Photographer Ahmed al-Fardan Imprisoned for Illegal Assembly

On 3 February 2016, a Bahraini court upheld photographer Ahmed al-Fardan’s three-month prison sentence on charges of “attempting” to protest. We condemn the Bahraini authorities’ continued targeting and prosecution of photographers and journalists, which directly violates internationally guaranteed freedoms of expression and media. On 26 December 2013 at 3:00 A.M., security forces raided al-Fardan’s house,[…]

Prisoner Profile: Sultan bin Kayed al-Qasimi

Sultan bin Kayed al-Qasimi is a member of the ruling family of the Ras al-Khaimah emirate and a leader of al-Islah (The Reform), a political association in the UAE. On 20 April 2012, armed men dressed in civilian clothes entered al-Qasimi’s home and arrested him. According to his son Abdullah, the men took al-Qasimi to[…]

Champions for Justice: Victims of Government Reprisals

Since Bahrain’s pro-democracy uprising began in 2011, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), and the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) have documented numerous cases of government retaliation against human rights defenders and activists. Less well-known, however, are cases of retaliation against these individuals’[…]

Prisoner Profile: Salim al-Aradi

Salim al-Aradi is a 46-year-old Libyan-Canadian businessman who runs a home appliance company with his brother in the UAE. On 28 August 2014, Salim was vacationing with his family in Dubai when he received a strange phone call at his hotel from an Emirati security officer. Although it was around 2:00 AM, the officer instructed[…]

Prisoner Profile: Dr. Mohammed al-Mansoori

Dr. Mohammed Ali Saleh al-Mansoori is an Emirati lawyer and former president of the UAE Jurists’ Association. He is also a human rights activist – one who has long faced government harassment for pushing democratic reforms. As early as October 2007, Emirati authorities imposed an open-ended travel ban on Dr. al-Mansoori in order to prevent[…]