US Must Maintain Restrictions, Push for Reforms Following Bahrain Interior Minister Visit

14 July 2017 – Bahrain’s Minister of Interior, Lt. General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, visited Washington, DC this week to discuss security cooperation with a number of American officials, including the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense. While we encourage bilateral talks between American policymakers and the Government of Bahrain, and we acknowledge[…]

Congressman James McGovern delivers speech on one-year anniversary of Nabeel Rajab’s arbitrary arrest

On 13 June 2017, US Congressman James McGovern delivered a speech in Congress to mark the arbitrary arrest and one-year detention of Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab. Congressman McGovern is Rajab’s advocate in the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project for Prisoners of Conscience and has been a champion for publicly condemning[…]

US Senate Narrowly Approves Sale of Precision-Guided Missiles to Saudi Arabia

13 June 2017 – Today, the United States Senate narrowly voted to approve the sale of more than $500 million of precision-guided missiles (PGM) to Saudi Arabia, with a final vote of 53 – 47 against a resolution to block the sale. The approval of the sale indicates the United States will continue to materially[…]

US Representative McGovern delivers statement on Saudi imprisonment of Raif Badawi

On Monday, 22 May 2017, Representative James McGovern (D-MA) delivered a statement in Congress on the continued detention of Raif Badawi and all prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi court sentenced human rights activist and writer Badawi to a total of 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for free speech-related charges. 17[…]

Silence as early review period ends on US jet sale to Bahrain

In late March 2017, the New York Times reported that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would be dropping human rights conditions from a major sale of F-16 combat aircraft to the Bahraini government. The formal notification was set to have been announced last week barring any reservations from Congress. As of the publication of this[…]