Kuwait, once seen as an exception in the Gulf for its relatively vibrant parliamentary politics, has taken a sharp authoritarian turn. In May 2024, Emir Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad issued a royal decree suspending the elected National Assembly for up to four years. This move effectively dissolved the last remaining forum for public political representation in[…]
02
Jul
Jul
In the United Arab Emirates, there is a state authority that constantly abuses and restricts human rights. This is the State Security Agency (SSA), founded in 1974 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The main purpose of this agency is to deal with state security issues. Over time, however, it has been used to[…]
30
Jun
Jun
In 2014, Saudi journalist Turki al-Jasser warned in a tweet that his government was justifying executions under the guise of national security. In a grim outcome, al-Jasser met the very fate he foresaw. On 14 June 2025, Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry announced that al-Jasser had been executed following seven years of arbitrary detention on vague[…]
27
Jun
Jun
The religious discrimination faced by Bahrain’s Baharna and Ajam communities has manifested in one of the most atrocious forms: the deliberate destruction and erasure of their sacred spaces. These indigenous Shia communities, rooted deeply in Bahrain’s history, have long been marginalized by the ruling Al Khalifa regime. But the demolition of mosques, shrines, and cemeteries[…]
23
Jun
Jun
Context and Background The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—have long been criticized for employing repressive domestic measures that violate international human rights standards. In the years since the 2011 Arab uprisings, these governments have intensified their crackdown on dissent through the enactment of repressive[…]
