Qatar’s new sponsorship law fails to abolish kafala system

16 December 2016 – A new sponsorship law in Qatar fails to reform the kafala system and Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) finds that these failed reforms continue to leave migrant workers vulnerable to abuse. On 13 December 2016, a new law governing the sponsorship of migrant workers in Qatar came[…]

Despite UNIDO award, women’s rights may be trending down in Bahrain

On 22 November 2016, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was presented the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Award. The award recognizes Bahrain’s role in developing economic opportunities for empowering women and youth. The Bahrain Model for Economic Empowerment, an initiative started through UNIDO and the Bahraini government’s partnership, is reportedly being replicated in[…]

ADHRB welcomes release of Ghada Jamsheer but calls for remaining sentence to be commuted

On 12 December 2016, Bahraini human rights defender Ghada Jamsheer was released from prison following four months in detention. Bahraini officials arrested Jamsheer and imprisoned her for charges related to tweets she made highlighting corruption in a Bahraini-run government hospital. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights (ADHRB) welcomes the release of Ghada Jamsheer but notes[…]

Bahrain Solidarity Day

15 December 2016 – This past year the Government of Bahrain drastically increased its suppression of Bahraini civil and political society. Today, Bahraini human rights organizations stand in solidarity with the people of Bahrain in the face of systematic human rights abuses in proclaiming the first Bahrain Solidarity Day. In 2011, hundreds of thousands of[…]

Saudi Specialized Criminal Court Increases Sentence of ACPRA Member Issa al-Hamid

On Thursday 1 December, Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) increased the prison sentence of Saudi human rights defender Issa al-Hamid from nine to 11 years. Al-Hamid is a founding member the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights (ACPRA) and the younger brother of fellow human rights activists, Abdullah al-Hamid and Abdurrahman al-Hamid, both[…]