22 January 2018 – Today, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council conducted the third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycle of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dozens of states issued recommendations to the Emirati Government, urging human rights reforms on a variety of thematic issue areas ranging from free expression and capital punishment to migrant[…]
16 January 2018 – Yesterday, the Bahraini Court of Cassation rejected human rights defender Nabeel Rajab’s appeal and confirmed his two-year prison sentence for discussing restrictions on free expression and the press in several television interviews. Yesterday also saw the latest hearing in a separate case against Rajab in which he faces prosecution over tweets[…]
On 9 January 2018, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for the immediate release of Saudi journalist Saleh al-Shehi, a columnist for Al-Watan who regularly reported on topics including the government’s economic policies and its treatment of expat workers. Al-Shehi was reportedly detained after accusing the Saudi royal court of corruption during an appearance[…]
Ahead of the third cycle of the United Nations (UN) Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights (UPR) for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) submitted a stakeholder report assessing the UAE’s compliance with second-cycle recommendations to adhere to international treaties and human rights mechanisms; guarantee the rights[…]
28 December 2017 – Today, a Bahraini court again postponed until 4 January 2018 the trial of opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary-General of the now-dissolved Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, on new charges of maintaining “intelligence contacts with Qatar.” Sheikh Salman is currently incarcerated on separate charges stemming solely from political speeches he delivered in[…]