has not seen a lawyer since he was taken into temporary detention July 22. Esmaeeli, who spoke to reporters in a Tehran courthouse, said the result of Rezaian's trial would be announced after a verdict has been reached.

The Posts executive editor, Martin Baron, called for Rezaians release in a statement Sunday.

There has been no justice in the case of our colleague Jason Rezaian since the beginning," Baron said. "He was held for months without knowing the accusations against him. Now that the case is proceeding to trial, the charges still have not been specified. He still hasnt been allowed to see a lawyer. This case has unfolded, and continues to unfold, without a hint of fairness and justice. Jason should be released immediately. What has happened to him is an abomination and deserves the worlds condemnation.

The Iranian jurist selected to preside over the case is notorious among human rights groups for his actions as head of the Revolutionary Courts Branch 15, responsible for adjudicating cases involving what Iran considers national security crimes and what human rights activists deem to be politically motivated charges. Iranian authorities have not explained why Rezaian has been detained, beyond saying he is accused of activities beyond the scope of journalism.

The assignment of Rezaians case to Salavatis courtroom appears to sharpen an ongoing struggle between moderates surrounding President Hassan Rouhani and hard-liners allied with Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Salavati is among a handful of Revolutionary Court judges known for the stiff sentences they impose on those who challenge the government. They have meted out lengthy prison terms and lashings as punishment for alleged offenses by journalists, lawyers, activists and minority groups. Salavati regularly imposes the sternest sentences of all, including the death penalty for anti-government protesters.

Hes responsible for handing down some very, very severe sentences, said Faraz Sanei, an Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch.

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Hard-line judge reportedly assigned case of Post reporter Jason Rezaian, jailed in Iran

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It turns out that not everything you see in your Facebook News Feed has been picked by an all-seeing, all-knowing computer algorithm: A new report on the social networks internal testing system has revealed that human users are also heavily involved in providing feedback on what works and what doesnt.

Some of the secrets of the News Feed are revealed in a post on Mediums Backchannel, which explains the process that around 600 testers go through every weekday. These men and women are asked to give detailed feedback on what appears in their News Feed: What they liked, what they didnt and why. Its a more elaborate version of the feedback tools available to every Facebook user, and the company thinks its vital in keeping the relevant stories coming.

Related:Facebook is testing a voice-to-text feature for incoming messages

If you just watch people eat doughnuts, youre like, People love doughnuts, lets bring them more doughnuts,' product manager Greg Marra explained to Backchannel. But if you talk to people theyre like, No actually what I want is to eat fewer doughnuts and maybe eat a kale smoothie. Then we can give them some kale smoothies, too.

Facebooks human team of testers are paid for around four hours of work each day and will look at roughly 100 stories during that time. For each story, they must answer eight questions on how relevant it was and how well it connected them to the friend who posted it. Important posts from close friends and family are the ones that we most want to see, according to the testers, and it appears that clicking like doesnt necessarily mean we approve of whats been posted its just a way of us expressing a feeling of connection with the poster.

Facebook knows the quality of the News Feed is crucial in keeping users checking back in with the site. A few days ago it tweaked its internal code to cut down on the amount of hoax poststhat were appearing, and engineers say that minor changes to the News Feed algorithm are rolled out on a daily basis. When we asked what are the best stories the highest percentage of impact type is a strong emotional reaction, says News Feed product director Adam Mosseri. People really want to see stuff that drives a laugh or makes them feel happy, not necessarily information thats super valuable.

Via The Next Web

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How human testers are revealing our Facebook News Feed habits

On Jan. 29, Kostyantyn Reutskiy, a human rights activist, alleges that police at the Pisochyn checkpoint in Kharkiv Oblast beat him as he was on his way back to Kyiv from the war zone.

Reutskiy was on assignment with Hromadske TV journalist Anastasia Stanko and Pawel Pieniazek, a journalist fromPoland. They were driving from Popasna to Kyiv when their car was stopped by three police officers around 10 p.m.The officers didn't give their names, but asked to check the car and their belongings, Reutskiy recalls. Police, however, tell a different story.

