Bahraini government uses ‘sports diplomacy’ to cover up human rights abuses

Following the 2011 pro-democracy protests, Bahraini authorities suspended approximately 120 athletes and sports club personnel, including twenty-seven members of national sports teams. As journalist Karim Zidan recently documented, while the Bahraini government subjected many of these athletes to torture and other forms of reprisal, it has simultaneously used sports to divert attention from such ongoing[…]

Omani courts issue verdicts violating free speech

In August, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) covered the initial arrest of three Azamn newspaper journalists and the paper’s suspension in Oman. The crimes were related to a report Azamn published on 26 July 2016 that criticized Oman’s judicial system. Two days after the report’s release, Omani authorities arrested the founder[…]

Ghada Jamsheer arrest calls attention to Bahrain’s targeting of women

Bahraini human rights defender Ghada Jamsheer was arrested on 15 August 2016, one month ago. She had just returned to her home country of Bahrain after spending several months in London for medical treatment. As soon as she arrived at the airport in Manama, police arrested her on charges related to her criticism of Bahraini[…]

White House places restrictions on arms sales to Bahrain

Three arms deals to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are currently making their way through Congress. If approved, the deals would supply Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait with 123 new F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and extensive upgrades to existing jets. The arms deal with Bahrain in particular would supply the country with 19 F-16s and[…]

Stranded in Saudi: Citizens and Migrants Unite in Rare Protest

In September, hundreds of Saudi and foreign workers employed at a private hospital in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province went on strike in protest over months of unpaid wages. The strike, coordinated and orchestrated by both Saudi citizen-workers and migrants, marks a turning point in migrant and labor relations in the Gulf, and indicates the escalation[…]