On the 19th of November 2025, a political prisoner by the name Ali Abdullah Fath Ali al-Khaja died in the al-Razeen prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ali al-Khaja died at 58 years of age, after having spent more than a decade arbitrarily detained. During his time in prison, he endured torture, denial of[…]
22
Dec
Dec
From 10 to 21 November 2025, 196 countries met in Belém, Brazil, to discuss the global progress on climate change. Over half of the present states were pushing for an explicit reference, in the final agreement, to the global phase out of fossil fuels, but Saudi Arabia led demands to exclude such language. The Saudi[…]
15
Dec
Dec
Bahrain’s juvenile justice system is often presented by authorities as a model of progress and reform, but in reality, experiences of children behind detention walls tell a very different story. For years, Bahrain has been criticized for the arbitrary arrest, detention, and ill-treatment of minors, especially those involved in peaceful protests. Despite the government’s enforcement[…]
28
Nov
Nov
Although freedom of expression is recognized by law in Kuwait, it is heavily restricted in practice. Kuwait has been struggling with restrictions on free expression for many years; however, since late 2023 and through 2024 serious escalation began under Emir Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Kuwait has been a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil[…]
27
Nov
Nov
Saudi human rights defender and political activist Abdulrahman Al-Khalidi, detained in Bulgaria since 2021, faces a forced deportation order to Saudi Arabia, placing him at serious risk of torture, an unfair trial and the death penalty. Al Khalidi’s case reflects a wider campaign of transnational repression by Gulf regimes seeking to silence peaceful dissent and[…]
