Bahrain Arbitrarily Arrests Lawyer After Qatar Lawsuit

**Update 15 June 2017 – Bahraini media reports confirm that the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Cybercrime Directorate arrested Isa Faraj Al Bou Rashid for “posting contents that amounted to inciting hatred against the Bahrain government and for other violations punishable under the law” after he discussed his legal challenge against the blockade of Qatar on social media[…]

HRC35 Item 3 Oral Intervention: Bahrain’s Restriction of Free Expression and Opinion

On 13 June 2017, Moritz Neubert delivered an oral intervention on behalf of ADHRB under the 35th session of the Human Rights Council’s Item 3 interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression and opinion. In his intervention, Neubert raised the issue of Bahrain’s restriction of free expression, including of[…]

Blockade of Qatar Raises Risk of Serious Human Rights Violations

12 June 2017 – A week after a diplomatic row publicly erupted between Qatar and several of its key regional allies – including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt – the small emirate remains under effective land, air, and sea blockade. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) is[…]

Bahrain suspends Al-Wasat, further restricting press freedom

6 June 2017 – Two days ago, on 4 June 2017, Bahrain’s Ministry of Information Affairs (MIA) indefinitely suspended both the print and online publication of Al-Wasat, Bahrain’s only independent newspaper. This move came in response to an article in Al-Wasat’s 4 June issue in which the author discussed events related to ongoing unrest in[…]

Bahrain Dissolves Wa’ad, Last Major Opposition Society

31 May 2017 – A Bahraini court today approved the dissolution of Wa’ad (also known as the National Democratic Action Society), the country’s largest secular, leftist opposition group. Wa’ad was the last major opposition group officially operating in Bahrain following the July 2016 dissolution of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights[…]