Saudi Executions Continue at an Alarming Rate

On 1 June the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) of Saudi Arabia handed down 14 death sentences, reportedly the largest mass death sentence in the kingdom’s history. The court also issued nine prison sentences and one acquittal in the trial. All charges were in relation to an alleged attack on police forces in the predominantly Shia Eastern[…]

A Midterm Report on Saudi Arabia’s UPR Second Cycle: Analyzing Saudi Arabia’s Refusal to Reform

16 June 2016, Washington DC – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and the Bahrain Institute for Rights & Democracy (BIRD) are pleased to announce the release of A Midterm Report on Saudi Arabia’s UPR Second Cycle: Analyzing Saudi Arabia’s Refusal to Reform. Over the last several years, Saudi Arabia has pursued a larger[…]

Dear Pen Pal: Letters from Bahrain’s Child Prisoners

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) have organized a traveling and interactive exhibit to raise awareness about human rights violations in Bahrain. This exhibit is focused on society’s most vulnerable members: children and adolescents. In 2011,[…]

The unjust arrest, trial, and execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr

The trial of prominent Muslim Shia cleric and political activist Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was marred with human rights violations. Sheikh Nimr from the Awamiyah village in the Qatif region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a vocal critic of the Saudi government and called for peaceful political reforms. He advocated for nonviolent civil disobedience[…]

Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith Reappears in UAE Court after Eight Months of Enforced Disappearance

After nearly eight months of enforced disappearance, the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken prominent Emirati economist and political activist Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith before the State Security Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi. On 18 August 2015, Emirati officials arrested Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith from his work place[…]