Why Saudi Arabia Crushed the Democratic Uprising in Bahrain

During February 2011, more than 200,000 Bahraini citizens set up camp at the Pearl Roundabout in the capital of Manama to call for substantive government reform. Inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, Bahrainis from all walks of life withstood government raids and political arrests during their month-long occupation of the iconic[…]

February Champions for Justice: Bahrain’s Prisoners of Conscience

More than four years since the Bahrain government’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, arbitrary arrests, injuries to protesters and politically motivated prison sentences continue.  Numerous Bahrainis remain behind bars today, including hundreds of prisoners of conscience. Every month, ADHRB, BIRD and BCHR ask all defenders of human rights to take part in highlighting each of[…]

NGOs Send Letter to Saudi Minister of Interior Urging Release of Imprisoned Activists

2 February 2015 – Today, 24 international NGOs, interfaith organizations and concerned individuals sent a letter to Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia expressing concern over the ongoing detention and ill-treatment of human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair and blogger Raif Badawi. The undersigned urged Prince Mohammed bin Naif to immediately release al-Khair[…]

The Saudi Government’s Misuse of Anti-Terrorism Legislation

In 2008, the government of Saudi Arabia established the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) under the guise of prosecuting terrorism-related cases. In the seven years since its inception, however, the court has used anti-terrorism legislation to target human rights activists and government critics. The new Penal Law for Crimes of Terrorism and its Financing allows the[…]

Human Rights Defender Nabeel Rajab Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

20 January 2015 – Today, a Bahraini court sentenced human rights activist Nabeel Rajab to six months in prison on a conviction related to a tweet he published in September 2014. Rajab was also ordered to pay 200 BHD ($530 USD) for his bail during his appeal process. Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in[…]