Allegations of Torture and Discrimination Raise Tensions in Kuwait

A Kuwaiti court recently convicted 22 Shia citizens and an Iranian national of offenses based on accusations of espionage and the intention to undertake “hostile acts” on behalf of Iran and Hezbollah, reportedly leading to an escalation of sectarian tensions in Kuwait. The charges came after security forces raided several farmhouses along the Iraqi border and[…]

Newsletter #150

Bahrain Immediate and Impartial Investigation Needed After Death of Teenager The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) alongside the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) and the Justice Human Rights Organization (JHRO) call for an immediate[…]

Shia clerics reject sectarianism and call for equality

In response to the 2011 pro-democracy movement, Bahrain, with the help of Saudi Arabia, suppressed the protests and accused Shia Iran of meddling in Bahraini affairs, giving the protests a decidedly sectarian cast. On March 8, 2016, however, a group of 39 Bahraini Shia clerics insisted that there had never been a call for sectarianism[…]

Champions for Justice: Bahrain’s Pro-Democracy Movement

Five years ago this week, hundreds of thousands of people rose up in support of democracy and human rights in Bahrain. After enduring decades of structural inequalities, corruption, and repression, nearly half the country’s citizen population gathered to demand reform. The government responded swiftly, and severely. Riot police flooded the streets, employing excessive and indiscriminate[…]

Newsletter #126

Bahrain | Updates from the Ground | News & Opinion Saudi Arabia | Other Gulf States | UN Complaint Program Bahrain In letter to FIFA, ADHRB Raises Concern over Sheikh Salman Al Khalifa’s Bid for Presidency ADHRB’s Executive Director Husain Abdulla sent a letter to Issa Hayatou, the Acting President of the International Federation of Football Associations[…]