According to officials, the journalists provoked the conflict.When police officers decided to check the car, the journalist said youre checking our car, because you have nothing else to do, reads the official statement.When the driver tried to get something out of his pocket, police officers blocked the movement. The driver considered it was an attack on him and fell on the ground, while police officers tried to help him.

The head of the Kharkiv Oblast police, Anatoliy Dmytriev, said he will personally follow the case.

Reutskiy says that he decided to film the police stop with his GoPro camera. "This made them angry, and when I reached in my pocket to put it back, they pushed me on the car and twisted my arms, he says.

Stanko, who witnessed the incident, said the police officers later pushed Reutskiy to the ground, yelling insults. When she tried to take the pictures of the beating, one of the officers pushed her.

Police officers beat Kostyantyn Reutskiy, a human rights activist, at the Pisochyn checkpoint in Kharkiv Oblast. (Nastya.stanko/Facebook)

I was shocked, Stanko explains.We spent lots of time in the east and saw many police officers who are ready to help and who risk their lives in the war zone. And we havent seen such treatment.

Some 50 civic activists and journalists protested against police abuse outside the Interior Ministry in Kyiv on Jan. 30.

Reutskiy believes the police officers were from the now disbanded Berkut riot police unit. When the officers seized his camera, Reutskiy was freed.

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Human rights activist says police beat him in Kharkiv Oblast; police deny allegations

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Stop suppressing speech, harassing groups, and targeting politicians, says Human Rights Watch.

Prime Minister Najib Razak abandoned his pledge to revoke Malaysias repressive sedition law and oversaw a wave of arrests of opposition politicians and social activists, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2015. The authorities continued their politically motivated prosecution of parliamentary opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy.

In the 656-page world report, its 25th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries. In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth urges governments to recognise that human rights offer an effective moral guide in turbulent times, and that violating rights can spark or aggravate serious security challenges. The short-term gains of undermining core values of freedom and non-discrimination are rarely worth the long-term price.

Prime Minister Najibs shameful reversal of his pledge to end sedition shows his willingness to put politics over human rights, said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Malaysias human rights are in a downward spiral because the government evidently believes that continued rule depends on suppressing speech, harassing opposition groups, and targeting prominent figures with legal action.

During 2014, Malaysian authorities arrested dozens of people under the Sedition Act for making remarks critical of the government, its political leaders, the ruling party, and Malaysias sultans. At least 20 people were charged, including four senior opposition members of parliament. The crackdown generated public opposition from the Malaysia Bar Council and other organisations, and a lawsuit contesting the constitutionality of the sedition act.

Najib, who in 2012 had promised to repeal the Sedition Act, announced on 27 November 2014 that the law would instead be revised and strengthened to penalise those who violate the sanctity of Islam and other religions or call for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia.

The Malaysian authorities also continued their politically motivated prosecutions to cripple the political opposition. In March, an appeals court overturned a 2012 not guilty verdict against parliamentary opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges and sentenced him to a five-year prison term in a rushed judicial proceeding. Should the Federal Court uphold his conviction, he faces imprisonment and loss of his seat in parliament. The governments repeated prosecutions of Anwar under the sodomy law (penal code article 377), invoked only seven times since 1938, highlights the dangers this discriminatory law poses so long as it remains on the books.

The Royal Malaysian Police continued to abuse rights of detainees in police custody with impunity. There were at least 10 new cases of custodial deaths in 2014, and police used excessive force during apprehension of suspects. However, police stymied proposals for an effective and independent external oversight such as an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission.

Malaysias image as a moderate Muslim country was tarnished by new government restrictions on freedom of expression and association in 2014. The government-controlled Registrar of Societies tightened its restrictive oversight on civil society groups seen as critical of the government, refused newspaper licences to critical outlets, and prosecuted an activist on film censorship charges.

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Malaysia: Rights reforms abandoned

Meet the "Post-Seculars" -- the one in five Americans who seem to have gone unnoticed before in endless rounds of debates pitting science vs. religion.

