On June 23, 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and partner organizations delivered an intervention during the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. During their intervention under Item 3, in the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, ADHRB called for[…]
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[…]
Since the end of last year and in the first months of 2025, a large number of prisoners have been released in Saudi Arabia. Among them are prisoners of conscience, including high-profile human rights activists. This is certainly a step forward since many of these people have been arrested in a completely arbitrary manner and[…]
This briefing paper examines the widespread and institutionalized exploitation of women migrant domestic workers across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. Despite public commitments to reform, the kafala (sponsorship) system remains the primary mechanism governing migrant labor. Under this system, a worker’s immigration status is[…]
The number of executions for drug crimes in Saudi Arabia is reaching staggering numbers. Since the beginning of 2025, at least 111 individuals have been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, and 68 of these were executed for drug-related crimes. As well as causing concern, these recent developments demonstrate how Saudi Arabia continues to renege[…]





