Bahrain has demanded that the International Criminal Police Commission take steps to extradite activist Fadhel Radhi back to Bahrain. Armenian authorities detained Radhi on 1 January 2016 following his escape from Bahrain, where he was sentenced to seven years in prison for “political and arbitrary” reasons. A number of human rights organizations issued a statement[…]
08
Jan
Jan
Qatar once again demonstrated its World Cup ambitions by signing world-class player Xavi Hernandez to one of its teams for three years. While it is unclear if hiring star talent will bolster Qatar’s reputation as a leader of the global football community, as recent matches continue to suffer from low attendance, human rights analysts suggest[…]
07
Jan
Jan
After his arbitrary arrest on 28 December, the Bahraini Interior Ministry named journalist Mahmood al-Jazeeri, a reporter for Al-Wasat News, as among those arrested for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks funded by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah, the veracity of which has been questioned by experts. On 31 December, al-Jazeeri’s lawyer told al-Wasat, “prosecutors had[…]
07
Jan
Jan
The Government of Saudi Arabia struggles to balance its budget as oil prices fall below $35 (USD) per barrel. The kingdom needs oil prices to reach $106 to fund current expenditures. The Saudi budget is predominately centered on oil prices; the BBC reports that oil revenue forms 73% of the state’s total revenue, while The[…]
06
Jan
Jan
The Bahraini state news agency, Bahrain News Agency (BNA), reported that “A secret terrorist plot aided by the so-called Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Hezbollah terrorist organization was foiled.” The BNA said “a main suspect, Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi, had traveled to Lebanon and personally met the head of the Shi’ite militant group Hezbollah, who gave[…]