They're more strongly religious than most "Traditionals" (43 percent of Americans) and more scientifically knowledgeable than "Moderns" (36 percent) who stand on science alone, according to two sociologists' findings in a new study.

"We were surprised to find this pretty big group (21 percent) who are pretty knowledgeable and appreciative about science and technology but who are also very religious and who reject certain scientific theories," said Timothy O'Brien, co-author of the research study, released Thursdayin the American Sociological Review.

Put another way, there's a sizable chunk of Americans out there who are both religious and scientifically minded but who break with both packswhen faith and science collide.

Post-Seculars pick and choose among science and religion views to create their own "personally compelling way of understanding the world," said O'Brien, assistant professor at the University of Evansville in Indiana.

O'Brien and co-author Shiri Noy, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wyoming, examined responses from 2,901 people to 18 questions on knowledge of and attitudes toward science and four religion-related questions in the General Social Surveys conducted in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Many findings fit the usual way the science-religion divide is viewed:

However, the data turned up a third perspective-- people who defied the familiar breakdown. The authors dubbed them "Post-Secular" to jump past a popular theory that Americans are moving away from religion to become more secular, O'Brien said.

Post-Seculars -- about half of whom identify as conservative Protestants -- know facts such as how lasers work, what antibiotics do and the way genetics affects inherited illnesses.

But when it comes to three main areas where science and Christian-centric religious views conflict -- on human evolution, the Big Bang origin of the universe and the age of the Earth -- Post-Seculars break away from the pack with significantly different views from Traditionals and Moderns.

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Science vs. religion? There's actually more of a three-way split

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ABOARD THE COAST GUARD CUTTER TYR (AP) The crew was about to dig into dinner when word of the ghost ship came through: a freighter hurtling out of control toward Italy with no crew and hundreds of Syrians ascargo.

The cattle freighter its animal pens crammed with families was on a collision course with the Italian coast, and the refugee who had phoned authorities from on board said the cabins controls were jammed. The Tyr changed course and set off on a race against time.

The rescue operation by the Icelandic cutter Tyr was one of the most perilous in a string of high-seas dramas that point to a new modus operandi among smugglers who send migrants across the Mediterranean. Gangs buy scrapyard-boundcargoships over the Internet and pack them with Syrians willing to pay top dollar to flee their ravaged homeland. The ships are then pointed toward Europe and abandoned, the migrants fate hanging between shipwreck and rescue.

Until recently, most migrants paid several hundred dollars for a trip aboard an old fishing boat, dinghy or speedboat. Hundreds of men, women and children perish every year in those voyages when their unseaworthy vessels capsize in stormy seas.

The war in Syria, which has driven more than 3 million people into flight, has offered a new, lucrative opportunity for smugglers. Comparatively well-off refugees are able to pay higher prices for passage on bigger, safer ships from the far eastern Mediterranean directly to Italy, from where they then cross overland to central and northern European countries.

Many of those Syrians are willing to pay $4,000-$8,000 for a place on board a seaworthycargoship. For the gangs, that means that even if they lose acargoship that cost them a half-million dollars they can still earn millions of dollars in profit in a single trip.

Buying acargoship is a lot easier and cheaper than it used to be. A crisis in merchant shipping has left a glut ofcargoships on the market, with low demand depressing prices and making an aging vessel particularly affordable to criminal gangs, said a Greek merchant marine ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

The EU border agency Frontex says about 15cargoships smuggling asylum-seekers have tried to reach Europe since August. Frontex spokeswoman Izabella Cooper said one vessel that arrived in Italy recently appeared to have been bought online from a scrapyard.

Thecargoship method is not likely to go away any time soon because of high demand. In Turkey alone, more than 1 million Syrians are fending for themselves without jobs or basic services many of them doctors or lawyers who can afford to pay thousands of dollars for acargoship berth, said Metin Corabatir, who heads the Ankara-based Research Center on Asylum and Migration.

We shall be seeing a lot more of these ships, Corabatir said. These people have no future and often the only option they have is to leave. They will give everything that they have and risk their lives.

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Human smugglers turn to cargo ships to ferry fleeing Syrians