Seven Years After the 2011 Uprising, Bahrain’s Military Courts Confirm Death Sentences for Civilians

21 February 2018 – Today, Bahrain’s Military High Court of Appeal rejected the appeal of three civilians and one soldier convicted in a mass trial – “Terror Case/2017/1” – by the Military High Court on 25 December 2017. The case marks the first trial of civilians before a military tribunal in Bahrain since the 2011 National Safety[…]

Maryam al-Khawaja Discusses Bahrain’s Human Rights Movement at Georgetown Law

On 2 February 2018, marking the seventh anniversary of the Arab Spring protest movements across the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, Bahraini human rights defender Maryam al-Khawaja spoke at the Georgetown University Law Center with journalist Mehdi Hasan and Egyptian activist Mohamed Sultan, addressing the current impact of American foreign policy on human[…]

Al Arabiya News fined £120,000 ($170,000) for violating privacy of Bahraini torture survivor

25 January 2018 – Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya has been fined £120,000 ($171,556) by Ofcom, a British communications regulatory body, for infringing on the privacy of imprisoned Bahraini political leader and torture survivor Hassan Mashaima. The penalty follows the regulator’s decision, in April 2017, that Al Arabiya would face sanctions for broadcasting a recorded testimony[…]

Bahrain “Reopens” Pearl Monument but Obscures its Legacy

On 14 February 2011, thousands of Bahraini citizens joined together to peacefully call for democratic reforms and human rights protections. Two days later, on 16 February, the protesters occupied the Pearl Roundabout, a traffic circle in Manama that took its name from the 300-ft high pearl monument at its center. Demonstrators established an encampment and stayed overnight, even organizing[…]

Bahrain: Human Rights Crisis Deepened Since Protests Began Six Years Ago Today

14 February 2017 – On the anniversary of the 14 February 2011 protest movement, we, the undersigned, are deeply concerned that Bahrain’s human rights situation has now reached unprecedented lows. Bahrain’s precipitously worsening rights record is damaging not just for Bahrain, but for the stability of the entire region. The 34th Session of the UN[…]