On 21 August 2025, a new name was added to Saudi Arabia’s alarming and ever-growing list of executions: Jalal Labbad, a young man put to death for alleged crimes committed as a child. His supposed offense was participating as a teenager in the 2011 and 2012 Al-Qatif protests against the systemic discrimination faced by the[…]
30
Jul
Jul
The Saudi government is well known for its efforts to improve its public image abroad through the practice of sportwashing. Sportwashing refers to the concerted efforts of the Saudi royal house to improve its international reputation by leveraging the vast wealth of their sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, to host large-scale sporting events.[…]
29
Jul
Jul
This month, Kuwait announced the formation of an ad-hoc committee to find ways of improving human rights within the country. The committee is composed of several departmental heads and seeks to improve human rights within the country through a variety of means. One of the goals of the newly established committee is to bolster cooperation[…]
22
Jul
Jul
Football fans tuned in this summer to watch two of the sport’s major tournaments, the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup and the biennial Concacaf Gold Cup, yet few noted the powerful force operating behind the scenes: Saudi Arabia and its Public Investment Fund (PIF). As the Kingdom pours substantial financial resources into these events, accusations[…]
16
Jul
Jul
Introduction In a worrying escalation this year, Bahraini security forces — as in previous years — have resorted to the harshest forms of repression against Ashura rituals, carrying out a widespread campaign of summonses, arrests, fabricated charges, and the removal of religious symbols across various regions. Meanwhile, the government’s official narrative presents an idealized image[…]
